Salary Requirements

[Michael Clark <mclark -at- MTU -dot- EDU>]

G'day all,

I'm applying for a job as a technical writer at a software firm in
southern Wisconsin, and as a new fish in the market, I'm having a
difficult time trying to determine an appropriate "salary requirement."
I thought you might be able to give me an idea.

Here's what I think is most relevant to my situation:
        * I'll have a MS degree in Technical Communication in a few weeks
        * I have ample experience with all the hardware and software this
          company's writers use.
        * I've got a year's experience as a technical writer with the
          Information Technology group here on campus.
        * My MS project is a 35 page manual which I've written and tested
          over the last three terms.
        * This term I'm working as a co-editor on an anthology of
          literary non-fiction
        * I've also got a year of experience teaching English Composition
        * I've been a computer lab consultant at the last three schools
          I've attended, and am the Consultant In Training Coordinator at
          my present school, for whatever that's worth.

Can anybody speculate on a reasonable (ballpark) salary requirement? If
there are any hiring-types out there, I'm also interested in knowing how
companies figure out what they're willing to pay.

Thanks,
Mike

 TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot-  Send commands
   to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
  Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/  or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html