To Get the Salary You Want, Offer a Top-Heavy Range

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It’s the question most job seekers dread: What are your salary requirements? You want to be able to ask for what you’re worth, but aim too high and you might take yourself out of the running. Over at CBS News, Brianna McGurran of Nerdwallet offers tips for covering all your salary-requirement bases.

It’s important to think about what you’re really worth in the job market when deciding what to ask for. Websites like Glassdoor can offer insights into what your employer is likely to offer. You can add or subtract from those self-reported figures based on your own levels of experience and education. McGurran recommends that you come across as flexible in your salary wants by offering a range. If you’re hoping for $50,000, but are unsure whether that matches the employers’ valuation, you can always write on the application “$47,000-$57,000” or something like that. The understanding will be that you’d like to be considered in the $50,000 range. McGurran notes you’ll likely be offered something near the bottom of the range so don’t make your actual targeted salary the ceiling.

Finally, continuing in the vein of flexibility, it’s a good idea to allow yourself to remain flexible with your own salary requirements. Sometimes it’s a better idea to accept a lower salary in exchange for better benefits or a job with greater opportunities for upward mobility. When it comes time to negotiate your final compensation, keep in mind that there’s more to gain from work than dollars and cents.