Re: Salaries

["Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM>]

At 2:34 PM 12/27/95, Melissa Hunter-Kilmer wrote:
>   Remember the recent posting about a TW job in Northern VA that commanded a
>   tiny salary?

>   Here's another, courtesy of the January _Capital Letter_ (the newsletter
>   of our friendly neighborhood STC chapter).

[snip qualifications list]
> Salary range is [drum roll]

>                    ********* $20,000 to $24,000 *********

[snip]

>   This company also wants a tech. editor with a BS or BA and five years of
>   experience.  For this, the company will pay the munificent sum of $30,000
>   to $35,000.

[snip]

>   What in the heck is going on here?  Have y'all noticed anything similar
>   happening in your neck of the woods?


I'd wager you'll find "slave-wage" job listings in any newspaper. There
are always those employers who are willing to scrape the bottom of the
barrel to save a few pennies in payroll. You'll often find those
employers in a certain segment of the industry or maybe in a certain
geographical location. (For example, in San Diego County there are two
areas in which most of the technical jobs are located. One geographical
area pays, as a general rule, much more than the other. I don't know why.)

Another thing you'll notice is that the lower paying jobs are typically
advertised in less sophisticated media. Companies that recruit primarily
from advertising in newspapers pay less, as a rule, than do companies that
use search firms or professional society job lines (like STC).

The highest paying jobs are the most difficult to find. If you're not
finding jobs that will pay you what you're worth, adjust your search
tactics. Find a good search firm (or several), use the internet, the
STC, and -- *above all* -- Network! Some of the best jobs never make it
to the Sunday paper!



Sue Gallagher
Expersoft Corporation
San Diego, CA
sgallagher -at- expersoft -dot- com