Are you being paid a fair salary

Are you being paid a fair salaryHeres a question that will inevitably come up at some point (or several points) during your professional journey Am I being paid what Im worth? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Its a fair questionand one you should be comfortable with asking yourself whenever you do a status check while traveling along your career path. Why? Well, the truth is, in todays ultra-competitive job market, employers in any given industry can offer a wide range of salaries for positions, and its absolutely within your best interests to know what end of the salary spectrum youre on.Of course, many variables will come into play when youre given a salary offer at the time of hire for a position (things like geographic location, years of experience, and even the relative financial health of the company can factor in), but one thing thats true for employees across fields, positions, and locations is that the salary you agree to for a p osition can have a real impact on your long-term earning potentialboth at your current position and company and for future positions, either there or at a new company. Many companies base things like salary offers and even raises and bonuses on your prior earning history, and if your salary is below the industry average for your position and experience, it may take years before youre able to catchup to other, better compensated colleagues. Taking into account the time and effort most of us put into our professional lives, its obviously important to ensure that youre getting paid a fair salary for the work you do and contributions you make to your employer. And you cant have faith that your employer is staying on top of whats fair. In the tricky world of salary negotiations, youre often going to be your own best advocate towards ensuring that youre being compensated fairly.Hopefully, its now clear why educating yourself about compensation standards, practices, and trends in your indu stry is a valuable use of your time. Consider using the following strategies to help you determine if youre being paid a reasonable salary.Steps to take to ensure your salary is what you deserveResearchYou dont need us to tell you that the Internet is often your best friend when youre in need of doing some research on a subject. When it comes to gathering salary info, its an invaluable tool as well. In fact, there are sites that are practically dedicated to thischeck out Salary.coms salary calculator tool or Glassdoor to determine what other folks in your field and position typically make.In addition, professional associations in your field may openly share important information like average salary and compensation to help you figure out where youre at relative to your peers. Many professionals across industries maintain blogs that are designed to create supportive communities and share key information with their colleaguesuse these to your advantage and feel empowered to ask questi ons as needed.Utilize your HR departmentRemember, your companys HR department is there to support you with all sorts of issues that come up during your professional tenure. If you have questions or concerns regarding compensation, these are often good places to start. And if they dont have all the answers youre looking for, if theyre good at their jobs theyll be able to direct you where to go for next steps.Check yourselfDont forget that the issue of professional satisfaction, which includes being content with your current salary, is highly personalwhat makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled and meets your life needs will be different than anyone else. Therefore, a strong source to determine if youre being paid reasonably is yourself. Look within, do a personal inventory, and try to assess whether or not you feel as if youre currently in a good place salary-wise. Regardless of what others in similar positions make, if you feel content with where youre at, take that into consideratio n when deciding whether youre compensated fairly.What not to doSalary issues can be highly emotional. If you feel as if youre underpaid, it may platzdeckchen you off on a charged and volatile footing. Thats never a good place to operate from when it comes to issues involving your career. Be sure to keep your emotions in check when addressing compensation matters with your company. Also, avoid discussing salaries with your coworkersmany companies frown upon this, and it can also lead to animosity if there are clear disparities.One last thing to avoidavoid ignoring the issue. If you feel unsatisfied or unclear regarding your compensation, simply ignoring it will undoubtedly lead to ongoing negative results. Take proactive steps to ensure that youre a valued and fairly compensated member of your organization, and both you and your company will benefit from it.