The Market

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The Market

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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July 21, 2011 at 9:09 pm

#145797

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cengland0 SSCertifiable Points: 6102 More actions · Answer 1

Salary depends on location and job responsibilities. Go to a site like salary.com and look up "Database Administrator" for your zip code.

Ninja's_RGR'us SSC Guru Points: 294069 More actions · Answer 2

Ninja's_RGR'us

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Points: 294069

July 22, 2011 at 5:35 am

#1356961

http://www.roberthalftechnology.com/SalaryCenter

cengland0 SSCertifiable Points: 6102 More actions · Answer 3

cengland0

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Points: 6102

July 22, 2011 at 5:37 am

#1356962

Here's the salary information for my location:

cengland0 SSCertifiable Points: 6102 More actions · Answer 4

Ninja's_RGR'us (7/22/2011)
http://www.roberthalftechnology.com/SalaryCenter

Using your link, this is what I get:

Ninja's_RGR'us SSC Guru Points: 294069 More actions · Answer 5

That's why I like mine better :-D.

No seriously I think we should come up with the top 3-5 sites and then average those reports (expected salary), then go in the negotiation room with the top 1-2 as a starting point.

So what are your negotiation tips / tactics?

cengland0 SSCertifiable Points: 6102 More actions · Answer 6

Ninja's_RGR'us (7/22/2011)
So what are your negotiation tips / tactics?

I haven't been on the Market for a new job for 10 years. I have no desire to leave my current company regardless of salary.

If I was interested in going elsewhere, and I still have my current job, I would demand the salary at the higher end of the range. If they don't accept, I don't take the job.

On the other hand, if I was laid-off and was desperate to find a new one, I would probably accept whatever they offered the first time.

Ian Massi SSCertifiable Points: 5931 More actions · Answer 7

I tend to go by whatever salaries random and non-random recruiters tell me about jobs they want to put me in. They usually don't say it right up front but if you seem even remotely interested they'll at least give you a range if you tell them you won't talk further unless you know it. I don't tend to do that since I'm quite happy where I am though. I work near Toronto and that Robert Half tool seems about right. Then again, the recruiter I keep in touch with (he got me into the job I have today and I helped him fill another DBA job) is with Robert Half so it stands to reason. Based on all that information I'd say I'm fairly compensated.

As for negotiation techniques, I'd say the best one is to have them say a salary number first. Then you can go up from there. I don't get too aggressive, just treat it the same way as negotiating a price on a car or house. They don't intend to get the asking price so just offer something a little more advantageous to you and they probably won't even bat an eye. Worst case they say no or counter, unlikely they won't want to go forward with the job offer. In the past I've bumped up a starting salary from their initial offer by 10% and 7.5%. One I was perfectly happy with the starting salary but asked for 3 weeks of vacation instead of 2 to start. The first person who says a salary number is at a disadvantage, so just try to make sure it isn't you. Also, it's much easier on the nerves to negotiate when you still have a job and you're looking at a new one. But negotiating even a small salary increase right at the start will pay huge dividends later, especially if it's a place that has salary based bonuses and benefits.

WolforthJ SSC Eights! Points: 914 More actions · Answer 8

I am in Duluth, MN and the numbers are about 25% lower, however I don't think there are many DBA's here that have job descriptions that match to larger markets. Also I am in government, so it is difficult to put value on all the benefits plus the stability of the job. We just changed some job descriptions so HR did it's own research, comparing our new descriptions to other similar sized government entities. With the wide variety of how people arrange IT work, they were only able to match 70% of the skills. Our pay came within a +/-10% range so there will be no changes.

Someone in the department had numbers for a Fox/Lawson survey that put us further below the average, but it was argued that we don't compare to private industry, and the survey was out of date. My personal perspective is that I could find a little more pay but I'd have to work a lot more for it and I wouldn't get all those government holidays. I'll let the younger folks have those jobs.

chrisfradenburg SSCrazy Eights Points: 9592 More actions · Answer 9

I have a good feel for how much I'm worth. I did some research before leaving my last job. Straight salary I'm probably a little low where I am now but health insurance is half what it was at my last place (one of the benefits of working for a hospital system) so that's a good thing. And I'm working someplace that has a direct benefit to society which means a lot to me.

I find it interesting that the Robert Half graph doesn't take work experience into account. Nor does Salary.com. Both those are close for Burlington, VT at 87 and 88 grand. Payscale, which does ask questions about experience and industry says 66 grand which seems low to me and not what I saw last I looked into it.

@DBA_ANDY SSC-Addicted Points: 492 More actions · Answer 10

Thanks for a thoroughly depressing topic 😛 - nothing like having 9 years experience and being in the bottom quadrant of your alleged salary range:

Dalton Moore SSC Eights! Points: 879 More actions · Answer 11

Dalton Moore

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Points: 879

July 22, 2011 at 7:55 am

#1357053

Interns are the outliers on the low end 😀

Rod at work SSC-Dedicated Points: 34017 More actions · Answer 12

Good question for a Friday, Steve. My short answer to your question is, no. I don't really know my market value is in my local area. A large part of that is because I work for a university; have for the last 15 years. Universities always pay less than the private sector. I'm sure that I could probably make more in the private sector.

Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.

cengland0 SSCertifiable Points: 6102 More actions · Answer 13

Rod at work (7/22/2011)
A large part of that is because I work for a university; have for the last 15 years. Universities always pay less than the private sector. I'm sure that I could probably make more in the private sector.

Universities are in the private sector. Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools are in the Public sector. My taxes pay for your children to get an education even though I don't have any children of my own. However, my taxes do not pay for your college education. Yes, you can get some government grants but the state still recognizes the institutions as private. They make a profit, right? Do they give all their profits back to our government? Nope!

Tony++ SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4421 More actions · Answer 14

I'm in Minneapolis MN. My (former) manager gave me the delightful task of naming my raise, as long as I could justify it within market range.

I keep a good ongoing relationship with multiple recruiters, so I simply forwarded them an updated resume and asked them, for the job I'm doing, with the skills I have, for local market, what's my range? Easy and someone else does the work.

3 recruiters agreed that the (typical) Minneapolis range for senior level swings from 90 to 115. (BTW I didn't get the raise anywhere near the top end of the range, but the questions to recruiters did get me a a job offer at that point!)

Definately, know your worth. If you're not there by salary then it's the other intangibles that have to make up the difference. I actually didn't take the highest offer, I took a lower offer where the intangibles are worth the salary difference to me.