Salary Increase

I'm interviewing for a new job and they want to know my salary requirements. What kind of increase should I ask for?

Candidates need to have reasonable expectations when it comes to salary increases, especially in today's market. Throughout the Salary Negotiation section of Top-Sales-Jobs, you'll find some good information on managing this part of your job search.

In this negotiation, you want to avoid being the first to offer a number, if at all possible. State your current compensation (base salary and bonus - not the value of your benefits!), and let the hiring manager know that you are confident that the organization will make a competitive salary offer.

If you're working with a recruiter, you should be able to get a better understanding of the range for the position, and know up front where your current compensation fits in this range.

Most companies want to bring people in close to the midpoint of the salary range for the position. This allows room for future increases, without having to make exceptions to their comp structure. If you come in at the top of the range, you might find that your good deal on coming into the company has maxed out your opportunity for reasonable increases in the future. This is not the position you want to be in.

When considering an offer, make sure that you understand how any incentive or bonus compensation works. It's great to have a 20% bonus opportunity, until you find out that it hasn't been paid in 3 years!

Make sure that you compare apples to apples in your salary negotiation.

Now, to answer the specific question that you asked...

A 10-20% increase, when changing jobs, is a reasonable expectation. I would not accept all of that increase coming from incentive pay. While you need to consider incentives in evaluating an offer, I would look for an increase in base salary of at least 10%. 15% would be better, with any increase in incentive opportunity being icing on the cake!

One note of caution. If you are currently unemployed, you don't have as much leverage in salary negotiation. While you might be able to negotiate an increase, keep your expectations reasonable. Your primary goal should be to land a job at the same level and at the same compensation as your last position.