How should you read the salary survey numbers?
Analyze This!
How should you read the salary survey numbers?
- By Linda Briggs
- 07/01/1999
Few of us work for money alone, yet feeling that we’re
being fairly compensated for our labors is key to overall
job satisfaction. Add to that the secretive nature of
most people’s salaries, and… Hence, the popularity
of MCP Magazine’s annual compensation survey.
For this issue, we sent email messages to 25,000 MCPs
throughout the U.S., sending you to a secured Web site
to tell us what you do, where you do it, how long you’ve
done it, what certifications you hold, and what you’re
paid.
I love hearing from readers on any topic, and our salary
survey generates plenty of mail all year long. You write
to ask for more detail, to tell me that you distrust the
survey methods, that you want international numbers, that
you need salary ranges for your particular city or title
combination—and finally, to either refute or confirm
our numbers based on your own observations. With your
top comments in mind from last year, here are some tips
on getting the most out of our salary numbers.
- The averages we tout in the main
story are just that. While they’re interesting
in an industry-wide sense, they’re probably of
little direct value to your situation. Why? Because
individual salaries are so influenced by factors like
years of experience, location, certifications, job responsibilities,
technical specialties, and even your negotiating skills.
For more detailed numbers broken down by major metropolitan
areas, job titles, size of company, and more, go to
the main article
and click on any of the regional charts listed in the
menu.
- Don’t rely on our survey
alone. There’s a growing number of (free)
technical salary surveys out there. We list a number
of them in the "Additional
Information" box at the end of the Salary Survey.
Use them too. Compare the numbers. Come to your own
conclusions about the worth of your titles and experience
in the IT marketplace.
- Your certifications are one factor
in determining compensation. For example, don’t
overlook the tie between experience and pay. That would
be like overlooking a brick in your eye, but people
do it. “How much should an MCSE make?” I get
asked. Well, how much should a CEO make? The answer
is just about as applicable.
Now go ahead and send me your personal take on our 1999
survey. Is it helpful? Were you able to find useful numbers
that fit your situation? How can we make it better? I’m
at [email protected].
About the Author
Linda Briggs is the founding editor of MCP Magazine and the former senior editorial director of 101communications. In between world travels, she's a freelance technology writer based in San Diego, Calif.