Why Salary Research Is Non-Negotiable
A Robert Half survey found that 39% of candidates accept the first salary offer without negotiating. The most common reason? They didn't know what to ask for.
Salary research solves this. When you know the market rate for a role, you can:
- Set realistic expectations before applying
- Evaluate offers against actual data
- Negotiate with confidence, citing specific benchmarks
- Avoid wasting time on roles that don't meet your minimum
The goal isn't to find a single number. It's to establish a range that accounts for your experience, location, and the specific company. That range becomes your negotiation anchor.
The Best Salary Research Tools
No single source gives you the complete picture. Each tool has strengths and blind spots. Here's a breakdown:
| Tool | Best For | Data Source | Cost | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glassdoor | Company-specific salaries | Employee self-reports | Free | Self-reported data skews; requires account |
| Levels.fyi | Tech compensation | Verified employee reports | Free | Tech-focused; limited coverage of other industries |
| Payscale | Role + experience combos | Salary surveys | Free (basic) | Detailed reports are paywalled |
| BLS OOH | National medians by occupation | Government survey data | Free | Broad categories; no company-level data |
| LinkedIn Salary | Role + location combos | LinkedIn member data | Free (LinkedIn account) | Requires premium for full insights |
| H1B Salary Database | Exact salaries at specific companies | USCIS public filings | Free | Only covers H1B visa holders; skews toward certain roles |
How to Use Each Tool Effectively
Glassdoor
Start here for company-specific data. Search by job title and company name. Glassdoor shows base pay, additional pay (bonuses, stock), and a range based on employee reports.
Pro tip: Look at the number of salary reports. A range based on 3 reports is unreliable. A range based on 200+ reports is a solid signal.
Levels.fyi
If you're in tech, this is the gold standard. Levels.fyi breaks down compensation into base salary, stock, and bonus — which matters enormously at companies where stock grants can double your total compensation.
Example breakdown for a Senior Software Engineer at a large tech company:
Base Salary: $190,000
Stock (annual): $80,000
Bonus: $30,000
─────────────────────────
Total Comp: $300,000
The gap between base salary and total compensation is why looking at base pay alone can be misleading, especially at companies that offer significant equity.
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median pay for hundreds of occupations. This data is collected through employer surveys, making it more reliable than self-reported platforms for broad market context.
Use BLS data to understand the national baseline, then adjust from there. If BLS says the median for "Software Developers" is $130,160, and you're in San Francisco with 8 years of experience, your target should be well above that median.
H1B Salary Database
This is the most underused salary research tool. Companies that sponsor H1B visas must disclose the exact salary offered to USCIS. These filings are public record.
Search at h1bdata.info or similar aggregators. You'll find the actual salary a specific company paid for a specific role in a specific location. It's not a range or an average — it's the real number from a legal filing.
Caveat: H1B salaries must meet "prevailing wage" requirements, so they tend to cluster around the floor of what a company pays for a given role. Actual offers to non-H1B candidates are often higher.
Adjusting for Your Situation
Raw salary data needs context. Three factors shift the number significantly:
Location
Cost of living varies dramatically. A $120,000 salary in Austin and a $120,000 salary in New York City represent very different purchasing power. Use a cost-of-living calculator (NerdWallet, Bankrate, or CNN's tool) to normalize salaries across locations.
Keep in mind that remote roles are increasingly pegged to "national" or "tier-based" pay bands rather than your specific city. If a company posts a single range for remote workers, location adjustment matters less.
Experience Level
Most salary data lets you filter by experience. If you can't filter, use these rough benchmarks:
- Entry level (0-2 years): 10-20% below the reported median
- Mid level (3-7 years): At or near the reported median
- Senior level (8-15 years): 15-30% above the reported median
- Principal/Staff (15+ years): 30-60% above, depending on the industry
Company Size and Stage
A Series A startup and a Fortune 500 company will pay differently for the same role. Startups often offer lower base salaries offset by equity. Large companies tend to offer higher base salaries with more structured bonus programs.
Factor this into your research. If you're comparing a startup offer to Glassdoor data dominated by enterprise companies, the base salary being lower doesn't necessarily mean the total compensation is worse.
Building Your Target Range
Once you've gathered data from 3-4 sources, synthesize it into a range:
Step 1: Collect data points from multiple tools for your specific role and location.
Step 2: Throw out outliers. The person reporting $400K for a mid-level marketing role either has unusual circumstances or misreported.
Step 3: Identify the 25th and 75th percentile. This is your realistic range.
Step 4: Position yourself within that range based on your experience, skills, and the specific company.
Step 5: Set three numbers: your walk-away minimum, your target, and your stretch ask. Your stretch ask should be at or near the 75th percentile if your qualifications support it.
Your negotiation framework:
Walk-away: $130,000 (25th percentile — below this, you decline)
Target: $145,000 (50th-60th percentile — a fair offer)
Stretch: $160,000 (75th percentile — your opening ask)
When to Share Your Number
The short answer: as late as possible. Let the employer make the first offer whenever you can. Once you've shared a number, the negotiation is anchored to it.
If pressed early in the process, use your research to give a range:
"Based on my research for this role in this market, I'm targeting $140,000 to $165,000 in total compensation. I'm flexible depending on the full package, including equity, bonus, and benefits."
This positions you as informed without locking you into a single number. It also signals that you've done your homework, which most hiring managers respect.
Red Flags in Compensation Discussions
Watch for these signals during the interview process:
- "We don't share salary ranges" — In many states this is now illegal. Companies in Colorado, Washington, California, New York, and others are required to post ranges.
- "We'll make it worth your while" — Vague promises without numbers usually result in lowball offers.
- "What are you making now?" — Salary history bans exist in many jurisdictions. You're not obligated to answer. Redirect to "I'm targeting X based on market research."
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook — Government-sourced median salary data for hundreds of occupations, updated annually
- Glassdoor: How to Negotiate Salary — Salary negotiation framework and compensation data methodology
- SHRM: Managing Employee Compensation — HR industry perspective on how companies structure pay bands and compensation packages
Stop Guessing, Start Negotiating
Salary research takes an hour. The difference between an informed negotiation and an uninformed one can be tens of thousands of dollars. Pair your compensation research with a resume that positions you at the top of the range. Superpower Resume helps you build a resume that highlights the experience and skills that justify your target salary — tailored to each specific role.
