http://salary.com and
http://payscale.com are both pretty good.
My first job right out of college (Alcatel, now Alcatel-Lucent) didn’t even give me a chance to negotiate - they just made a take it or leave it offer, and I had been an intern there for a year. Granted, that was just a one-time thing - I’ve negotiated every salary since then.
It helps if you can track
all of your expenses in a given month, from rent and utilities down to the smallest things like buying something from a vending machine. It’s kind of anal-retentive but will give you a very accurate assessment of exactly how much you spend each month. Probably a little late for it now, but the best option is to track expenses over 3-4 months and average it out. (This is good budgeting advice in general if I do say so myself!)
Obviously, this will need to be your
baseline salary (unless you don’t mind reducing your expenses), so start from there. Comparing the baseline to what you find on the websites above may be able to set your expectations up a bit better.
Other things to take into account:
- Commuting - time, gas, vehicle wear and tear
- Do you have to purchase your own equipment
- Benefits package
- Vacation/time off
- 401k
- Other company perks
Congrats and good luck!
