Working remotely can impact your salary, depending on your city and state, so it’s essential to … [+]
Wondering how much you should really be paid in your remote job? Worried that you’re being underpaid or discriminated against, receiving less pay than your white or male counterparts?
Welcome to salary calculators.
Whether you work as a remote cybersecurity specialist, remote software engineer or developer, or remotely as a data analyst or project manager, a salary calculator can help you make well-informed decisions for the next steps in your career.
Why You Need A Salary Calculator
Online salary calculators are beneficial for several reasons:
First, some employers state that they offer a “competitive” salary, in their job adverts. This nebulous term can be quite confusing for people who are applying for the role, and it might make you feel suspenseful when you are invited for an interview, as you don’t know what to expect or what to request when they ask you, “What are your salary expectations?”
In this case, using an online salary calculator is helpful because you are able to have a rough idea of what salary range is reasonable to request, and it also helps you gauge if the employer is being unfair with their compensation offer.
Second, a salary calculator is useful for understanding the average salary range variances in your city and state, taking into account factors such as the cost of living. This is important because, although you will be working remotely, employers do tend to adjust the salary offered depending on their employee’s primary working location.
Another reason using a salary calculator is an important tool for your career advancement is because you are better empowered to start career planning, understanding how specific skills and experience levels can impact your salary and future earning potential. They give you an idea of what it would look like for your finances if you were to pivot careers, land a promotion, or move sideways in your career.
In addition to career planning, salary calculators are helpful with financial planning, as you are better able to account for factors such as state and federal tax and how they would impact your take-home pay.
And finally, a salary calculator is an indispensable tool for analyzing company-specific average salary data, which gives you insights into just how competitive their offer is within the industry, and also whether you are being dealt a short hand due to discrimination.
Your skill proficiency and any certifications you possess, have a major part to play in determining … [+]
10+ Factors That Impact Your Salary
There are various factors that can result in you being paid a greater or less salary, even if it is the same role or industry. It is worthwhile putting all of these into consideration as they can help you become more effective at salary negotiations:
- Your years of experience
- Your proficiency in a particular skill set
- How in-demand your skill set is/whether it is a high-income skill or not
- Hours of work
- Any certifications or licences you have
- Well-known employer with a strong employer brand and company culture
- Other aspects of pay structure and compensation, including but not limited to, stock options, salary bands, bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, etc.
- Company size
- Industry and specific job function
- Geographical constraints such as your state or city, and if you live in an urban or rural area
- Your ability to successfully negotiate and your performance levels at work
8 Top Salary Calculators In 2024
If you’re wondering what are the best salary calculators to use, here are the top websites listed below. Bear in mind that each has their pros and cons, and the actual salaries listed on each site may differ slightly, depending on their methods for collecting the data.
For example, Salary.com collects salary information through collecting extensive data from HR and company-wide surveys, while other companies may opt for slightly different methodologies and approaches to displaying average salary range information.
The best salary calculators include:
- PayScale
- Salary.com
- Glassdoor
- ZipRecruiter
These provide you with an idea of what to expect based on some of the factors listed above.
If you want to calculate how much of your salary will be remaining after tax in the U.S., here are some salary calculators you can try, which also take into consideration your state:
- SalaryAfterTax.com
- SmartAsset.com
- ADP (ADP has a Salary Paycheck Calculator)
- Talent.com (has an Income Tax Calculator)
How To Use A Salary Calculator
To use a salary calculator effectively, use a combination of multiple sources to obtain the best average salary range information, as of course, each salary transparency site will vary slightly. You should also check the data regularly, as industries and the job market can shift rapidly, resulting in lower reported salaries. Use the filters provided to search by your state and city, and by employer if possible.
To increase your salary, a simple shift in employer, industry, or specific job function can be … [+]
And of course, take the salary ranges provided as a guide only. Use them as a benchmark, but also combine the data with personal conversations with those in your network who already work in these remote jobs, and take the other factors listed above into account.