What Am I Worth?

In general, you are worth whatever someone is willing to pay you.

What you ultimately end up receiving for a salary depends on many factors:

• The specific details of the job
• What you have done, and how long you have done it
• What the employer thinks you can do
• Where you work
• The industry in which you work
• The size of the hiring company
• The size of the hiring department
• Your education
• How much the employer values the specific position
• How well you negotiate
• How many other people are vying for the same position
• The job market in general
• etc, etc

Remember that, within reason, everything about a job is negotiable, including salary.

If the hiring company wants you badly enough, they can sometimes increase their offer.

Remember also, that there is more to a job than simply the salary. Consider the whole package:

• Bonus
• 401(k) contributions
• Stock options
• Other benfits
• Opportunity for advancement
• Company culture
• Commuting distance
• Telecommuting options
• etc, etc.

Here are a few web sites that can help you calculate what particular jobs might be worth in your area:

http://www.payscale.com/mypayscale.aspx
http://www.telecomcareers.net/Resources/SalaryWizard/SalarySurvey.htm
http://techexpousa.salary.com/
http://www.pencom.com/isg.html
http://www.ticker.computerjobs.com/content/ticker.aspx
http://salary.monster.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_newsearch.asp
http://www.salary.com/
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/salary
http://www.vault.com/salaries.jsp

Courtesy: Internet