Job - Pay Accuracy..

Phate · 7 Jan 2008 at 23:02

Hello all,

Going to have a chat with my boss tomorrow (he doesn't know it) because I've had this sneaky suspicion that I'm being underpaid for my role.

Looking at it, I am being underpaid by 4 - 7k.

Now, when I had my pay review at Christmas, I was told that the company looked at the current market rate for my role and based my salary around that.

I'm doing my own research and have found the above info.

My question is, how accurate is - http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/

I've never used this site before, so if anyone else who's used to doing this sort of research can help that'd be great.

Thanks

<(Multi)> · 7 Jan 2008 at 23:08

Surely the question is; what's the job and how much do you think you should be paid.

The next question is, how much do you think it would cost your boss to hire someone else to do the job you can do for him. Six months ago I knew my ex boss could get someone for half the wage I was demanding so knew to move on quick as the chances of any form of salary rise in the next 5 years was zero.

Remember theres a huge variation in wages across the country and that chart doesnt seem to take that into account, unless Im reading it wrong?

Haircut · 7 Jan 2008 at 23:10

You can drill down to job roles and areas

For instance it reckons a consulant based in London should be earning just over £56K
http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/london/consultant.do

superplay · 7 Jan 2008 at 23:28

I have always found these salary surveys a bit scewed, averages need I say more

For example:

Job 1 SQL for ABC small shop co. £12 - 15K
Job 2 SQL for Joe Bloggs medium company inc 25k - 30k
Job 3 SQL for trading floor - 50k-100K

Another

Average cost of a house £353,096 in stoke 10p

You really need to drill down into these figures before you make any pay demands. Comparing the Job Like for Like and Location like for like.

Also research the local job market in your area, what are other people who do the same job as you in your area earn? Is there work avaliable?

Also dont forget to comare the overall package, pensions, bonuses etc.

Phate · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:16

superplay said:
I have always found these salary surveys a bit scewed, averages need I say more

For example:

Job 1 SQL for ABC small shop co. £12 - 15K
Job 2 SQL for Joe Bloggs medium company inc 25k - 30k
Job 3 SQL for trading floor - 50k-100K

Another

Average cost of a house £353,096 in stoke 10p

You really need to drill down into these figures before you make any pay demands. Comparing the Job Like for Like and Location like for like.

Also research the local job market in your area, what are other people who do the same job as you in your area earn? Is there work avaliable?

Also dont forget to comare the overall package, pensions, bonuses etc.

Thanks for the advice, I'll do some more digging

Glaucus · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:17

Better to use something like reed website. And match like for like and in your area. Averages are a waste of time IMO.

Phate · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:25

AcidHell2 said:
Better to use something like reed website. And match like for like and in your area. Averages are a waste of time IMO.

Thanks mate

will check it out.

me227 · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:29

Why don't you look in recruiting agencies for similar jobs. That way you'll have very local and current prove.

BlackDragon · 8 Jan 2008 at 00:50

<(Multi)> said:
The next question is, how much do you think it would cost your boss to hire someone else to do the job you can do for him. Six months ago I knew my ex boss could get someone for half the wage I was demanding so knew to move on quick as the chances of any form of salary rise in the next 5 years was zero.

Which I think you will also need to add why you think you deserve this pay rise, and how keeping you on would be beneficial for their company. Probably say something about your experience

Phate · 8 Jan 2008 at 17:25

Well I had a chat with my boss.

Explained to him I have found a few samples of higher paid jobs, similar to what I do and he asked me if A) They were in the insurance industry and if the answer is yes B) Can I bring them in for him to have a look at.

He showed me what my wage was based on, and according to the figure I was shown, I'm being paid about a grand over the suggested rate. So either the case is that - the jobs I found aren't in the Insurance industry (didn't check if they were) and therefore the figure isn't relevant to my wage OR the company has been told the incorrect market rate, if this is the case - then it'll be raised to what the actual market rate is.

He was perfectly cool about it

I didn't give him any attitude and he was fully understanding of where I was coming from...

So now I have to do some more digging

Thanks for the advice and help guys - if anything major happens I'll let you know.

panthro · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:18

Werent you in IT? I dont think it matters what industry youre in if youre working in the IT department does it? Pay would be uniform throughout your department based on IT jobs, regardless if they were for an insurance firm.

fail at the internets · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:24

Aren't you the person who didn't have qualifications and was massively over paid when you first got your job? :confused:

[TW]Fox · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:26

Hornchurch said:
Aren't you the person who didn't have qualifications and was massively over paid when you first got your job?

He's the guy who apparently got his IT director fired for not retaining him as a temp employee and then got given his job. But then in a later thread he listed amongst his responsibilities 'building machines' :confused:

Unless you are on like 10k Phate I cant see you being 4-7k underpaid.

Scuzi · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:28

Hornchurch said:
Aren't you the person who didn't have qualifications and was massively over paid when you first got your job?

Aye, didn't he claim to take his managers job despite being 19 with little experience and no qualifications?

Experience is an important factor when working out your salary. At 19 you couldn't have very much experience so it would be reasonable to get paid below the average for your role.

rayer · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:31

Just seen my rates on that site for a Qualified Cisco Engineer. Just had a nice pay rise this week from the boss, but best show him this site as well

Dup · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:35

Does experience also play a big factor too? Regardless of qualified skill, experience in the field qualifies for a better band of pay normally.

I'm on 14k in my current position, which is dire but then again I only work in a small company. I've stuck it out 2 years for loyalty and CV sakes and now i'm looking to move onwards and upwards.

smokedog · 8 Jan 2008 at 18:53

Dup said:
I'm on 14k in my current position

On £14k and you can afford to run a CTR, thats presuming the car in your sig is yours.

Phate · 8 Jan 2008 at 19:02

panthro said:
Werent you in IT? I dont think it matters what industry youre in if youre working in the IT department does it? Pay would be uniform throughout your department based on IT jobs, regardless if they were for an insurance firm.

I still work in IT - for an Insurance Company, have been there for a year and a bit now.

And not necessarily, if I was doing my job for the shop round the corner I wouldn't be on my current wage

Hornchurch said:
Aren't you the person who didn't have qualifications and was massively over paid when you first got your job?

Depends on what you consider massively overpaid. I don't need an MCSE or whatever to do my job.

[TW]Fox;10845302 said:
He's the guy who apparently got his IT director fired for not retaining him as a temp employee and then got given his job.

Here we go, I did not get the IT Director fired, the IT Director was being made redundant and fact that I got to stay on and took on SOME of his responsibility's was the icing on the cake!

[TW]Fox said:
But then in a later thread he listed amongst his responsibilities 'building machines'

Wrong, I said I had a lot of experience do this and in my previous job's I had to build machines.

[TW]Fox said:
Unless you are on like 10k Phate I cant see you being 4-7k underpaid.

Well I'm on more than that and according to that website in my OP I am 4-7k underpaid, but like I say, I have more research to do.

Scuzi said:
Aye, didn't he claim to take his managers job despite being 19 with little experience and no qualifications?

See above, I didn't take his job, a fair few of his responsibilities were given to me.

Scuzi said:
Experience is an important factor when working out your salary. At 19 you couldn't have very much experience so it would be reasonable to get paid below the average for your role.

Indeed, I was shown today that once I've been with the company for 2 years (so at the end of this year) according to their rate I should be on an roughly an extra 6.5k

My task now is to find out if the company's market rate they are using is correct

If it is, that's cool with me! I just want to make sure I'm being paid the going rate for the work I do.

LordSplodge · 8 Jan 2008 at 19:08

Phate said:
He was perfectly cool about it.

Sure, after the meeting he sent your P45 in the post...

There is no such thing as "standard pay". Employers will pay people what they can get away with. If an employee said to me: "This website says I should be paid x!" then I'd say: "Good for you, now get back to work or go and get another job"

Phate · 8 Jan 2008 at 19:21

LordSplodge said:
Sure, after the meeting he sent your P45 in the post...

There is no such thing as "standard pay". Employers will pay people what they can get away with. If an employee said to me: "This website says I should be paid x!" then I'd say: "Good for you, now get back to work or go and get another job"

That's why I didn't go in there with that attitude.

I simply said that after looking on XXX site I found this, and i just want to make sure I'm being paid accordingly due to being told my wage is based on the london rate for insurers employees.