Do I deserve a raise?

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April 16th, 2006

One reason many people get into trouble financially is because they start off in life with a job, and end up acquiring responsibilities as they go. Cars, houses, kids, pets, medical conditions, and other financial responsibilities can certainly add up over time, and many people are still doing the same job for the same pay.

It is important to carefully plan your future according to your monthly budget, but sometimes people are worth more than they are making, and that is the time to ask for a raise.

How do I know what my income should be?
In the US, there are many checks and balances to keep undesirable effects from entering our society. One of these is the tendency of foreign workers to work for less than American workers because they place a higher value on each dollar. The Foreign Labor Certification board keeps a careful eye on what immigrant workers earn at their jobs to make sure that everyone is treated fairly by employers. This database is available online at http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesWizardStart.aspx and is an excellent resource.

Basically you enter your geographic area, area of expertise and job function and you are presented with a list of average salaries by job “level.” In general the “levels” break down as such:

Level 1: Generally assigned to entry level experience and may or may not indicate the need for a degree or specialized certification. The position is usually closely supervised. Sometimes this associated with internship or “in-training” titles

Level 2: Defines a “qualified” worker who works largely unsupervised and performs tasks mostly without prior authorization. This level of job can usually be associated with job offers which require either an amount of years of experience, or a certain amount (or level) of education.

Level 3: Assigned to jobs where a person must have enough experience or education to have attained special job-related skills. This level will often be responsible for coordinating other employees’ actions, and keywords will include things like: senior, lead, head, chief, etc.

Level 4: Assigned to workers with enough skill, experience, and education to provide long term planning and execution of strategy and to independently evaluate their success. Workers in this level will have their work evaluated for sound judgment and application to the overall strategy of the organization, rather than correctness. Generally this position will come with management, and/or supervisory responsibilities.

Each of these levels defines some form of income increase. Remember, though, that these are averages. If you have excellent benefits, extra vacation or other perks at your current job, it is important to take those into account when comparing with the database.

Entry Filed under: Careers & Business
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