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How to research a salary before anyone asks

Three sources that are actually useful, and one that is not.

Walking into a salary conversation without a number is how people end up ten per cent under the band. An hour of research fixes it.

What actually works

• Postings with published ranges for the same title, in the same country. Pay transparency law means there are now many of these. Collect ten and take the median.
• Levels and bands published by comparable companies, where they exist.
• Asking a recruiter what the client has budgeted, which they will often tell you.

What does not work

Global salary averages from aggregator sites. They blend countries, seniorities and company sizes into one number that describes nobody. A single figure for software engineer is not information.

Adjust for the things that move a number most

In rough order: country, company size and funding stage, industry, then seniority within the band. The same title at a twelve person startup and a listed company can differ by a factor of two, and neither is wrong.

Know your three numbers

Your walk away number, your target, and the number you say out loud, which sits slightly above your target. Decide all three before the call, because deciding during the call goes badly.

For cross border roles

Establish early whether pay is benchmarked to your location or to the role. It changes the entire conversation and it is a fair question to ask.