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Subject:Re: Salary Question From:"Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 14 Dec 1994 09:01:42 -0600
Kim:
This is written in response to:
*****************************
I've been going through postings on the Net, along with postings
elsewhere, and always get stumped when it comes to the salary
section. I think out of all the postings I've read (over 300
probably), that only 3 actually put down a dollar amount....
Well, in regards to this, I wondered if anyone out there had
any words of wisdom on what exactly to expect, or ask for.
******************************
Get thee to stc -at- tmn -dot- com and ask for the Salary Survey. It's a survey of
salary and benefits earned by technical writers in the US and Canada,
compiled by the Society for Technical Communication. Salaries vary by
region, industry, and experience. If you're not a member of STC, join.
When examining salary offers, be sure to allow for local cost of living;
high pay doesn't do much good if you just get to handle more money. A
crude but reasonable way to do this is to subscribe to the local paper, and
try to get a fix on the average price of apartments you would be interested
in. Divide the monthly salary by the monthly rent, and you have a
reasonably good cost of living index. The amount left over after paying
rent and estimated tax (Figure 20% federal, 5% State and 7% Social Security
in the absence of other information) also gives you an idea of how happy
you will be with your income. (Amazing, isn't it? In my first job, my
Federal witholding alone was more than I paid for room and board in
college. The price we pay for civilization.)
If you want more general job-hunting advice, I have some old posts on the
subject I'd be happy to send you, but I suspect the list is tired of
seeing them.
Skoal,
Doug Farm policy, although it's complex,
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com can be explained. What it can't be
is believed.
- P.J. O'Rourke
