how much money do you make?

by Alison Green on January 29, 2014

That’s a pretty crass headline, isn’t it?

Which is exactly the point. People don’t like to be asked what they make, and so it’s hard to find real-world information about what jobs pay, tailored to a particular industry and geographic level. Online salary websites are often inaccurate, probably because they generally don’t account for the fact that job titles can represent wildly different scopes of responsibility. You can ask around in your field, but that doesn’t always pay off, and it’s especially hard if you’re just starting out.

So, as suggested by a commenter last weekend, let’s take some of the mystery out of salary.

If you’re willing to play, leave a comment with the following information:

  • your job (the more descriptive the better, since job titles don’t always explain level of responsibility or scope of work)
  • your geographic area
  • your approximate years of experience
  • your salary
  • anything else pertinent to put that number in context

Update: Please put your job title as your user name, which will make it appear in bold, which will be easier for people to scan. 

(Assuming you want to be anonymous, don’t put your email address in the email field if you don’t want it linked to your Gravatar, if you have one.)

And if you’re willing to note whether you’re a man or woman, that might be interesting too!

And no snarking on anyone’s salary, because that is rude.

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{ 2,035 comments }

{ 2,035 comments… read them below }

  1. amp2140*

    Title: Instrument Inventory Analyst. Basically I work in asset management for a third party that sits at a pharma and takes care of their instruments.
    Geographic Area: NJ
    Years of Experience: Been here 18 months, was hired in Nov.
    Salary: $45,000

    1. Feed Fido*

      Question for all: how much (percentage) do you pay for healthcare?

      I found I make much less due to insurance.

      As in I pay 17% of my income for family coverage.

      1. danr*

        Keep track of all your medical expenses and next to what you pay for each item, track what your insurance paid and the actual cost before any insurance discounts. Then think of paying for all of that upfront.

      2. Hunny*

        Internet manners 101: Don’t comment on the top post in an effort to get more views and redirect the conversation. Just post your question by itself.

        My answer: I pay 15% of my health insurance, which equals 1% of my salary.

    2. System Librarian - Academic*

      Title: System Librarian – responsible for electronic resources and staffing and accreditation
      Geographic area: Mountain Plains
      Years of Experience: 35 years total; 5 in this job
      Salary: $80,000

  2. Nicole*

    Development associate (fundraising)
    Northeast Ohio.
    6 months internship experience, other part time jobs through school
    $35,000 non-exempt
    Fantastic health insurance, however super low retirement contribution

  3. Anon*

    $130,000
    Lawyer at a small, public-interest side regulatory firm in Washington, D.C.
    5 years experience.

  4. ANON1*

    Title: Senior Research Analyst
    Description: Data Analyst for Consulting firm. Primarily use statistical software to analyze data. Some client interaction responsibilities.
    Experience: 3 years, with Bachelors degree.
    Salary $70K. Overtime at straight-time. Often required to work 50-60 hours/week.
    Location: Metro DC Area

    1. anon for this one*

      Can I ask what type of data you are working with and what field your undergrad was in? I have a master’s degree in epidemiology so I have graduate level biostatistics training and I’m curious to see how transferable my training is to other (potentially more lucrative) fields.

      1. Mike C.*

        I’d love to hear the answer for this as well, but it’s always been my experience that when non-math people know you’re a “math person”, you’re basically a wizard. You have to be able to tell them how your skills will help them, but once that connection is made you’re golden.

        1. anon for this one*

          This made me laugh out loud because I am far from a math wizard (seriously, calculus and physics were my mortal enemies), but stats is a little bit different, plus I’m familiar with SAS and SPSS, with vague understanding of R. My strengths lean more towards study design, but data is data.

        2. Clinical Research Associate*

          I’m starting an epidemiology MS in the fall and this is my impression, too. My goal is to really double down on the stats coursework, because in my medical research position I’ve noted that even many of the MDs I work with have no idea about stats. These are very intelligent, highly educated people in other areas, and not only are the dependent on the statistician to come up with the results, they’re dependent on a combination of the statistician and me to explain them and ask for the right thing.

          According to the BLS statistician jobs are growing much faster than epidemiologist jobs (revised from last year, when they were growing about the same– this change is due to strapped state and local government budgets) and pay more. My research and the small number of statistician contacts I have suggest that this is an appropriate backup plan for people who can’t find or don’t want epidemiologist jobs.

          1. Clinical Research Associate*

            I should add that epidemiologist jobs aren’t thought to be sluggish, just about the same as job growth overall. State and local governments are still interested in them but may not be able to hire them. Statistician jobs are projected to grow much faster than all jobs.

            Last year both jobs were projected to grow much faster than all jobs.

          2. anon for this one*

            True story, I’m amazed at the number of brilliant scientists and physicians who look at you like you sprouted an extra head when you explain a statistical concept to them. My friend with an MSc epidemiology is a research assistant/analyst and she’s taking over some stats work…they are currently paying a consulting biostatistician $98/hr to do a pretty basic analysis. She’s not getting paid similarly, unfortunately…that’s why they hired someone with an epi background!

          3. anon*

            This is actually my job — doing the statistics for MD researchers at a large hospital. (I have an MPH.) Very intelligent people, very good at medicine, absolutely awful at study design and completely lacking in basic knowledge of statistics. I swear, over 50% of my time* is spent trying to explain to the doctors I work with that no, twelve people is not an adequate sample size, and no, running an experiment thirty times and getting a significant p value one time does not mean that that one experiment is valid and the other 29 are not.

            *not an actual statistic

            1. anon for this one*

              Try explaining proper survey design and methodology to an MD with no research background….ugh.

              1. Melissa*

                I just wanted to say that I love this thread because this is what I want to do – I have a BA in psychology and will have a PhD in public health in a semester, and I discovered biostats in grad school. I do freelance consulting and teach stats workshops, but it’s great to see comments from working statisticians.

            2. Drug Safety1*

              Hello all, I work in drug safety/PhV. I am also from a non-math background. Could learning about biostatistics also help my career line? I am still a beginner at my current job, so thinking of diversifying my future options. As I work full-time, I dont have time to attend a course in college. If I do learn biostatistics, SAS/SPSS by myself, would it be appreciated by employers?

      3. alsoanon*

        My husband has a PhD in applied mathematics, but his focus was biostatistics. He also works in market research as a data analyst. He also makes quite a bit more than this (almost twice as much), but with more education and experience. He used to work in consumer packaged goods and now works for the pharmaceutical industry, putting his biostats interest to use. It’s a good field.

    2. Darcie*

      I’m curious what your undergraduate education is in. I was applying for similar jobs with my BSc Math.

  5. Anon*

    Job: Quality Systems Specialist – Metrics/Business OPs/Process Improvement/Regulatory Work
    Area: Pacific NW
    Experience: 2.5 years here, 3 years in related industry
    Salary:~$70,000 + 401K matching + Salaried Overtime + Health + Yearly/Emergent bonuses.

      1. Anon*

        I have a BS in Math/Biology, but big thing was simply experience. I started out doing quality/regulatory/calibration work in the lab sciences world, and then transferred that experience to aerospace.

        A lot of what helped was just gaining experience in environments where you had to work under ISO/cGMP/etc conditions. Getting used to all the record keeping, the paperwork, following SOPs and so on. Then, it’s all about understanding why those systems are in place and how to apply them in a safe, meaningful and efficient manner.

        1. Anonnynonny*

          Thanks, I was curious as this looks a lot like my job/title/experience and geographic area. Plus I wondered if maybe my cousin reads AAM too.

            1. Anonnynonny*

              Nope, not there, just in Quality. It’s my cousin who works to AS 9100 (Rev C). My background is ISO 9001:2008, and my current org works to yet another standard based on ISO 9001 but tailored for the type of work we do. I’m researching to see what professional certification would be best suited for my org’s (and my own) needs. Thanks again!

              1. Quality Engineering Analyst*

                Are you connected with ASQ (American Society for Quality)? They have some of the most well-respected certifications in our area of expertise. (I work with ISO 9001, as well.)

  7. anon*

    Senior Finance Analyst for a Fortune 500 company
    Chicago
    $100K/year
    I had 7 years of business experience (not directly in finance), left to attend a top-tier MBA program full-time, and was recruited for this job while in school. I just graduated/started the job last summer. All MBA hires in my “class” were given the same salary, regardless of prior experience.

      1. anon*

        No, it’s not entry-level. Without an MBA, you’d reach this level in maybe 3 years. But the pay wouldn’t be the same – more like $50-60K.

        1. Director of Finance*

          We start financial analysts with ~3 years experience at $85k. MBAs from a top school with similar experience will start around $100k. This is LA/Orange County, California.

          1. anon007*

            Curiosity demands that I ask, which schools have what you consider a top tier M.B.A. program. I would like to plan ahead and attend one of them.

            1. Elaine*

              I know for sure that University of Chicago and Northwestern are two of the best in the country. Ivy Leagues, sometimes, also. Penn might be one.

              1. MBAWife*

                I agree with that list. However, just Google MBA Rankings. There are about 15 that rotate through the top 1-10 spots, depending on which ranking you’re looking at.

                Generally though, If they’re in the top 25 they’re ‘top tier.’ 25-50 are ‘second tier’ but you’ll still get an awesome job – they may just not have as many companies that recruit there directly (as in you may have to go out and find your job yourself) but the reputation will still be good.

                50+, just be at the top of your class. 100+, don’t waste your money.

                1. MBAGrad*

                  About a year late on this one, but graduated from a “second tier” MBA program. Knowing what I know now, look very closely at the companies which recruit at a specific school and what concentrations they recruit. My school has almost worthless finance recruiting (2-3 companies if I recall) and I’ll be lucky to make 50-60k when I get an offer (its been a month since graduation).

                  In general, go to the best school you can get financial aid to go to. I paid very little out of pocket to get my MBA so even though I won’t be making 100k like a lot of my classmates, I have very little debt.

  8. Anon*

    Job: Administrative Assistant I
    Area: Chicago
    Experience: 1 year here, several years admin experience other places
    Salary: $40K

  10. Anon*

    Corporate Librarian
    Large Canadian City (Downtown)
    $53,000
    1 year of experience
    Basically I run a small corporate library/reference service.

    1. Anon*

      Also a Corporate Librarian, but at a non-prof in a midsize US city.
      $37,500.
      I am designing a management system for their electronic files (active and not). They also want me to establish a corporate archive and a records management program.
      <1 year of experience.
      Good benefits.

  11. Anon*

    Creative Director (in-house) Though I would say that this position includes all communications in addition to graphic design duties.
    Mid Atlantic
    20+
    $60,000
    Did not include health insurance or retirement benefits.
    Included 1 week paid vacation and paid holidays

    1. KB*

      My previous job as well. Topped out at $67,000. Excellent benes. Was “involuntarily retired” after 20 years and my pension tanked.

  12. Anonymiss*

    Courtroom clerk in Central California, very little experience. I worked as a paralegal for another government agency in a different county during my internship and then some (all for free), and I have an AA degree in Paralegal Studies.

    I make a little over 35k without benefits, I get all court holidays off and paid, and I get to work with an awesome judge. The downside is that I work outside my home county, so my commute is about an hour each way.

    1. Anonymiss*

      Forgot to mention there… 5% raise expected after 6 months of service (bumping from T1 to T2), then 5% annually, per court policy, until I hit T6 and cap out.

  13. Anon*

    Title: Principal Software Engineer — mostly web application design and construction, working in very senior-level non-management role — no direct reports, but a lot of mentoring and leadership responsibilities.
    Geographic Area: Outside Boston, MA
    Years of Experience: 10
    Salary: $105,000

    With the principal title, I get an annual profit-sharing bonus of up to 10% of salary.

    1. Anonymous - question*

      I’m very interested in this field–do you mind expanding a bit more about how you got into it? Thank you!

    2. Prospective Development Employee*

      What exactly is a fundraising researcher? I googled it but not much came up that seemed to fit.

      1. In Devo*

        Google “prospect research”. There’s a few different aspects to it. But it has to do with identifying potential donors to a non profit and learning as much as you can before you ask them for a gift to increase the chance they will give at a high level. It blends data mining and detective work. Mostly larger fundraising orgs with big individual donor programs will have these kinds of permanent positions. There are a lot of consultants who provide these kinds of services as well.

  15. Non*

    Title: Business & Community Liaison
    Duties: Outreach to community organizations, media, elected officials, represent my place of employment on boards, marketing.
    Area: Pacific NW
    Experience: 3 years
    Salary: $40,000 not including benefits.

  18. I'll Play!*

    Title: Project Specialist, which in my case is a catch-all term for “random assortment of administrative responsibilities that require a certain amount of independent thought and decision making”.
    Geographic area: midwest, urban
    Years of experience: as an admin: 10+
    Salary: $38K

    2. I'll Play!*

      P.P.S. Benefits – middling. 15 days PTO (no separation for sick/vacation), 5 paid holidays, 401(k) contribution and a match that I don’t take advantage of but probably should, health benefits that are good but not as good as my husband’s.

      1. I'll Play!*

        Me again, again. I actually went and looked up the 401(k) information and (re)discovered that it’s not a match – it’s a straight 10%-of-my-salary contribution, 3% immediately vested and the balance vesting over 5 years. Or something like that and which, reading on here, I’m realizing is way more impressive than I was giving it credit for in my head.

    3. Also a Project Specialist*

      Similar job description, additionally, I supervise two programs with 7 direct reports.
      State Government, west of the Rockies
      7 years at this org, 10 years previous related experience
      Just shy of $50k, but with a great gov benefits package, which rounds it out nicely.

    4. Annon*

      If Project Specialist is also another title for Project Coordinator… then yes I agree with your description of that, and tons of stress from the Project Manager bossing you around dumping all their PM duties on you! They take the easy coast and you’re dumped with the hard work for little pay.

      Years of experience: 3 months as a User Experience Designer, 5 months experience as Project Coordinator.

      Pay: $12 per hour, adds up to around $22k a year.

  19. Anne 3*

    Job: Process manager in finance. I’m responsible for the internal processes surrounding certain types of payments.
    Area: Europe
    Experience: 2 years
    Salary: ~$ 55,000
    Context: It’s Europe so I pay lots of taxes on what I earn, but between my country and my work I have good healthcare. I have great benefits like lots of vacation time, flexible hours, great retirement contribution, and I get to take some of my overtime back as extra time off.

    1. Kate*

      Are you an American working in Europe? Can I ask what kind of degree you have, and without too many specifics, what kind of organization you work for? I’m about to go back to school for an MBA and I have two dreams: work in accounting (or similar field) and live in Europe. If you’re not American … disregard the above. :) thanks!

      1. Anne 3*

        Not American, sorry! I work for a bank and I know we do employ some Americans in Europe though, but more so in the UK than in Belgium (where I work).

      2. Anne*

        Hi Kate – I’m another Anne in finance working in Europe (UK), and I am American! :)

        If you want to go into accounting, getting qualifications with relevant bodies is a huge point in your favor. The problem is… a lot of them are country-specific, because a lot of accounting practice is country-specific. CIMA is pretty transferable worldwide, if you’re interested in management accounting.

        There are also some accounting courses you can take which will exempt your from the first few exams for a variety of accounting bodies. So, you might look at starting those, then specializing once you manage to get where you want to be.

        Last point – look up the visa requirements for places you want to go, NOW, because even having a job offer doesn’t always mean the employer can get you a visa. Good luck!

      3. Europe*

        Consider the US government in your job search. For example, the military has bases in multiple European countries and they have jobs where you need an accounting background (job series 0511 and 0510).

  20. Clinical Research Associate*

    Title: Clinical Research Associate. In my industry, this title usually refers to a “monitor” who works for a drug company or contract research organization, who travels around ensuring that multi-site drug trials are being carried out properly. My job is actually between research assistant and research coordinator (the standard job in my field that most people with my responsibilities do) at a hospital carrying out medical research. My job is probably comparable to a clinical research coordinator at other places. I work for a non-profit pediatric hospital in a department that is just growing its research program, i.e. we don’t have a ton of drug studies or funded projects going on at a time. Therefore I mostly manage investigator-initiated projects that are being carried out using department resources, and am paid out of the same fund that pays long-term support staff.

    Geographic area: Chicago.

    Years of Experience: I have 1.5 years of part-time experience as an undergraduate research assistant. I have 4 years of experience in my current role, with one promotion from clinical research assistant to clinical research associate about a year in.

    Salary: $36,592/year, salaried, with benefits.

    Other information: Most people with good annual reviews get a 3% “merit increase” per year, which is what I’ve always gotten. 5% is for “outstanding” reviews and is very hard to get. We get a small “results sharing” bonus at the end of the year if we meet patient satisfaction goals and financial goals. This ranges from $300-750 before taxes.

    1. Scary Salary*

      In my Clinical Research Coordinator days I had so many monitors that I loved! You are awesome for what you do – not an easy job at all and so much travel!

      1. Clinical Research Associate*

        I love them too! But unfortunately I am essentially a hospital-based coordinator with a confusing job title. The weirdest part is, our job titles were standardized across my hospital a couple of years before I came– with input from other clinical research folks! So I really don’t understand why this title was chosen.

    2. Sr. Clinical Research Specialist*

      Wow. That is a lot lower than I expected. Not trying to make you feel bad. I just expected that salaries in Chicago would be comparable to Minneapolis, where I am.

      1. Clinical Research Associate*

        Definitely not offended; I know it is low. This is for two reasons: we are a non-profit where many departments, not just mine, get away with keeping titles low; and I started this job part-time as a student, did not negotiate, and started at the minimum of my then-range. All raises have been based on that. The coordinator I work with did negotiate, including one better than average raise, and makes about 10K more than me.

        Our hospital recently had to adjust all our salary levels because so many people were leaving to advance. The consensus among people I’ve talked to in this job is that it still wasn’t enough.

  21. Just a Reader*

    Corporate publicist for a Fortune 500 company
    Major New England metro
    15 years experience
    Salary is $100K with a formal 15% bonus structure and other opportunities to earn cash bonuses, RSUs, etc.
    Corporate salary is much, much higher than PR agency salaries even when levels are comparable.

  22. Anonymous for this*

    Job: Biostatistician
    Area: Minneapolis/St. Paul
    Experience: 11 years, with a PhD
    Salary: $129,000, no bonus

      1. Scary Salary*

        I pushed my ex to be an actuary when he had no idea what to do with his math degree. He loves it.

    2. Melissa*

      LOL, I sometimes lament that I should’ve gotten my PhD in biostats instead of sociomedical sciences. I would’ve preferred the work, IMO. *sigh*

  23. Love This Topic!*

    Communications Associate (non-profit). Includes writing, social media, development, event management, media, etc.
    Mid-Atlantic mid-size city
    2 years experience
    $36,000

    1. Program Coordinator*

      Just about exactly the same roles as above — the bulk of my work is event planning and coordination, but also includes writing email newsletters, social media, etc.

      Northeast/New England mid-sized city.

      This is my first year on the job.

      Female

      $35,000

        1. Program Coordinator*

          Fair to middlin’ as they say. I’m on my husband’s health insurance, which is MUCH better than what they offer (esp being a religious nonprofit they are free to not cover birth control, etc.). I am also not currently taking advantage of the retirement plan. There is a fairly generous leave package, with two weeks of PTO separate from sick days and personal days, as well as a bunch of paid holidays (MLK, President’s Day, Christmas Eve).

          On intangible benefits, I also have a great boss and a ton of great coworkers, and my boss is quite generous about comp time for the long hours the events require, as well as respectful of work/life balance.

  24. Anonymous*

    Chief Operating Officer (second in command, manage day to day operations)
    Nonprofit
    $105,000 (started in job at $85,000, have had sizable yearly raises)
    Washington, DC
    15 years of experience

    1. Anon*

      You know this makes me appreciate how diverse AAM’s readers are. Everything from college students to a COO.

    2. Gail L*

      Awesome. This is what I’d like to do eventually. Mind if I ask what was the position/title that you held before becoming COO?

      1. Ask a Manager* Post author

        This is basically the job I used to have – same field, location, responsibilities, and experience level, although my title was chief of staff (which is one of a few different titles for similar roles). Basically, I started out in an entry-level nonprofit job in my early 20s and worked my way to increasingly responsible positions, until I was at department head level, and then moved into the COO/chief of staff role.

          1. Ask a Manager* Post author

            Promoted internally. I think it’s very, very hard to hire externally for that role, because as a #2, you need to be really aligned with the executive director and know her brain and how she thinks as well as you do your own. You can get that with someone you bring in from the outside, but it’s much harder and more of a risk.

            1. Elaine*

              See Yahoo! for recent COO example. Though, they both came from Google so chances were higher that they’d be aligned well.

  25. Jen*

    Title: public relations manager
    Description: More of a project manager than a people manager. Do media relations, public relations and social media
    Company: Private college
    Area: Midwest
    Experience: Roughly 10 years non-profit PR experience
    Salary: $60,000
    Benefits: Health, good retirement, also get free tuition for immediate family and myself.

    1. I'll Play!*

      That tuition thing is huge if you have a use for it. I’m stalking jobs at my school because they’re awesome, yadda yadda, but also so that I can do my MBA for free in a couple years. :D

      1. JessA*

        Tuition Remission is a huge benefit if you can get a job within a university. I know that universities can vary in terms of how much they will cover. I’ve seen cases where they will cover half, to 90% to full-ride. It just depends on the university. After taking out massive loans to complete undergrad (which I just paid off 3 years early – WooHoo!!!) I realize that I don’t want to ever be in that much debt again. Now that I have them paid off, I’m thinking about grad school and considering taking a job in a university so that I can use tuition remission.

        1. CollegeAdmin*

          The college I work for will cover the equivalent cost of one of their courses – just under 6K a year. The 1-2 year master’s programs I’m looking at are about 3K per course, and you need to take about 10 courses – so about 30K. The programs are designed to be 1-2 years long, not 5, so I’d have to take out loans to make up the (significant) difference. Make sure you find out what they’re offering before you sign on.

          1. TL*

            The college I work for pays for just over 5000 a year – so about 5-ish courses around here. But if you take on of their courses, it’s free as long as your grade is above whatever their cutoff is.

        2. anon*

          Be careful with the tuition remission for graduate degrees. Under some circumstances the value is considered taxable income.

      2. Jen*

        It really is a huge benefit. I don’t understand when people don’t take advantage of it for themselves. I’m able to get my masters for free and I’m willing to stay here a decade or so (if I am lucky enough to) so that my children can get undergrad degrees without taking out any loans. I am STILL paying off my undergrad and have about 7 more years go. When I think of the fact that my kids can avoid all of that, it’s a huge draw for me to stay here for the long haul.

        1. Elaine*

          The health sciences/medical school where I work does NOT have tuition remission for employees…only a slight discount for limited classes. I wish!

    2. SC Manager*

      I am also a Supply Chain Manager for a large, global company. $78k, and two years experience. Previously a SC analyst with the same company (1 year). Atlanta area.

  27. Anonymous*

    Since everybody else is making mad stacks yo let me balance this out!

    As a lowly customer service person at a ski resort I get $10.50/hr though I do get free skiing and free rentals and huge discounts on food and hotel rooms and stuff. 5 yrs experience and I went to college!

    1. Anonymouse*

      Lol – I started out in Customer Service, and now I’m a Customer Relations Manager. The money is much better, but those ski perks sounds pretty tempting. If you’re good at cs maybe look into the back end of it – really there is a customer relations angle to all operations.

    2. Anonymous*

      I haven’t posted but so far would have one of the highest salaries listed, but honestly? Your job is the type a lot of us dream about day-to-day.

      2. Low Wage Earner*

        Not the OP, but I earn around what they make too. You ever have to let health problems deteriorate and be in pain because you don’t have insurance and can’t afford to go to a hospital? Or eat meat only once or twice a week because it’s expensive? Or make 1.5 hour commutes on public transportation for what would be a 15 minute car drive? Get blisters on your feet because you can’t afford a decent pair of shoes and you have to stand all day? Stress out because you have nothing left to save after paying your rent and bills and wonder how you’re going to get ahead? That’s not even getting into the child or family care aspects of it.

        I’m not trying to be insulting, just pointing out that no matter how fun a job is, being paid $10.50 an hour (and trying to survive on it- most minimum wage earners are adults, and of those adults they also are disproportionately women and minorities), quickly sucks out the “dream job” aspect of it.

          1. Anonymous*

            I will add – I do have experience with medical problems that can’t be solved at any cost. But I take your point.

        2. Low Wage Earner*

          Also, I don’t mean to speak on the OP’s behalf. I just feel very strongly about this issue.

        3. Anon*

          Yeah, this. It is much easier to dream about how lovely it would be to have a fun, “cool” job when your rent is paid, you have food on the table, and you own a vehicle. And you have things like paid vacation and don’t have to stress about what kind of daycare will take your kid on random shifts. I think most people would rather be daydreaming of a fun job than brainstorming ways to come up with the extra money for the utility bill.

        5. Not So NewReader*

          It used to be that minimum wage was supposed to cover your basics. Now it is not even close. Sadly, I don’t think 15-17 an hour can keep a roof over most people’s heads. But your right at that rate of pay it is tough to sleep at night and tough to get up in the morning.

        6. Gjest*

          I 100% agree with this. I work in a field that I really enjoy, most people in this field are passionate about their work, and is an often quoted “dream job” (I know, I know, doesn’t exist).

          My last job was with a non-profit. Everyone there was there because they loved the work. However, management took full advantage of that. There was very much the mentality that they could pay us total crap because we should be there solely for the love of the job. However, at some point, I realized that I loved my job, but also liked paying my bills, and did not want to have to be a homeless retired person. I totally understand that non-profit means that you’ll generally make less, but there needs to be some realization from management that you do have to actually make a living wage.

          I think sometimes people get screwed when they actually do get a job doing something they love.

      3. Anonymous*

        My first job out of college was going to the beach to take samples of the water. In LA. I made $15/hr and yes I *did* get to drive on the beach.
        Best.Job.Ever.

    3. Bartender*

      Lowly wage-slave, checking in :)

      Bartender at a mid-priced national chain in the Chicago area. Salary: $4.95/hr + tips (~$30,000/yr)
      Benefits: I can opt-in to healthcare (with a too-expensive premium), dental/vision, life insurance, and 401(k) with one year partial match

      1. Another Low Page Earner*

        Same…I have this jaw problem that I’ve yet to get taken care of because I haven’t had dental insurance in 10 years :(

        I’ve become to be at a loss of what to do these days :(

        1. Anonymous*

          If you’re experiencing TMJ, then try taking up running. A dentist suggested surgery for me 10 years back; and somehow in the month between going in, I discovered that lightly relaxing my jaw and running 20-30 minutes made my jaw problems go away! My dentist said the light rhythmic bouncing must have allowed my jaw to just naturally work it’s way free! I know it sounds weird but give it a try, hey you never know and what’s the harm!

  28. Usually not Anonymous*

    Job: Content Marketing Manager at Fortune 100 company
    Area: Mid-size city in Midwest
    Experience: 10 years, plus MFA (gained while working full time)
    Salary: $80,000 per year with reasonable health and vacation, plus 401K match
    Much like Just a Reader, this corporate salary is much, much higher than similar communications positions at smaller companies or agencies.

    1. Z*

      Out of curiosity, does your MFA relate to your job? Was it maybe in creative writing, and that translates to marketing materials?

      1. Usually not Anonymous*

        Yes, it was in writing (the degree says writing, but I specialized in Fiction). I do a lot of writing and editing in my job — I’m more on the editorial and strategy side than the analytics, sales leads or marketing side.

      1. Another MFA*

        I’ve got an MFA, too! I posted further down (I work in product strategy and user experience design) and yes, my MFA is related to that work.

    2. Anon*

      That is a healthy librarian salary! I’ve worked as a librarian in three medium sized cities in two different states and that is higher than most manager’s pay!

      Library Manager
      Mountain West States
      7 years library experience, 5 years supervisory
      55k

      1. Anon*

        Teacher Librarian
        Public High school
        Northern Calif.
        $74,000
        5 years as librarian, 13 years as English teacher
        Summers and school holidays off.

        1. Another Librarian*

          Corporate Digital Librarian
          MLIS, 3 years experience in digital libraries, 4 years experience as a database manager and web developer
          104,000

          1. Another Librarian*

            Forgot to add:
            California, large city
            That’s the going rate for managerial level information science jobs in this area, including DAM, KM, etc.

    3. Another Anon*

      Public Library Branch Manager
      Mid-sized city in California
      6 yrs librarian, 1 as manager
      75,000

      1. Anon, too*

        When I worked for a newspaper in central Pennsylvania, I complained to a librarian that I didn’t enjoy my mid-30s salary because with more than 15 years of experience in the field plus 10 years of related experience, I was still earning less than a starting teacher.

        The librarian just laughed. She headed a county library system and earned less than I did (although she had better health insurance and more PTO).

        1. Academic Web/Systems Librarian*

          Small private liberal arts school in the midwest
          MLIS, 4 years experience
          $39,000 and change
          12 vacation days, sick leave unofficial – just don’t come in when you don’t feel well, and don’t have attendance problems
          401k with match up to 6% of salary
          Health and dental

          1. Academic Web/Systems Librarian*

            Ooh, I forgot – we do get tuition remission for ourselves/family too, not just at our institution but across a network of similar schools in the midwest.

      1. archivist*

        government agency
        southeast
        $35,000, healthcare, state holidays, decent vacation/sick leave
        2 masters degrees (i feel i’m underpaid, but hey that’s what you get working for the government…)

  30. ExceptionToTheRule*

    Title: Senior Newscast Director
    Duties: direct daily newscasts as assigned, assist in producing newscasts and special programming, supervise & schedule 5 directors & 5 production assistants, work with the Assistant News Director to make station actually function, serve as Production Manager in everything but title.
    Education: Masters degree
    Market: mid-size midwestern market
    Experience: 17 years
    Level of awesomeness: Winner of three Regional Emmys.
    Salary: $44,500

    1. ExceptionToTheRule*

      I should mention, the only reason I have a masters is because I’m generally not inclined to work nights & weekends for the rest of my life and will someday wish to leave this fabulously ulcer-inducing field.

      1. Former Newscast Director*

        I hear you on those nights and weekends work schedule and the ulcer-inducing environment. I had 15 years in when I said “I gotta get outta here. Now.” I should mention I started this career when I was in my 20’s, and thrived in that environment. As I got older, my tolerance for drama thinned out considerably. Went to grad school, in politics now. Traded drama for drama, actually, but it’s all good.

          1. Former Newscast Director*

            Yes, there is life after TV. And yes, I still miss it sometimes. But everything’s been good since then.

            I’m feelin’ ya on the “Production Manager in everything but title” thing. Definitely been there. But your salary is aligned pretty well with what mine was, and we’re in the same part of the country.

              1. ExceptionToTheRule*

                Depends on the shop. When we had a production manager, that’s who our directors reported to.

                They eliminated the job title (and the person occupying the job) and the directors now report to the News Director. Unfortunately, the work the production manager was doing didn’t get eliminated…

    3. hope to be former radio producer*

      Same here, tired of media, the low salaries, crappy hours and slave driver bosses. I produced a successful weekly national radio show and my salary was about the same.

  31. AnonGovvie*

    I am a mid-level manager of a team of 16 analysts in the federal government.
    Geographic Area: Washington DC
    Years of experience: 11
    Salary: $113,000 (GS 14 step 2)
    I also think education might be important, since it affects what pay rate we start at – I have a BA and two masters degrees.

    1. AnotherFed*

      Intelligence Analyst – Federal Government 3 letter agency
      10 years with agency, 5 years private sector
      GS-14 Step 2 ($105,000)
      Largish city in NY (not NYC)
      MBA in Finance

        2. AnonGovvie*

          I had a scholarship in college called the David Boren National Security Education Program scholarship – they’ll pay for you to study abroad to study a non-western language and you agree to work in National Security, which also means you get hiring preference. That combined with the post-9/11 hiring binge in national security and it was actually pretty straightforward – I sent my resume and got called for an interview. Security clearance took another 8 months.
          A lot of it is timing. Right now there’s not much hiring and contracts are disappearing as well. Post-9/11 was just a mad hiring binge.

  32. Ann Nonomous*

    Title: Grantwriter
    Geographic area: Chicago
    Years of experience: In this role, 2.5; with my organization, 6.5
    Salary: $63k ($60k base + $3k bonus for additional responsibilities I took on after a colleague’s departure)

    Incidentally, this was my third role with my organization (a nonprofit) after working my way up through two administrative jobs. When I transitioned to this position, my salary increased approximately 40% over what I’d been making before–and likely wouldn’t’ve gone up that much if I hadn’t done my research/been confident in my abilities because they asked me to name a number first. (I asked for $60k and got $58k, and I’ve gotten a couple annual raises since then.) Always negotiate!

    1. Grantwriter*

      Well, it’s too late to change my name, but hopefully this helps. Also, I am a woman (as my silly nom de plume suggests), which is largely why I included all that stuff about negotiation in the hiring process: too many women don’t advocate for themselves, to their detriment.

      1. TempReceptionist*

        How did you get into grantwriting because that is something I am definitely interested in!!!

  33. Anonymous Too*

    Job: manage all customer and market opportunity primary research for an online solution provider (customer satisfaction, new product testing, positioning and go-to-market strategy, branding/naming, media communications, ancillary services; focus group, online survey, and IDI findings interpreted for business impact).
    Northeastern US
    25 years experience
    $125K
    MBA

  34. Scary Salary*

    Title: Associate Account Manager (but acting as Account Manager for my clients) for a fairly new start-up healthcare company focused on care management and transitions interventions for high-risk patients post-hospitalization discharge
    Geographic Area: Boston
    Years of Experience: Been here since Oct 2012, but have 5 years experience in the healthcare industry from clinical trials to what I do now.
    Salary: $42,000

  35. Anon*

    Administrative Assistant, privately owned hospitality/tourism company with ~1800 employees.
    North Carolina
    5+ years in this job, 9 years working total with two BA degrees
    $13.31/hour, roughly equal to $27k/year

    1. librarianlady*

      Hmmm…sounds like that might be Biltmore. I worked there for 7 1/2 years, although not as an admin assistant. Not known for spectacular pay but the benefits used to be good.

  36. Anita*

    Business development manager, nonprofit professional association, midwest, $75,000
    Authority to negotiate contracts on behalf of company
    Responsible for western hemisphere
    hired because of my extensive international background and fluency in Spanish

    Previous job, data quality manager, marketing manager, large manufacturing Fortune 100, mid south, $100,000 with 20% bonus (I miss that job – stupid layoffs that still didn’t improve the stock price)

    Education:
    BA English, top 15 school
    MBA, top 20 school

    Experience
    15 years at Fortune 100 companies in corporate finance, marketing, and operations
    two years working abroad as a Peace Corps volunteer in the business program

    1. College Career Counselor*

      Yay, Peace Corps! Evidence that international experience there is valuable in the business world!

  37. A. Muss*

    Job: Proposal Writer, mostly editing and coordinating copy from different departments, lots of manipulation of MS Word
    Area: D.C.
    Experience: 5 in this field; 10 years as a writer/editor in other areas (journalism, tech writing)
    Salary: $80, 000 plus benefits, 401k, health insurance, vacation, flex-time and ability to telecommute sometimes. Love my manager and the company where I work.

    2. louise*

      This is a role I think I’d thrive in! (I think, anyway. Really it’s something I’d love to explore more.)

      1. A. Muss*

        Hello, colleague!!

        And yes, Louise, if you have a background as a journalist or writer, you should definitely check it out!

  38. Anon*

    Title: Administrative Assistant to the marketing department. I work at the corporate office of a retailer.

    Geographic Area: Virginia

    Experience: Entry Level,–very little professional experience, 2 years in part-time retail (cashiering mostly) graduated college in May 2012, extensive experience with college newspaper

    Salary: $12.50/hr ($26,000/yr), company-paid health insurance, (vision and dental options) after 60 days, 2 weeks PTO

  39. Anon*

    Art Director (in-house) One person shop so I do EVERYTHING – sample folders, sales material, customer giveaways, website, Facebook, 2 trade shows a year – the hamsters get tired occasionally :)
    New York City
    20+
    $50,000 (it’s on the low end for what I do)
    half of health insurance costs paid by company, 3 weeks vacation (finally!), they suspended 401K matching last year, pre-tax transportation and health options.

    1. HR lady*

      Does 20+ refer to your number of years of experience? And does the job require a large number of years of experience? If so, I’m curious why the salary is so low in New York City.

      1. HR lady*

        Anon, I didn’t mean to imply anything negative about you. Being in HR, I’ve always heard that NYC salaries are the highest in the nation (higher than DC, LA, Chicago, SF). But, after reading through most of these comments, I’m thinking that’s not so true. (NYC seems more on par with DC, SF, LA, Chicago). But when I commented on your post, I hadn’t read through the rest of the comments yet.

  40. AnonM*

    Title: Sr. Production Support Analyst. Basically, I do business requirements analysis for a product maintenance department at a web-based software development company.
    Area: Mid-Michigan
    Experience: 8 years, just completed my MBA this past year
    Salary: $68,000 per year, salaried. Includes a projected 4% bonus based on company and personal performance goals.

  42. not usually anon*

    Geographic location for all of these: Midwest state in a small town with very low cost of living.

    Current:
    -Store Manager of *small* (only one other employee currently at my location) retail boutique (and not a high priced one either–just a specialized product that is promoted to your average Target or higher end Walmart shopper). In charge of inventory and ordering, marketing, sales outside of store, keeping the books.
    -$10/hr (started at 8.50 7 months ago – wage will continue to increase as the store rebounds). No benefits.
    -Have a Bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field.

    2012:
    -Legal Assistant, $13.50/hr (about $28k/yr), decent health and retirement benefits

    2006-2011:
    -Front Desk Staff at a dental office, started at $8.50, continual raises until $14.50/hr (~30k/yr) 5 years later with great benefits (and a crazy work environment that made the continual pay increases feel like an anchor…)

    1. Just curious*

      $8.5o with no benefits sounds very low for a store manager (and even $10 is quite low).

      Is this typical for the area you are living in? Or did you take the job for the potential salary growth that could occur?

  43. Anon*

    – Software analyst. Spend my days analyzing data and writing small amounts of code to solve problems related to national security issues.
    -Boston area
    -10 years experience
    -$105k w/amazing benefits (never work more than 40 hours a week, fully paid medical, dental, vision, 5 weeks vacation, flexible schedule, etc)

  44. Another Reader*

    Job: Embedded Software Engineer – senior individual contributor, leader within team, mentoring younger employees, directing technical content of many projects along with working on my own projects. At F500 company.
    Area: Midwest mid sized city
    Experience: 21 years (+Bachelors & Masters in Engineering)
    Salary: ~$100k, +bonus target 20%, +401k match(3% automatic, then 1% match for first 3% you put in), +Healthcare plan (not as good as spouse’s so the kids are on that one), -pension was frozen 6 years ago.

          1. Operations and Administration Manager*

            Yeah, I feel weird saying my $46k is low, because it would be awesome in the midwest. But it’s NYC. I think if I translated into where I’m from it would be $30k? Enough to be fine, but not a lot of wiggle room.

      3. HR lady*

        I agree. Plus IT salaries tend to be high, and this person has 20+ years of experience and a masters degree. The salary looks totally appropriate to me.

        1. Anon*

          Super high. Like ridiculously high if you know what you’re doing. I feel like a complete fraud but it really feels like no one knows or wants to learn how to code some days.

      4. Not So NewReader*

        It’s not just that- it the lack of opportunities etc. Where I am 40k a year is doing well. And that is a combined household income. Yeah. sigh….

      5. meesh*

        Entry Level NYC salaries are not much higher than others I’ve seen. Maybe 1-2k more, but cost of living is so much higher.

        Broke Entry-Level NYC worker here. :(

    3. Katie the Fed*

      And don’t forget some industries top out early. Like I’m doing pretty well in the federal government, but salaries max out in the mid-100s (which isn’t exactly pocket change, but it’s not like I can count on going up 8% annually for the rest of my career, ya know?)

    4. Mike C.*

      If you look at household salary distributions, $50k puts one in the top 50%, $70k is 65% and $100k is 80%. The readership here (at least those posting) is skewed.

      1. Victoria Nonprofit*

        Yeah, I’m a little bummed that all the salaries are so high (because I worry that it will make people who don’t earn similar salaries feel less comfortable here).

        I wonder if the readership is skewed to higher salaries, or whether folks with lower salaries are less willing to share them (even anonymously).

        1. Natalie*

          I think it’s more likely that the readership is skewed – the folks in the lower half of the US (particularly under $30K) are far less likely to be in white collar jobs, which I think is the bulk of AAM’s readership, based on previous posts.

        2. tcookson*

          I’m a little bummed reading the salaries, but not too much because I know that:

          – public university salaries are traditionally low
          – public university salaries for admin. assistants are really low
          – I chose the salary when I chose the job
          – The benefits (90% off tuition for myself, 50% off for spouse and children; lots of time off/paid holidays; closed with no expectation of any productivity on snow days; etc.) are worth it to me

          I’d still like to have all that and a fat salary, though. :-)

        4. Lo how mighty are fallen*

          Well, I was never actually mighty in the sense that I earned a Newspaper Guild salary, but I have decades of newspaper experience and was laid off from rural newspaper when I was over 60. I’m a female with a bachelor’s degree in English from a private university. For various reasons, I can’t move out of my area, which is on the rural fringes near a mid-sized city in the mid-Atlantic area.

          Now I am doing some freelance work. Some work pays well, but the $30 an hour work did a market study and dropped fees by about a third. A lot of the other freelance work comes in around $12 to $15 per hour gross. (These rates also reflects my aversion to aggressive marketing.) Currently doing a temp, part-time job at $14 an hour, but I get to be in a workplace and talk to people, and I still can freelance on the side.

          While I’m capable of doing the editing and writing for some kinds of technical writing, I lack experience with the types of project management software used in that field. Pay rates I’ve seen in my region are better for technical writing, but many of the positions near here are in software, rather than being projects writing equipment manuals, pharmaceuticals, or other topics. I have been trying to figure out if I can get inexpensive training in project management software.

      2. Dan*

        The key though is *household* salaries, which would be the combined income of husband/wife. Trying to compare individual salaries to that number is meaningless.

        1. Mike C.*

          It’s a fair point. The BLS has those numbers as well, but I didn’t feel like digging those up.

    5. Jen in RO*

      I feel bad that I can’t play, since my salary is not relevant at all to the US population… but I’d be really curious to see what a tech writer makes in the States?

      (And a question: these numbers are before tax, right? So the actual money people get to spend is like 60% of the number?)

      1. CollegeAdmin*

        I listed my salary as before tax – I’m pretty sure I get about 80% of it to spend and the other 20% is swallowed by taxes. From what (little) I know of tax law, there’s federal taxes and state taxes (state ones vary), and you get taxed differently based on how much you earn.

        Tax-knowledgeable people, by all means, correct me if I’m wrong or have left out pertinent information!

        1. Jamie*

          Yep, 25% is the rule of thumb for most people in the US. Even if you’re not seeing the full 75% each week, once you do your taxes after you do your write offs it comes out to close that that for most middle income (which is a huge range – it’s like 50-250K or something like that last I checked) people.

          Low income people tend to get 100% tax refunds so they don’t pay any taxes and the exceptionally wealthy can pay more – depending on how they shelter.

          1. Mints*

            Pet peeve, sorry, but “don’t pay any taxes” is actually “don’t pay any federal income taxes” because everyone pays sales tax and other things (which end up being regressive proportionately)

            2. Human Resources Coordinator*

              Just pointing out that even the lowest income people pay social security and medicare taxes, and don’t get these back. Together they are about 12% of pay.

          3. Anonymous*

            Low income people also receive extra money in the US in the form of Earned Income Credit. That may offset all their sales tax for the year too, so they may end up actually not paying any taxes at all.

      3. Coelura*

        The tax amount depends on your geography. Typically taxes end up being less than 20% total unless you are on the US East or West coasts in high state income areas. For example, I made just under $200k last year and paid less than 20% in total taxes. But my healthcare is a significant additional chunk of income. Probably around 10%.

        1. Jamie*

          Yes – and some Americans lose sight of this when when they hear about this or that thing that’s “free” in Europe – they may want things to be free or government provided, but are they willing to pay the taxes to pay for it?

          Whether that answer is yes or no is individual, but if they don’t take the higher taxes and lower disposable income into account it’s comparing basketballs and pumpkin muffins – they need to factor in all the data.

          2. Jen RO*

            Here (Romania, I don’t know about the rest of Europe) everyone talks about salary after tax, so we don’t really get to think about the taxes (I think they’re about 45%). I was really surprised when I learned about the US sales tax, and the fact that you need to do the math to figure out what something on a shelf really costs.

            1. Jen in RO*

              Adding to what Gjest said below: our taxes include health insurance, unemployment, income tax (and a bunch of other things that I don’t really understand).

            2. Neeta(RO)*

              At least you didn’t buy something and then wonder what the hell they meant when asking more money due to tax. *hides in embarrassment*

          3. Gjest*

            On the flip side of this, a lot of Americans look at low taxes compared to Europe and think “yee haw!” but they don’t think of all the out-of-pocket costs that Americans pay (health insurance, education, etc.) that are included in (most?) European taxes.

            I live in a notoriously expensive northern European country now and effectively pay less than what I paid in the US, because I am not also paying for health insurance. Unfortunately I still have my US student loans…if I had done my education here, I would be paying even less effective tax (if you think of education loan as part of the “tax”)

            1. Elaine*

              Yup. I lived in Germany for five years. People also forget their state income tax, ridiculous higher education expenses, crazy daycare expenses, incredibly high health insurance expenses, etc.

              So yeah, Europeans pay a lot of taxes but still keep about the same (if not more) of their incomes. Plus, wine and beer are way cheaper!

        2. TL*

          Ug, and I got sticker shock moving from Texas (no state income tax; decently low sales/property taxes and hardly any gotcha! taxes) to Massachusetts (ridiculously high – for USA – state income tax and gotcha! taxes everywhere.)

          So it can vary a lot between the states as well.

          1. Jamie*

            It’s amazing how much sales tax alone varies.

            I work in Chicago and live in a suburb – anything I need to buy I buy at home because Chicago pops another 10% on sales taxes.

            And if I have to stop for gas before heading home, because I forgot to fill up, I put in just enough to make it home so my husband doesn’t have a stroke that I overpaid so much for a tank of gas. (tbf I have no idea what the price difference is, or if it’s tax or just the price, but he gets so upset about it I’m assuming it’s considerable and a weird point of principle for him.)

            1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

              My state charges sales tax on groceries, so that really adds to my cost of living–not to mention the stuff I buy tends to be a bit more expensive here anyway. Get tired of hearing how low the cost of living is supposed to be where I’m living now, I used to live in a lower cost area of California and think our money went further there.

              I’ve heard Texas property taxes are very high, but again, guess it depends on what you’re comparing it with.

              1. TL*

                I have no idea if they’re high or not – I wouldn’t be surprised (but property taxes don’t affect me.)
                Texas does make most of its money from oil and land, as far as I know.

                1. Elaine*

                  Yes, and they also take more federal money than other states…so we’re subsidizing Texas’ low rates! I’ve got a lot of friends there, so we kid back and forth. :)

        3. Admin Assistant*

          @Jen in RO: Not just in Europe, but the taxes in Canada are quite high, too.

          I make $60K, but after income taxes & my company pension plan are deducted, my after-tax income is $39,000. Quite a difference!

      5. Neeta(RO)*

        Don’t I know it? It’s so frustrating, especially because our salary would probably give us away instantly.

      6. Tech Writer in the US*

        I’m the Instructional Designer who posted earlier.

        My first technical writing job straight out of university was for the government, and I earned $33K + health.

        I then moved to a small town and earned $25K + health at a small market research firm as a technical writer/editor. To be fair, they never had a position like that before and created it for me. It would probably more accurate to say that I was a proposal writer/editor, but that wasn’t my title.

        However, most tech writing jobs here are contract work, and you can make a lot more money accepting them. I just better liked the idea of a steady and stable job with health insurance.

        1. Jen RO*

          Thanks! This is interesting to learn. I also prefer stability, so I’m glad contract work is not yet popular here.

      7. The RO-Cat*

        Jen, out of curiosity I dug up some power-of-purchase data around the globe. Average monthly wage in Romania, taking prices-taxes-all that into account, would be the equivalent of a $954 monthly wage in the US (versus $3600+ in the US proper, as listed on the statista.com site)

        My tax return form (freelancing trainer) for the last year is a dime above €10,000 (about $13,700), or about $1,150 per month. Since the power of purchase ratio is roughly 1:3.5 Romania:US (954 vs 3600), I can eat, drink and drive as much as a US employee making somewhat more than $4,000/month (or around 48k per year), taxes notwithstanding.

        I train corporate people (sales, customer service, management) in sales, customer care, negotiations, communication, various types of management and so on. No benefits, vacation as desired, work from home 95% of the time (the rest is with my clients in the training proper).

        We can play too (if only for the fun of it), but it takes quite some math.

        1. Jen RO*

          This is really cool! And then we’d need to adjust for cost of living – I had a coworker from BV and she kept telling me that X salary would be bad for Bucharest, but good for BV… I guess the rent is lower? Because everything else seemed to cost the same.

          1. KireinaHito*

            I have colleagues who are Technical Writers in Brussels, both as contractors and as permanent employees.
            Contractors make about 300€ per day, and employees make about 36.000€ net per year plus benefits (which are usually company car, gasoline, complementary health insurance).
            I’m curious if that’s competitive with Romania?

            1. Neeta(RO)*

              36 000 € net/year = 3000€ net/month
              That’s a huge salary. I think only high-level managers, or people in sensitive military positions earn that sum.

              But the living in Belgium is much more expensive than living in Romania.

              1. KireinaHito*

                Yes. Sure it is. It’s impossible to rent a decent 2-bedroom apartment in Brussels for less than 600€ per month :(
                Plus it’s a bit boring after a while. Yet, I admit it’s not all disadvantages.

      1. Dan*

        Don’t feel bad. I’d be willing to leave my $90k job in DC for less money in the midwest. I looked at a job in Ohio and figured that a $10k pay cut would still be a net increase in terms of buying power.

        I might have a nice paycheck, but I rent a one bedroom apartment 20 miles outside of the city center for almost $1400/mo. That’s for an average apartment — it would not be appropriate to describe my place as “luxury”.

        Oh, I also borrowed a crap-ton for college — $90k.

        1. kdizzle*

          Truth.

          We rented a 1 bedroom apartment in a DC suburb for $2200 / month. $2200 for 750 square feet? Madness.

          The cost of living here truly is ridiculous.

          1. Seattle Writer Girl*

            Yes, cost of living should definitely be taken into account. I think the average rent in Seattle for a 1-bedroom apartment is now something like $1200/month ($15,000/year). Yikes!

          2. tcookson*

            My brother is a Marine stationed in San Clemente, CA and he and his wife were paying $950/mo for a one-bedroom apartment. For that much money here, you can live in a three-bedroom, 2.5-bath house, 2-car garage with a large yard in a nice neighborhood. So the cost of living is definitely lower. My husband’s parents sold their normal, middle-class house in southern California and were able to buy a huge dream house here with the same money.

          3. LK*

            That is very true. I bought a tiny two -bedroom condo (850 square feet) at 350k in Arlington (right outside of DC) and my monthly due is around 2k. So cost of living is high here.

        2. Ohio Person*

          Yep, cost of living variation can be insane.

          We own a house in Ohio – 1500 sq ft, 3 bed, 2 bath, garage, no basement, fully updated, typical suburbia, good school district – that we purchased for about $140K. Mortgage payment (3.25% fixed) is under $1100/month including property taxes and insurance.

          Don’t think I could get a small studio in NYC for that.

  46. not myself today*

    title: senior production editor at large trade publisher
    area: NYC
    experience: 14 years at this company–6 in a slightly more junior role, 3 in an equivalent level in another division, 5 in this position
    salary: $75,000, with very good benefits, occasional small bonuses, and most of the time annual increases in the 2-4 percent range

    1. production editor*

      Same poster as above:

      education: BA and MA (though the MA was in preparation for an entirely different career, so not really relevant)
      female

    2. Production Editor #2*

      This is interesting to know for my general career trajectory. I’m a production editor at a large trade publisher in NYC, as well, with about 5 years’ experience overall (from assistant to current position).

      Salary: $49,500; very good benefits; annual increases in the same 2-4 percent range

      1. Lore*

        To be fair, I should add that I have several times been rewarded with money in lieu of a dangled-but-not-materialized promotion, so I know my salary is high for my job title.

  47. Katie the Fed*

    You know, it’s not a crass question everywhere. In China it’s totally normal for people to ask you that (and a whole bunch of other things that I think are WAY personal).

    Here in the federal government we generally know everyone’s grade so we know ranges of salaries.

    2. keep changing my name today*

      Yeah, also in countries that have had far left governments and where people are still left leaning. The education/salary correlation is really weak, and people don’t really see income as a marker of worth or intelligence. And people are so used to everyone being close to poverty, it’s not a shameful thing. There’s more emphasis on useful jobs, rather than high-paying jobs

    3. literateliz*

      Augh, this happened to me in Japan–the principal of my school (I was a teacher) sat down next to me at a work party, said “You sure get paid well, don’t you?” and then proceeded to point out that my salary was twice as much as another young teacher’s (who thankfully was out of earshot, but several other teachers were listening with great interest). I nearly died. It didn’t help that I initially mixed up the word for “salary” with the one for “dinosaur.”

      1. Anon today*

        This reminds me, I recently found a web site that lists last year’s pay for every teacher in my state (it said that you can select private schools too, but I don’t know any private school teachers to verity). My sister was not very happy that I could so easily find out what she makes. It seems a little strange, but at the same time I pay their salaries as a tax payer so I should at least know some basic info i guess. I would think maybe title and salary though, maybe not the name tie in.

      2. Marketing Specialist*

        A bigger salary is awesome; a bigger dinosaur than your colleague’s would be EVEN BETTER.

      3. Anon*

        Gotta love the JET Program! I had similar experiences at my school. Tough to argue with though as I got that nice JET salary with cheap housing costs. Combine that with a strong yen, and I was able to send a lot of money back to the US and kill my student loans once and for all.

      4. Anna*

        “My dinosaur is not as big as yours”. The possibility of that sentence even being uttered in a conversation about money made me smile.

  48. anon*

    Director (mid-level manager, somewhere between senior account executive and account supervisor) at an independent public affairs/public relations agency in mid-atlantic city
    6 years of experience
    $93,500
    up to 10% annual bonus
    100% healthcare premium coverage

  49. AJ*

    Title: Fiscal Analyst (Accounting)
    Duties: Work with financial reporting, accounts receivable and payable (other duties as assigned:)).
    Area: Pacific NW
    Experience: 10 years
    Salary: $53,000 not including benefits.
    Other: I work in higher education. I did in the private sector (which actually had more responsibility for about $3K less pay) and now I do for a state school. I get state benefits. I also have a Masters degree which did help me get my current job, however it wasn’t required for the position.

  50. anon58*

    Head of Children’s Services for a Public Library (100+ employees)
    Midwest
    7 years experience in public libraries (new at this job though)
    $45k ish + good health insurance, about 6 weeks PTO/year. Great culture at work. (I do have a graduate degree.)

    1. Rachel*

      Our favorite Head Children’s Librarian at our local library (in the Midwest) just left to work in a larger system! We miss her greatly but I hope she is making close to what you posted, because I know she wasn’t in our small library.

      1. anon58*

        I hope so too! And I bet she would love to hear from you. Sometimes we get paid in compliments and hugs. :)

    2. Puffle*

      Six weeks PTO! Wow! That’s insanely good. I thought the best I could do for library-esque work was 4 weeks at a university… Nice. :D

  51. Decimus*

    Title: Archivist
    Geographic Area: Atlanta Metropolitan Area
    Experience: 6 Years
    Salary: 42,000 (no benefits)

    1. Project Archivist*

      are you comfortable saying what kind of company/institution you archive for? university, etc?

  52. Hous*

    Title: Billing assistant for a specific department in a large hospital
    Area: Boston
    Experience: 1 year temping, 2 years FTE, no previous experience in this field
    Salary: $17.10/hr, health care, retirement & public transportation benefits

  53. anon*

    Job: Paralegal at a very very small law firm
    Area: Near the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina
    Experience: coming up on five years
    Salary: $36,000 plus health insurance entirely paid for by the firm, and variable end-of-year bonus and retirement contribution (I started here at $28K when I had no experience, only my BA degree and a paralegal certificate)

  54. Anon*

    I work in records and information management, at the analyst/specialist/consultant level. That is, it’s above an admin role (filing is not part of my job), but below a manager. Basically, I write the policies that tell people how to organize their business records, who can access them, and how long to keep them.

    I’m in Toronto (Ontario), and have worked in the government and NFP sector for 13 years.

    Salary is currently around $61,000, although I was making $70,000 when I left my last job in 2012.

    1. Anon*

      Oh, and that salary includes 3 weeks vacation (4 at my previous job), 6 vacation days (10 at previous job), pension contributions, and health & dental benefits.

      1. Anon*

        Good grief. I need more coffee, or better proofreading skills!

        That should be 3 weeks vacation, 6 *sick* days.

  55. Anonymous*

    Title: Instructional Designer
    Industry: Healthcare
    Duties/Skills: Mostly technical writing, training electronic medical records software, elearning development (Captivate, Articulate, Dreamweaver with HTML/CSS knowledge)
    Experience: ~5 years, previous technical writing background in an IT setting for a government department
    Area: Tennessee
    Salary: $57K
    Benefits: 401K/403B employer matching up to 6% + deferred comp, health (dental+vision) with flex spending, PTO accrual

    1. AnonM*

      Interesting. My hubby does the same job (in the Mid-Michigan area), although he’s been there for 15 years. His salary is now about $76,000 (with ridiculously excellent benefits – our family pays $0 for a no-deductible healthcare plan, 401k matching, etc.)

      1. Anonymous*

        That’s good to know! The range for this position goes up to $80k, so seems like we’re both right on par for our experience level.

    2. Instructional Designer*

      Hey, another ID. My info is far down the thread.

      Don’t you love Articulate and Captivate, though one of my employees mentioned that the new Articulate Storyline combines the best of both applications, so you may want to take a look at that.

      1. KellyK*

        I’m a huge fan of Articulate Storyline. Sadly, my company isn’t doing much in the way of online courses anymore, so I haven’t had much opportunity to use it.

      2. Anonymous*

        I would love to work with Storyline. From what I understand, it offers similar functionality to Captivate without having to “do the math,” as I call it – fidgeting with advanced actions and IF/ELSE statements.

        But it’s an expense I can’t currently justify after they spent so much on Captivate 6 last year. :(

    3. Learning & Development Facilitator*

      This looks like the best place for me to throw in – I’m the one who delivers the content Instructional Designer writes. :)

      Title: Learning and Development Facilitator
      Industry: Non-profit
      Duties/Skills: Delivery of face to face and webinar training nationally to front-line staff, occasional accidental help-desk for policies and procedures, various record keeping and admin, copy-editor/proofreader for the Instructional Design team in my “free time”
      Experience: six months in this job, was an IT trainer prior to this for four years, and was previously a legal administrator for seven years
      Area: Sydney, Australia
      Salary: $78,000AUS after tax and superannuation (~$68,000US according to XE.com)
      Benefits: 10% superannuation (required national minimum is 9%), salary packaging, novated car lease, 20 days annual leave, 10 days personal leave, great boss/team, improving the planet

      Not exactly relevant to the US-centric audience, but interesting nonetheless.

      1. Project Manager*

        Fairly relevant here – Project Manager for team of technical writers for major IT company

        15+ years experience, team of 10 writers under me
        Large Midwest City
        Salary – approx $100k (plus annual bonus, which has shrunk over the past 2 years, used to be about $3k)
        BS in Technical Communication; MLIS (unused – couldn’t hack the huge pay cut)
        Petrified of layoffs right now…could be a completely different story by March…

  56. LOLwhut*

    Title: Marketing Associate
    Industry: Technology
    Location: Central NJ
    Years Experience: 8
    Salary: $50,000

    Salary could be more, but my career has followed a long and winding path that included two layoffs and a few nightmare situations. Also don’t really care for the stress and hours that come with the title of Marketing Manager.

  57. excited anonymous*

    Thanks for this topic and thanks to everyone who has already shared!

    Title: Chief of Staff in a nonprofit. (Think very high level executive assistant + strategic adviser. I don’t even know how to explain my job when I am willing to get into specific details about content, much less when I’m trying to remain anonymous!)
    Location: DC
    Years of Experience: 4ish
    Salary: ~$65k

      1. excited anonymous*

        What are your thoughts on telework? :)

        In all seriousness, look at the really high-performing and experienced admin staff within your organization. We make GREAT chiefs of staff.

    2. really*

      I know you want to maintain your anonymity, but is there anything else you care to add to your position description? I am wondering if you started out as an EA and have grown the position into its current role, and also, if you have an advanced degree.

      No worries if you can’t answer, just thought I’d ask! I’d imagined this type of role before, interested to see the real-life version of it!

      1. excited anonymous*

        Yes, I started in an admin role and was progressively promoted. I do not have an advanced degree (just a BA), but when this same position is advertised they prefer an MBA. In the same way as the EA’s job is to keep the team lead (in my case a VP) running logistically, the COS’s role is to keep them running strategically. That means managing (up) all the more routine staff stuff like compliance and budget, and also helping to put all the structure on the VP’s vision and ideas. I do a lot of strategic planning, tracking progress, and internal communications, and also help with hiring, training, evaluating and supporting the rest of of the staff.

        I believe AAM was a COS as well–bet she would have a lot to share about this role too!

        1. Ask a Manager* Post author

          Yes, although my position was different than the one described here. I managed the day-to-day running of the organization, so it was a heavily management-focused role, whereas it sounds like this one might be more along the lines of “the right hand of the CEO”?

  58. Anon*

    Job: Human Resources and Finance Manager (not-for-profit org)

    Location: New York City

    Experience: 9 related to finance, 17 years in workforce
    (My academic background is arts related; I have an MA but never studied finance/accounting in school.)

    Salary:~$62,000 exempt; health/dental paid by org; paid vacation/sick leave; casual work environment; no matching for retirement plan.

    I work about 40 hours a week, occasionally 45-50 if it’s a really busy time of year (e.g. audit/fiscal year end).

  59. Project Management Operations*

    Title: Project Management Operations Support / Manager
    Description:
    Area: New York City
    Experience: 6
    Salary: $70,000 + bonus opportunity

    1. Project Management Operations*

      doh. I intended to write PMO support, including reporting, business processes, and resource management.

  60. Anon*

    Senior Reimbursement Analyst (Hospital)
    Medicare/Medicaid programs & all governmental payers
    Experience: 5 years at job, 12 years overall
    BS in Accounting
    Salary: $90K
    California

  61. Anon*

    Title: Account Representative for a very small (under 10 employees) company that sells technological equipment to schools/colleges/universities.

    Area: Rural East Ontario

    Experience: New to this job (5 months) but experience in the academic world

    Salary: Minimum wage of $10.25 per hour for approximately $21,000 per year. I also get commission, which is hit or miss–last month it was $45, the month before that $350. Benefits are available but I am on my husband’s. No PTO. 1 week paid vacation after 1 year.

    (I am also the OP #3 from last week with a horrid boss situation, though.)

    1. Anon*

      Also, I am a 25-year-old woman married to a soldier, and I hold a Master’s degree. I do a little freelance writing on the side, but nothing I could support myself with.

      1. Anon*

        My boss is potentially going to be under investigation from the Ministry of Labour, so there are plenty more issues besides lack of PTO.

  62. Anon*

    Senior Analyst, government consulting
    JD plus 10 years experience in business and law
    $120,000 plus bonus (typically very low 5 figures)

  63. Great Topic*

    Title: Marketing manager
    Description: Responsible for all marketing activities for the firm and am the only marketing person on staff (although rely on outside agency help)
    Company: Mid size professional services firm
    Area: Suburb of large city in the Northeast (not NY)
    Experience: 18 years
    Salary: $128k + $10k bonus
    Benefits: Decent health and 401k match, 4 weeks vacation

    1. Marketing Manager DC*

      You’re my new idol. I’m don’t even make half your salary and it seems we have the same job!

  64. Anon*

    Audience Development Manager. Includes managing a subscription, preparing mail files, all marketing functions. Position now includes administrative tasks since company downsized (10 employees).
    3.5 years experience, 2.5 at this company
    Central Texas
    $51,000. Health insurance, Simple IRA, no bonus

  65. Anon*

    Development Assistant/Project Coordinator
    SW Ohio
    $32,000 + a very small year end bonus (last year it was ~$500)
    3 years experience (2.5 paid, .5 internship)
    2 weeks paid vacation, plus extra paid sick and 3 paid personal per year

    When I started this job a year ago, I was basically an administrative assistant. However, after our department added a new position to manager our membership programs, those duties only took up about 20% of my time. I was able to build the position that I wanted, so now I spend most of my time doing prospect research/analysis and grant writing! I love it!

  66. CollegeAdmin*

    Official title: Administrative Assistant to the [Teapot’s] Office
    Actual job: I function more as the executive assistant to one member of the office, plus some tasks involving confidential paperwork for another.
    Geographic area: Boston, MA – small (wealthy) town west of the city
    Years of experience: 1.5 years – I graduated in 2012, temped elsewhere for 6 months, and then was hired by the college this past spring.
    Salary: $33,500 (non-exempt, divides out to $18.xx an hour)
    Benefits: 403(b) – college puts in 6% plus a small match, nice health plan, 3 personal days and 3 weeks vacation per year

    1. CollegeAdmin*

      Ugh, should have formatted this or put an enter line between them. Sorry for the text wall, folks!

    3. Just a Reader*

      I’m wondering if you work at my alma mater. Is it formerly single-sex education and is there an historic tower on campus?

      1. Another reader*

        Hah I was thinking the same thing! (Only my alma mater west of Boston is still single-sex)

  67. Anon*

    ■Lease Records Manager (administrative title work for oil & gas company managing team of 7 people)
    ■Texas
    ■10 years experience
    ■$110,000 (typical benefits plus 25% bonus structure as well as 401K contribution & company stock grants)

  68. Anon*

    Imports specialist, which basically means that I make sure that things get through Customs compliantly.
    ~40K year, hourly, no PTO or holidays (contractor)
    Southern Arizona, 1 year experience

    Alison, what are the odds of getting this data into an easily used form? Like an interactive map or something? I’m not quite sure how it would be done, but it would be interesting.

      1. Leslie Yep*

        I would be down to create a google drive spreadsheet of some kind if someone else knows how to GIS-it into something awesome!

        1. pgh_adventurer*

          I got some (limited) GIS skills and am always looking out for new projects. Would love to try my hand at this!

          1. Research Assistant*

            Once you have the data, Tableau can make some really neat interactive maps and graphs with stuff like this. There’s a free version, though what you create with it will be public. I was able to teach it to myself in a few hours using online tutorials. If other people want to make a dataset I would be willing to play around and see what I can create.

    2. Geographic Information Systems Programmer*

      I just might be able to do this. Also very easy to do with ArcGIS Online. (Or if I am really ambitious, crank out some d3 with crossfilter.)

    3. Ask a Manager* Post author

      I need a volunteer! Particularly for the data-entry part, which will be tedious. If anyone is interested, email me. I’m willing to pay for the data-entry portion.

  69. Anon*

    Role: Behind the scenes Customer Service (I do process compliance, analysis, and quality process development for call centers)
    Geographic Area: Ontario
    Years of Experience: I’m going with 4 in this type of role, but I had other experience previously
    Salary: $64K

    1. CG*

      How did you get into this? Do you enjoy it? I worked in a call center and thought this kind of stuff seemed super interesting but I wasn’t sure about how to get there.

  70. Purr purr purr*

    – Exploration geologist – supervising drilling campaigns for the mining industry, geological mapping, etc.
    – Working all over North America
    – 6.5 years experience, Masters degree
    – Salary is $27/hr for first 40 hours per week, time and a half thereafter. I usually work 70+ hours a week (10 hr per day minimum for 7 days a week), sometimes 84 hours. Usually averages out at about $65,000 for 6 months work. I take the other 6 months off work by choice (usually). Obviously yearly pay increases if I decide to work beyond the 6 months.
    Benefits are flexible living location, health insurance, pension plan, vacation pay (they just give me the money), social events through the office

    1. I'll Play!*

      I’m curious about how you structure your time…how long are you on a given project, how much time do you take off between, is it a seasonal type thing, etc…just because I’m nosy.

      1. Purr purr purr*

        The project length varies. For example, in 2012 I worked solidly between the start of February and the start of May (literally 7 days a week for that entire time) and after that I changed project to a rotation where I worked for 30 days and then took 2 weeks off; I stayed there until early October. I should note that the rotations are set by the employer but I’m a contractor so if a rotation didn’t suit me, I just wouldn’t do the job. After that I was on holiday or just relaxing at home until February 2013 and pretty much repeated the entire thing. But yes, my work is quite seasonal. I tend to take most of my time off in winter as a result.

  71. Anonymous*

    Title: We don’t have titles, but the closest would probably be Administrative Assistant. It’s a small company, so I wear a lot of hats.
    Area: Pacific NW
    Experience: Basically entry-level. I have been here for 2 years.
    Salary: $35,000 ($17 per hour, full time, no overtime)
    Other info: My state does not have an income tax, although it does have a steep sales tax. Cost of living is not outrageous in my city, but it is climbing much faster than the national average.

  72. Belle*

    Sr Business Systems Analyst
    Los Angeles, CA
    My experience is not industry specific, but I’ve been working for 11 years. I also have a bachelors degree from a big 10 college, an MBA, and a Masters in Information Systems.
    Salary – 91K. I know I’m underpaid because I had access to salary information at my previous job (worked in HR) and most made 120k+

  73. Thomas*

    Production manager for feature film visual effects. $34/hr, but there is a lot of OT. Annualized salary: $120k. No benefits, but I can afford health insurance.

      1. Thomas*

        It is! Quite so. The industry has lots of problems (competing tax incentives from different states/countries resulting in the work shifting around location a lot, total lack of stability, insane hours). But the work itself is fun and super challenging. My company has a wonderfully smart and dedicated bunch of people and a good culture.

  74. Anonynony*

    Love this post:

    Job: Program Manager (really, I run the program/campaign, but they refused to give me the title of “Director” since I’m only 28)
    Geographic Area: D.C.
    Years Experience: ~10 (depends how you think about it, but I worked throughout college as a research assistant and internships + 5 years research assistant during grad school + about 4 years –some overlap with grad school — in the “real world”)
    Salary: $85K
    Context: They offered me something much lower on the guise they looked up my previous salary (which was public record), which was before I earned my Ph.D. I thought the title would be “director” so I asked for 100K and we came down to this number.

  75. Annie*

    Title: Matching Gifts Specialist
    Industry: Higher Education Development
    Location: Boston
    Years Experience: 1
    Salary: $38,000

  76. Anon for this*

    Senior Consultant/Project Manager for a consulting firm that specializes in biotech. I sub-specialize in cell line and process development, as well as sterilization and non-routine, highly regulated field operations.
    13 years experience, undergrad biology/chemistry, MS chemical engineering
    Mostly New England area + periodic 3 months – 1 year travel assignments worldwide as needed
    $110,000 base, +$1500/year profit sharing, + 11,500/year 401k contributions, + about $1000/month or more overtime bonus (all billable client hours >40/week are billed as overtime). Typically works out to about $130-140k. Health, dental & vision paid in full by employer, 1 week of sick days, 4 weeks paid vacation, professional development and conferences covered by employer.

    1. Anon for this*

      Oh, and $45/month in a HSA from employer, no contribution from me is required.

      Also, for all travel outside of New England, my hotel/apartment, rental car, bills, and food are paid for by the client. Plus one trip home a month.

        1. Anon for this*

          Totally depends on project. This year, I won’t be traveling until 4th quarter, when I pick up a project on the West Coast. Next year they’re thinking of sending me to Hyderabad for a few months, unless the current project develops into something bigger, in which case I would be doing both the local gig and the West Coast project at the same time, and working remotely with occasional visits. It just depends on what projects we get and where we are needed. Some people stay in one place for 5 years, others like my boss are all over the place.

  77. Anon*

    Title: Administrative assistant – in energy engineering – In addition toadmin fuctions, I also do some basic design work and assist on larger projects as needed.
    Geographic area: Colorado
    Experience: 10 years administrative, approx 1 year industry specific
    Salary: $37,000 + 2 weeks pto, 8 paid holidays, options for health insurance, 401k

  78. Anonymous*

    Engineering Intern (civil/structural) at a small privately held company.
    My roles and responsibilities range from engineering designs and reports, contract administration, field investigations, and other duties as assigned.
    Area: Ottawa, Canada
    Experience: 4 years, with bachelor’s degree
    Salary: $52,000
    Perks: company matched retirement plan, medical benefits, occasional telecommuting, 5 weeks PTO, performance based bonus, and unlimited coffee :)

    1. Production Manager*

      Out of curiosity…are you considered an intern in the sense that it’s not a permanent position? How does that work?

      1. Judy*

        It’s probably a licensing title. In my state, if you take the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam and pass, you’re considered a licensed Engineering Intern. Once you take the PE (Principles and Practices of Engineering) you’re a licensed Professional Engineer. I’m pretty sure it’s similar in Canada.

        Many of us have taken the FE, because you can take it any time after your last year of school starts. Since it is very heavy in theory, there’s no time like just after you’ve taken the classes to get that over with. My university said if you have even a thought of doing work that requires a PE, take the test now.

        The second test, you have to apply to take, and you need recommendations about your work quality, etc.

        A former co-worker is now in a job that requires a PE eventually. He didn’t take the FE back in college 10+ years ago. He’s had to pull out his old textbooks and study like crazy.

        1. Anonymous*

          The good news in Canada is that there’s no “FE” exam for graduates of Canadian engineering schools. The bad news is that those engineering schools generally take very little transfer credit (including AP/IB) in order to maintain their accreditation.

      2. Anonymous*

        It is a full time position. In Ontario ‘Professional Engineers of Ontario’ (PEO) governs the use of the word “engineer” – so they have established some basic titles that may be used (so long as you pay your fees, of course):
        Engineer Student – Still in school (has not yet completed their bachelor’s degree)
        Engineering Intern Training (EIT) – Have completed bachelor’s degree and is working towards becoming a Professional Engineer
        Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) – has completed all requirements from PEO, and is now licensed as and engineer (can now stamp/seal drawings and documents).

        I hope this answers your question (although I may have ‘over-answered’… a bad habit of my nerdiness).

    2. Assistant Engineer - Traffic*

      Title: Assistant Engineer – Traffic
      Industry: Local Government
      Experience: 2 years as a student engineer, 3.5 years full time including 1 year in current position.
      Area: Large city in Southern California
      Salary: $63,340. Position ranges from $60k-70k depending on years of service + 15% for PE license
      Benefits: traditional pension (gone for new employees), 6% retirement salary match (much lower for new employees), 11 paid holidays, 22 days PTO, +$6k/yr credits to use on medical, dental, vision (essentially covering everything for a single person like myself).

      Lucky to have this job, rarely work over 40 hours a week, low employee turnover, great bosses, and you really make a difference in shaping your City. Hoping to pass the PE this year.

      Advice to anyone who wants to work for local government is to apply as an intern or student worker ASAP. It is near impossible to seperate yourself as a new grad otherwise when there are 200+ applicants for entry level engineering positions.

  79. Anonymous*

    Document Programmer for public opinion surveys
    Major city in Texas
    $30k + overtime + benefits
    Entry-level/Recent grad

  80. Anonymous*

    Title: Research Director
    Area: Midwest city with low COL
    Experience: 2 years in role, 6 years in field; PhD
    Salary: $72k, generous healthcare and decent 401k contributions

  81. Thomas*

    Forgot to mention: I float between Vancouver BC and Los Angeles. I have 4 1/2 years’ experience (which includes time spent as roto/paint artist and compositor, and now production manager).

  82. Aanon*

    Title: Production Supervisor in a technology field. I am also an associate in the company.
    Geographical Area: Medium sized city in the Southern United States
    Years of Experience: 18 in similar field, 3 in this field (Associates Degree)
    Salary: 64,500 salaried, non-exempt.
    Pertinent: Company pays $15,000 per year towards health insurance, four weeks Paid Time Off, tuition reimbursement is available, bonus is dependent on profit (last one was two weeks’ pay).

  83. Office Admin - Legal*

    Title: Legal Office Assistant
    Industry: Law
    Location: Toronto, ON
    Years Experience: Less than 1 (8 months)
    Salary: $36,000

  84. NCCP*

    Real Estate Paralegal
    large law firm, NC
    3 yrs
    44K, bad health insurance, max $750 pretax bonus based on billing hrs

  85. Anon*

    Thanks so much for doing this! I’ve had a hard time figuring out what I should be asking for, especially since I have a job that most people don’t even realize exists.

    your job: I work in consulting as an environmental scientist and biologist. I perform field surveys, reporting, I do regulatory compliance, coordination with local, state, and federal agencies.

    your geographic area: Large metro area in the mountain west

    your approximate years of experience: 7

    your salary: I am currently part-time hourly (it’s HEAVEN!), and I make $29.50 per hour. If I worked full time that would be approximately $61,000 per year

    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: I have a M. S. in my field, and I’m pretty sure I’m considered a high performer. My last two jobs, I’ve negotiated my salary and have gotten the amount I asked for.

    3. Geologist*

      I am a geologist doing something very similar in the midwest. I work for a large, international firm.

      I just started–literally last month–without a lick of experience in my related field. I have a master’s degree in Geology, but all of my work experience was retail.

      I make $44,000, which is $1,000/yr less than the top end of the pay scale for an entry level position at my company. Another company I was seriously considering was local and much smaller, and couldn’t offer more than $34,000.

      I receive 10 days vacation, 6 sick, 7 holidays plus one floater. The best benefit (to me) is 401k match up to 15% annual salary. Since I just started, I have no idea what kind of bonuses, etc are out there.

      At the risk of repeating everyone, this is a fabulous idea. As someone who just went through countless of interviews, I really could have used this post. The current company I work for asked me to list a salary expectation in the application and my interviewers all but laughed me out of the room. When I explained how I got the number (I knew ONE person in the field in the area, and so I used the number she told me. Apparently it was quite high.) and how difficult it was to find this information, they were a bit more understanding. I even straight-up told them they should post the range in the job description if they want reasonable answers (I think this helped me get the job since I work with a bunch of smart-asses–which to me isn’t a bad thing haha). It turns out the five candidates they were seriously considering had salary expectations much higher and much lower than mine. It goes to show that they help no one (especially entry-level peeps) by excluding salary information in the job description. So thanks Alison and everyone out there! I hope this information helps more people in the future!

      1. Geologist*

        Oh and since I just read someone might be compiling this information…

        I am a 25 year old female, and I work outside of Chicago.

    4. Anon scientist*

      Hey environmental biz buddy! Figured I’d stick mine here.
      Geologist, environmental consulting
      Northeast US, small city
      70,000 not including straight overtime (which I try to avoid), awesome benefits/company
      MS + 10 years’ experience
      I used to be a project manager but changed jobs to focus on the technical side. About 20% fieldwork.
      Female.

  86. Anon*

    Title: Title Processor
    Description: I examine records (deeds, mortgages, easements, etc) to determine who holds title to real estate, as well as determine insurability of title
    Area: Northern Michigan (very rural)
    Experience: approximately 3 years in the industry, less than 1 year in this position
    Salary: $28,000 + overtime and bonuses
    Benefits: company paid health, vision and dental, yearly merit & COL increases, yearly bonus opportunities, 401K match, flexible hours, ability to work from home, low cost of living area, very short commute, 3 weeks PTO, 10 paid holidays

  87. Organic Search Strategist*

    Job: Senior level, at an agency with 9 accounts. No direct reports, but in charge of some big accounts. My job is also called search engine optimization (SEO) – the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s “natural” or un-paid (“organic”) search results.
    Area: Boston
    Experience: 5 years, with a BA
    Salary: $80,000 with a $1200 bonus

  88. House Manager @ an Orchestra*

    Job: I house manage concerts, but also work on development events and work in the education department (this is what I want to do full time). I manage the ushers, talk to the halls we play in about ushers, etc. All in all, pretty low on the totem pole.
    Area: the south
    Years: This is my 3rd year in the orchestra field
    Salary: $29,000
    Some flex time given for when we work concerts, but it’s only if we have concerts on both Saturday and Sunday, therefore having no weekend. In the summers though, my position is only required to be in the office 1/4 of the time. So some people also in this situation are able to work at orchestra festivals around the country.

    In my previous job (was there 2 years), I worked as the #2 in an orchestra ed. department in the southwest and made $33,000.

  89. Senior Software Engineer*

    Geographic Area: I work remotely for a Silicon Valley company. I’m pretty sure they’d pay me more if I worked on-site, but not enough to make up for moving away from my very low COL city.

    Years Experience: 5ish (depending on how you count my Ph.D., which was not in computer science but did involve some programming)

    Salary: $100k plus bonus ($33k this year)

    Context: I started out at $70k for a startup a few years ago, got a big bump when the startup got bought out by a large tech company.

    1. Senior Software Engineer*

      and benefits, sorry: 401k with match up to 2%, decent but not amazing health coverage, stock participation plan.

  90. Regional Director (nonprofit, female)*

    Context for my role: I work for a nonprofit startup and implement our work in several states. I develop our strategic plans (in relationship to the overall plan set by our leadership team) and carry out the activities described in those plans. I am the only person working in my states, so I don’t manage anyone.

    Context for my organization: Expectations are high, hours are long, and travel is extensive. In accordance, my organization pays generously (in my experience).

    Geographic area: Second-tier Midwest city (i.e. not Chicago)

    Years of experience: 10 years post-grad school (MPP). 3-4 years total experience in internships/etc. before grad school.

    Salary: $79,000

    Other benefits: 4 weeks vacation, match 5% of retirement contributions, significant contributions to health care premiums (we pay $20/month for a basic plan or $50/month for a very comprehensive plan).

    1. Rachel*

      This was my previous job in Minneapolis and I made exactly $45,000. I had been 5-8 years of experience when that was my salary.

  92. Program Director*

    Job: Program Director at a non-profit focused on education in a small city in the Midwest. I’m developing and managing a brand new education program aimed at increasing the number of low-income college bound kids in our city.

    Years experience: 4 year undergrad which included many internships, 2 years in the Peace Corps, 2 years in the non-profit sector.

    Salary and benefits: $45,000 plus health insurance and 2% towards my 403(b)

    1. Rachel*

      Cool job! Salary sounds similar to what I posted above for a non-profit coordinator/director job.

  93. techy*

    title: field technician
    area: chicago
    experience: 5 years
    salary: $51,000, excellent benefits, 40 hrs/wk, no bonus

  94. Anonymous*

    -My (former) job: VP of Operations (Banking industry. Head of deposit and loan operations, compliance officer, information security officer, BSA officer, bank security officer, IT person)
    -Geographic area: Fairfield county, CT
    -Approximate years of experience: 17, all with same company (6 yrs teller/teller manager, 5 yrs as operations officer, 7 years as VP of operations)
    -Salary: ending salary 66k

    Salary very under market for the industry, bank assets less than $30 million, tiny bank in a low- to middle-income city.

  95. Anon*

    Buyer/Purchasing Coordinator
    small company, Colorado – I’m female.
    7 years experience total.
    $43,000 + ~20% profit sharing
    Company pays 80% health insurance as well as other benefits.

      1. Anon also*

        That’s actually super relevant! I don’t have a degree (partway through one, but I’ve been going to school part-time on and off for several years while I save up to transfer to a private college) and I’m really interested in seeing how people navigate their careers without one. When people find out I don’t have a degree they tend to patronize, but I was lucky enough to find a company recently that valued my skills over my education level. :)

  96. Anonymous*

    ■ Manager of engineering consulting group within a larger company. 25 staff report to me, about $7M/year revenue.
    ■ Canada
    ■ 15 years of experience
    ■ $170,000 + very small bonuses

  97. Anonymous*

    Title: Director in Academic Affairs Division, private university
    Area: NY State
    Experience: 25 years at a number of colleges, here a little over a year
    Salary: 76K, 10% salary match from institution for retirement contribution
    Education: Liberal Arts BA + MA (MA completed during first university job)

  98. Anon*

    Job: Biostatistician, Masters degree
    Region: Philadelphia area
    ~10 years of experience
    $72,000 in salary, but I also teach as an adjunct instructor and consult here and there. Adjuncting brings in $3.5 – 5.5K per class taught, consulting $100/hr,
    so my average salary overall runs about $78K but when I was teaching like a banshee (I was single, had the free time), it was up around $85K.

  99. Clinical Placement Coordinator*

    Clinical Placement Coordinator for Nurse Practitioner students enrolled in our private college’s two year MSN (Master of Science, Nursing) program in a medium-sized city in the Northeastern US. Our program has approx 90 MSN students currently active in the program.

    Gross annual salary is $46,500. I have fewer than 2 years of experience in this position (was hired with no experience in this particular role, though several years of closely-related work outside higher education).

  100. Grants Mgr*

    Grants Mgr: Responsible for writing grants for corporate, foundation, private, and government entities. Also responsible for grants management: oversight of expenditures for grant funded projects; grant reporting; review of contracts; making sure program team understands responsibilities and expectations of the grant award.
    California (Los Angeles)
    10 years of experience
    80,000
    I am on the high end of the scale most grant writers make between 35k-55k depending on the agency budget. Agencies with higher budgets sometimes pay more. Grant writers who have a good track record have some leverage to get a higher salary. New grant writers generally start on the low end because they don’t have a track record. The difficult part is once you get to the high end it is hard to move around because other agencies offer low salaries.

    1. Grants Manager too*

      I’m also a Grants Manager, though I work at an academic research center at a large university.

      I do some proposal development, although it’s largely done by the researchers as the work is fairly technical. I primarily manage the logistics, budgets, and compliance. I also manage the overall budget and finances of the center (in coordination with the university’s central offices).

      New York City
      1 year experience at this job, 4 years admin/finance/development at a very small non-profit, plus an MPA.
      Salary: 70,000
      Benefits are good: highly subsidized insurance, 10% retirement match, tuition, generous sick and vacation time.

  101. Anonymous*

    Content Release Manager
    Manage a small support team and post website content online. Team also works on miscellaneous administrative tasks
    $53,000
    New York City

  103. Anonymous*

    Job Title – Student Development Coordinator (helping students develop career/professional skills via co-operative education).
    Salary – $53,000 CDN
    Location – Atlantic Canada
    Experience – 6 years working in education + Masters Degree in Education

  104. C. Cavour*

    Title: Communications and Policy Associate at a nonprofit
    Geographic Area: Chicago
    Education: BA
    Experience: 9 months interning
    Salary: 40,000
    Benefits: 3 weeks vacation, healthcare, 4013B

  105. Anonymouse*

    Title: Customer Relations Manager aka Crazy People Whisperer
    Industry: Parks and Recreation (local govt)
    Location: DC suburbs (MD)
    Years Exp: 15 yrs of customer service related work
    Salary: $67K. Because I’m dumb and didn’t negotiate. But the benefits are excellent, we have 401k and pension, earn lots of leave, family-friendly, pet-friendly, able to work from home when I need to and I get to work with awesome people for a great cause.

  106. Anon for this*

    Title: Reference librarian in public library
    Geographic Area: Midwest, near large metro area
    Salary: $43,000, with 5+ years experience

  107. Software Development Manager*

    Manage a group of 40 to 50 people developing web applications.
    Industry: Tech
    Location: Southern California
    Experience: more than 20
    Salary: $145,000, bonus up to $10K/yr, 401K, good health benefits, etc.

  108. Anon*

    Receptionist
    NYC
    No experience before this, will be 1 year in a few weeks. 3 years of retail before this.
    Bachelor’s Degree
    $37,500, non-exempt, about 3 weeks of PTO

    1. Anonymous*

      My first job was Admin Assistant NYC- same salary, 1 less week of PTO.

      Its about normal depending on industry

  109. Secret*

    your job (the more descriptive the better, since job titles don’t always explain level of responsibility or scope of work)
    your geographic area
    your approximate years of experience
    your salary
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context

    Title: Senior VP of Brand Management (Think Creative Director and Website Director with input on Product Development, General Strategy and Marketing. I hire designers and oversee the design department of a start-up)

    Area: North Florida

    Years Of Experience: 8 years, been at this company for 6 months

    Salary: $75,000/yr – I expect to be making more by the summer. The salary range for what I do is typically around $80,000-$120,000/year but I’ve grown into the position and was originally hired to be just a designer. I received a $10,000 raise in the first few months.

    Benefits: Health Care paid for 100%, extremely difficult to take a vacation but I have three weeks PTO.

    Hours: Round the clock on call, about 9 hours a day generally. Sometimes work a few hours on the weekend.

        2. Secret*

          I started freelancing full-time out of college as a Web and Graphic Designer. I grew that business until I had staff of five. I learned hiring, project management, staff management and delegation from that on top of the design bits. I acquired the knowledge to know how to market online through the client work I did (email marketing, social media, SEO). I had already taught myself web coding , web design, print and packaging design. I have a BFA but most of what I do is self-taught.

          While running the design company, I created side companies selling items that I enjoyed where I was able to create the brand from scratch and implement it across product development, sourcing, packaging, labeling, social media, finding clients, fulfilling orders, marketing etc… Doing this allowed me to learn the ends and outs of creating a brand and implementing it eveyrwhere. My Design and Advertising knowledge gave me the stepping stone for being able to do this as a one person company.

          From there I worked as a web designer at a medium sized agency. This was just a sidetrack for me but it was really interesting to see how an agency worked from the inside.

          Then I took on an in-house web designer position at a start-up. as I was really interested in working for a Brand instead of an agency environment. They had the logo and some packaging designs but not much else. They were really bad at delegating work to me so I just started making up my own projects. I designed the website, redid packaging and basically took on all the things we needed that hadn’t been created yet. For example I setup the brand Facebook page created an email marketing template and told them what I thought we were missing and what we needed to focus on.

          The owners were really impressed and promoted me and told me to pick my own job title. I got a nice bump and now I oversee a department of two designers and I’m hiring a third. I am involved in sourcing product, giving input on product we bring on board, I have a lot of input on what our website and collateral should look like. But ultimately I’m executing on the CEO’s vision.

          1. AJay*

            Wow! Thank for sharing. You’ve done a lot of things that I’d definitely like to do in the future. I guess I need to be more proactive.

  110. Anon*

    Job: Office Manager – (small company, so HR, Payroll, Accounting, billing, employee relations, unofficial Assistant Facility Security Officer)
    Area: Northern Virginia
    Experience: Approximate 10 years in a similar role, 7 months here.
    Salary:~ 80K per year, plus stock options and bonus

  111. Freelance Ghostwriter*

    I write op-eds, letters, speeches, blog posts, etc., for a variety of signers and non-profits, on behalf of corporate clients / PR & lobbying firms. I work from home, usually 25 hours per week, and I have to pay my own taxes because I’m freelance (but I also get to deduct expenses and costs for equipment, office furniture, etc.). I make my own schedule and rarely work on Fridays or Monday mornings and pretty much never on evenings or weekends.

    $5,500 per month (this is my fee for services for the month; I have a yearly contract), so $66,000 per year
    Kansas City, MO
    4 years at this gig; 7 years overall with this kind of work (I also worked as a technical writer/editor for about 4 years)

      1. Love This Topic!*

        Do you mind me asking how you met or connected with these clients? Was it through previous jobs or freelance boards? What you’re doing is similar to my “where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years” plan. I currently work as a writer and do some freelancing for a client on odesk, but need to really expand my clientele before I am to ever think about making the jump from my full-time job.

        1. Freelance Ghostwriter*

          Sorry in advance, because this isn’t going to be that helpful—but I knew someone who did this job for a few different lobbying firms, and they referred me, and that’s how I got started. They were specifically looking for writers who had advanced education in rhetoric and professional writing, if that helps.

    2. Internal Communications Manager*

      What a great gig! Did you find the transition into freelancing tough? Do you mind the admin tasks (paying taxes, billing, etc)?

  112. Anonymous Agreer*

    Title: Purchasing Manager (at this point managing the process as there are no longer any other purchasing associates.) Responsible for purchasing inventory for specialty wholesale supply company.

    25+ years of experience, 20+ with “this company” working up through the ranks over the years as well as being around for 3 buyouts, making it basically 4 different companies that I’ve worked for.

    Metro Atlanta area (SnowJam2014 no work today!)

    Current Salary $50,000, salaried, exempt, 401(k) with zero matching, 2 weeks vacation, 8 holidays, no PTO (but generally flexible for appointments, etc). “Generally” about a 45 hour work week.

    This same position 3 years ago before the last buyout paid me $63,000, 401(k) with 2x match @ 1%, 1x match 2-3%, 1/2 match 4-5%, 5 weeks of vacation, 6 holiday, 10 days of PTO. “Generally” a 45 hour work week, but 60-70 hours 3 or 4 weeks a year wasn’t unusual.

      1. Anonymous Agreer*

        I would agree; it’s one of those buyout/restructuring things that included a big layoff and a “Your salary decreased, but we’re not laying you off. Be happy.”

  113. consultamous*

    Consultant
    For-profit education company
    Greater Boston area
    Experience: 7 years, 3 with company, Masters Degree
    Salary: $75,000 + bonus ~10%

  114. Compliance Officer*

    Job: Work in a large international nonprofit at the director level primarily for government grants; negotiate grants with Donors; advise and train staff on compliance requirements
    Geo area: DC
    Years of exp.: 20
    Salary: $110k
    Female

  115. Anon Today*

    Title: Product Strategy & User Experience in the tech/software industry (I wear a lot of different hats under that umbrella including research (planning, designing, conducting, and analyzing all types of studies), new feature and product development strategy, and info architecture and content strategy
    Area: The Coastal South
    Experience: About 10 years plus a master’s degree, also pursuing certifications within the field that will result in a salary increase
    Salary: $95,000 (exempt, 401K match, stock options, partially paid health insurance, generous PTO and sick leave)
    Other info:
    I am on the low end of the pay scale by industry and local standards because I came in under a convoluted job title that doesn’t accurately represent my job, but that the company could push through quickly to get me hired since it was a job that existed in their payroll system already and had a different pay scale than I should have been getting (silly practice if you ask me)

    1. Anon Today*

      Note: I got my master’s degree while working full-time, so I never took any time off work for school.

  116. Anon*

    Title: Director of Visitor Services

    Description: Supervise 30-35 staff and am responsible for overall visitor experience at my museum

    Experience: Directly related M.A. with 4 years experience at another museum

    Location: Urban Midwest

    Salary: $72,000 (plus relocation when I was hired)

    Benefits: Great health insurance, 6% 403(b) match, company-paid professional development (REALLY rare for people in my position in museums)

    1. Anon*

      Previously:

      Manager of Special Events, Washington DC — managed all public, private, and internal events for a nationally-known museum.

      $50K (had to threaten to leave to get that high). Averaged 65 hours/week but jumped to 85 or 90 hours/week in the busy months (April, May, September, October), no overtime, no bonuses, incredibly stressful clients, drama-filled workplace.

      No wonder I was looking for a way out!

    2. Public Programming Coordinator at Museum*

      I’ll put this under your header so people can find museum people all together.

      Title: Public Programming Coordinator

      Description: All programs, internal and external, for large (for its area) museum, supervise visitor experience in main gallery space, manage most social media, other duties as assigned (vacuuming up glitter, brewing coffee, calming down volunteers…)

      Experience: MA + 12 years experience in other museums & archives (PT & FT, similar but not identical jobs)

      Location: rural New England

      Salary: $38,000

      Benefits: Great health insurance, built in step & cost of living raises, will vest in a pension eventually, and tons and tons of time off…that I never have time to take. (After 18 moths, I have 6 weeks on the books and it’s climbing fast.)

      (I’m going to stop reading everyone else’s salaries, this is getting depressing. It’s a good thing I love my work.)

    3. Anonymous*

      title: Exhibitions Assistant

      description: Manage and install 3 rotations of exhibitions annually (each rotation comprises 1-3 separate shows, but the same amount of display space). I am the entire exhibitions department, and report to a curator.

      experience: 2.5 years experience + directly related MA

      location: CT

      Salary: $41K + benefits (great comprehensive healthcare, 401k + matching, step raises, some financial support for PD, vacation time when I can take it!)

      1. Anon*

        Definitely trying to get my foot in the door at a museum. The entry level openings are just so fee and far between and with really low pay, at least out here in thr mountain west.

    5. Exhibitions Coordinator*

      Description: Coordination of exhibitions, work with temporary, traveling, and permanent exhibitions.

      Experience: 2.5 years here, directly related B.A.

      Location: Urban Midwest

      Salary: $36,000

      Benefits: Good health insurance, 10 vacation days, 10 holidays.

    6. Manager of Interpretation*

      Description: Manage front line educational staff & volunteers, department budget, gallery programs (develop, implement, evaluate), and daily visitor experience at the Museum.

      Experience: 7 years experience (PT & FT) with a M.A. in specific field.

      Location: Urban Northeast

      Salary: $37,000

      Benefits: decent health insurance, 3% 403(b) match, 15 vacation days, and 10 sick days.

  117. Marketing Project Manager*

    Job: Marketing Project Manager for a large corporation in Southeastern US. No supervisory responsibilities, but I assign work for about 10 freelancers.

    Years of experience: About 2.5 cumulative. 4 year undergrad.

    Salary: Approximately $36000, based on billable hours. Mostly salary, but I can’t remember what the split is.

    Benefits: good company and leadership, decent time off policy (all holidays, 10 days vacation, 5 sick, 1 personal day), good insurance and company 401k match. We also get tuition reimbursement and lots of training opportunities. Profit sharing into our 401k, last year I think it was 10% of our salaries, which is great.

    1. MPM*

      Oh, and I’m a woman too. Although I don’t think it impacted my salary. My non-negotiation probably did, but I didn’t have much experience when I first started so I didn’t really have much on my side of the negotiation table.

  118. Executive Director*

    Executive Director of a small human services nonprofit
    St. Louis area
    6 years as ED, 11 with agency
    $60K

  119. Economics Research Assistant*

    Industry: Government
    Area: Washington, D.C.
    Job: Primarily statistical analysis of data using a number of different software programs for various reports. I’m currently developing a probability model that will (hopefully) inform reforms to a large subsidy program. My office is very flat and while I’m technically junior to the economists, I feel like I receive lots of responsibility and have the opportunity to work on projects independently and in teams without a formal economist.
    Experience: 2 years
    Salary: $43,000 plus decent health insurance, retirement matching, transportation subsidy
    Context: I have a M.A. in Economics and was more qualified than what my office was originally looking for. I think I’m probably underpaid, but I’m still getting a lot of value from what I’m learning so I’m willing to stay for at least another 6 months to a year (and hope for a promotion in the time period).

  120. State Gov't Lobbyist*

    Title: Assistant Legislative Director (junior lobbyist) in a state agency
    Area: Midwest
    Experience: 3 years
    Education: bach & masters
    Salary: $55,000 + 4 weeks holiday and vacay + super cheap bene’s

  121. Anon88*

    Job: Desk-based adviser for a non-profit business support organisation (I answer the enquiries phoneline/emails from potential & current clients, and also follow up with potential clients following marketing activities – difficult to simmer that down into a descriptive job title!)

    Geographical area: UK

    Years of experience: 4 months in this exact role, had no direct experience when hired although do have 8 years of customer service/phone-based experience and 3 years working in similar private government-funded organisations.

    Salary: £18,000 (approx 30,000 USD currently)

    Context: 33 days annual leave (5 more than the legal minimum of 28 days), plus extra gifted days for the Christmas/new year period.

  122. Junior Architect (B.Arch, unlicensed)*

    I’m in New York City with about 3 years’ experience and I make $49,000 annually. My last job I got about at $1000 holiday bonus, I did not get one at my current job. Benefits are barebones but paid for almost entirely by the company after a year. 10 vacation days, 3 sick days, no overtime.

  123. Computer Scientist*

    Redo with title as username.

    I do software engineering and data analyis for sensor platforms in the defense industry. Current role is midlevel non-management.
    Geographic Area: rural Southern California
    Years of Experience: 8
    Salary: $90k

    Salary is addition to a decent-but-not-fantastic benefits package (good health plans, dental, vision, health savings program). Bonuses are nonexistent, but annual leave and sick leave accrue separately, the amount of AL accrued per pay period depends on years at work

  124. Principal Technical Writer*

    Description: Write onscreen text, help systems, admin and user guides, knowledge base articles, technical papers, API guides, video scripts, webinar slide decks; mentor junior writers; collaborate with a variety of teams on information architecture and different types of content (like marketing brochures or checklists for field techs); design web and print templates.
    Company: Mid size software company
    Area: So Cal
    Experience: Approx. 11 years
    Salary: $108k
    Benefits: Good health, decent 401k match, 4 weeks PTO and 1 week sick per year (rolls over)

    1. Laura*

      Everything under your job description sounds exactly what I’ve love to get paid to do. I have a little experience with user manuals, training guides, marketing copy, and checklists for employees but am not sure how to convert that into a career. I have a Bachelor’s in Business Admin/Marketing, and the bulk of my career experience has been in sales, marketing, customer service, inventory and supply. How did you get started? Do you have any advice?

      1. Principal Technical Writer*

        Most of my colleagues came into technical writing from other fields, some technical (like biochem or computer science), some not (English, art history). Most of us in my current group fell into writing professionally. I got an internship at a software company while I was working on a liberal arts degree, and ended up as the de facto writer for the team. After getting my second liberal arts degree, a friend of a friend helped me get a temporary job as a a junior technical writer, and the rest is history. A lot of companies seem to be using contract writers, or contract-to-hire, so that might be a way to build a portfolio. Good luck!

  125. Student Affairs Officer*

    More specific title: Graduate Fellowship Advisor
    (My salary info is public anyway since I work for a state university. You can probably figure out who I am if you care.)
    Duties: Helping grad students (and some undergrads) procure extramural fellowships and grants. I put particular effort into being our school’s FPA for the US Student Fulbright Program. I help undergrads come up with research topics, and with grad students, I edit drafts of fellowship/grant proposals and help them explain their research plans better. I assist with content, organization, wording, etc., and for some awards, I also do the submission to the agency. I also host workshops, organize panels, advertise funding opportunities through social media, etc.
    Level of awesomeness (as another commenter put it): Very successful at helping students get Fulbright grants, regularly complimented on performance by those both inside and outside my office
    Amount of experience: PhD plus 1 year of experience doing something else at this university, 2.5 years in current position. (I completed the PhD ~1 year into this job.)
    Salary: $45k
    Other benefits: Pretty good health insurance, possibility of pension, 3 wks paid vacation + 12 paid sick days/yr, employee health program, some travel for professional development
    Location: Southern California

      1. I'll Play!*

        I think I can guess who you are, but I wouldn’t have guessed gender correctly. Not that it matters, I just like guessing games.

          1. Student Affairs Officer*

            It is pretty cool. I guess under “benefits,” I could have put, “Liking my work, getting along with bosses and co-workers.”

  126. Geneticist*

    Postdoctoral fellow (scientist in biology) – I “do science” (analyze data) using statistical and computational methods. I work for/within a professor’s lab.

    Pacific NW

    4 years undergrad major in subject with 1.5 years independent research during that time plus working in labs every summer to get into grad school; 5 years getting PhD.

    $54,000 plus regular university employee benefits minus any defined maternity or vacation days because postdocs fall into a grey undefined category in the HR categorization of job types. This means it’s essentially up to your PI to decide to allow you to take off. I consider myself quite lucky to be paid this much as most PIs across the US just pay the NIH mandated minimum salary which is $39,500 a year for your first year post-PhD.

    I am more independent than a PhD student as I already finished mine (postdoc= post PhD) but am paid by the professor (my PI, or Primcipal Investigator) so I work for him/her on projects in his/her research program. I publish papers on this research and ideally during this postdoc I will accumulate enough first author papers to be competitive for real jobs (traditionally faculty jobs but nowadays many go into industry because ther aren’t enough jobs to go around).

    1. Research Scientist*

      Fresh grad (PhD), essentially in a similar experience situation.

      Title: Research Scientist
      Experience: 1 year
      Region: small town Canada
      Salary: 60k

      Four weeks vacation, seven days PTO. Was offered 40k for PDFs, but turned them down.

  127. Program Associate - Nonprofit*

    $35,000

    Work to support department and off-site staff.
    -Data entry
    -Creation of marketing materials
    -Some event management (supplies, schedule, food, transportation for 500+)

    Seattle, WA
    4 Years of random full time experience plus some part time experience in college
    BS
    Female

  128. Assistant Manager*

    Job – Assistant Manager – supervise two teams that processess payroll by linking customer systems together with ETL tools

    Geographic Area – Orange, CA

    Years of Exp – 9

    Salary – 52,000

    Sex – Male

    Other info: Bachelors degree in computer information systems, masters degree in film studies. Also, this as my first job after school!

  129. Librarian*

    Job: Head of an academic special collections library
    Geographic area : Southeast
    Education: MLIS plus an additional Masters degree
    Experience: 7 years professional, 20 years paraprofessional
    Duties: Responsible for all aspects of a 1.5 million item library; manage 6 FT and 10 PT staff members; represent our institution at state, regional and national meetings and conferences.
    Salary: $53K plus full benefits

  130. Meredith*

    Title: Outreach Specialist. I coordinate continuing education for library professionals through a state university extension program. I have an MA in library & information studies, which is pretty standard for this position. Outreach specialists for other programs usually have advanced degrees in their fields.
    Location: Wisconsin
    Years of experience: 5 (post-MLS)
    Salary: ~43K
    Context: I am FT salaried, non-exempt. Mid-40’s is standard entry level/mid-level salary for my field, particularly in the Midwest. I have a generous vacation and sick leave policy, as well as health insurance. While my institution cannot do merit-based pay, I can receive pay increases when my title changes (it has once already).

  131. Project Engineer (Jake)*

    Project Engineer (construction) Other companies may refer to my position as a Construction Engineer, Field Engineer, Construction Project Engineer, etc. I am responsible for all administration on construction projects ranging from 20-50 million dollars.
    3 years experience (most with top 10 contractor, this position with a yearly revenue of about 120 million)
    63k in base salary plus $1600/month for a car allowance and living expenses. As a note, I am expected to relocate every 18-24 months.
    2 weeks vacation, bare bones insurance plans, gas card. Expected to work between 45 and 55 hours a week, which is much less than industry standard.

    I found out after being hired that their ceiling during my negotiations was 65k, just for reference. Instead I negotiated for an extra week vacation my first five years.

    1. J.B.*

      My husband has yet to successfully negotiate extra vacation in engineering consulting firms. I think maybe he’s just too nice. Would love to hear how you did it :)

  132. Research Coordinator (healthcare)*

    I’m currently unemployed, but my last role was:

    Research Coordinator (well, equivalent of one; university had opaque titles)

    Salary: 45k
    4 years of experience
    Southeast Michigan

  133. Anonymous*

    Job: IT Application Consultant (it’s like more than an analyst, there is some project management involved, system support, general IT knowledge)

    Area: Northwest (rural) Illinois/Southern Wisconsin

    Experience: 7 years in this job, 15 total in IT, healthcare specifically

    Salary: $65,000

    The range for this job is pretty wide. It can go as low as 40K and as high as 80K, depending on what company you work for and whether you are in something non-profit like healthcare or education, or more corporate. Region has a lot to do with it too. I’m about to be capped in my pay grade and I would have to go further in towards Chicago to see more money for the same job.

    1. IT Application Consultant*

      Same anon as above, I messed that up, sorry!

      I wanted to add that I started at 42K when I transferred into this job from being a regular, helpdesk answering, support tech. I went up to 65K through a combination of annual merit increases (around 3% each) and a re-negotiation of my pay after a job offer from another company several years ago. (I wasn’t sold on taking the job but it made me realize how undervalued I was so I talked to my boss).

    1. Foster Parent*

      I’m a foster parent, and I know you guys are underpaid for what you do! We’ve worked with some awesome social workers in our area.

      1. Adult Foster Care Provider*

        Thank you as well for all you do! We have 2 adult foster care patients in our home and we appreciate the social workers greatly.

  135. Admin but you'll probably guess it's me*

    Title: Consulting Assistant (admin who also edits reports; technology company that services the financial industry)

    Area: Midwest

    Experience: 15 years customer service and admin (mostly front desk but one job in nonprofit development)

    Salary: $36,000 / year (around $17 an hour–I recently got a merit raise). This is going from $12.50 an hour previously, and $9.00 before that. Average around here is $7.50–$9.00 hourly for receptionists. Sad. :P

    Edumacation: B.S. English, A.S. Criminology, working on B.S. Professional Writing

    Supplemental income: ??? Who knows? First Reader said my new book is like a cross between Michael Crichton and Bruce Joel Rubin (author of Ghost screenplay). Holy cow–the Great and Powerful Crichton! 0_0

    Sorry to go off topic, but I couldn’t hold that in. :)

        1. Admin but you'll probably guess it's me*

          Thanks–you know what? Right after I posted this, I heard from the person critiquing Oldbook, and he said he hasn’t sent it back because he’s waiting on some publishers he pinged to see if they might want to take a look at it.

          0_0

  136. Administration Assistant*

    Admin Assistant for a non departmental government organisation.

    Scotland, UK, F (sounds a bit like a dating ad!!)

    I have been in this job for 14 months, nearly 15. Prior to this I worked in Council Libraries. I am currently studying for a BA Hons in Humanities, I’m two thirds the way through my degree with the Open University. I have worked since I was 18 but usually in retail/bar work.

    My salary is £16,194 a year (approx 26, 815 us dollars). We recently got a pay rise of 1%.

  137. Service Assistant (kitchen worker)*

    your job: You know, cleaning, cooking, prepping… that crap
    your geographic area: Lower Mainland, BC
    your approximate years of experience: 6 years and until I die probably
    your salary: minimum wage ($10.75?) hourly & part time which amounts to something like $9k to $12k annually. No benefits.
    anything else: For reference, rent for a crappy 1 bedroom apartment is $750/month. Don’t go to culinary school, kids! haha.

    1. Service Assistant (kitchen worker)*

      Oh I guess I should mention I’m female, and yes, that makes a difference.

  138. Financial Analyst*

    Title/Description: Financial analyst at a business valuation firm
    Female
    Location: Mid-south (would be more specific, but it’s a niche industry)
    Experience: Two years, all at same company
    Salary: $55,000 + bonus, exempt
    Other: Average vacation, unlimited sick time, employee health premium covered by company, 401(k), fairly functional workplace. Often work crazy long weeks.

  139. Human Resources Representative*

    Human Resources Representative at a large public university in Texas: assist departments with questions regarding timekeeping, policy interpretation and best practices, process background checks for all of campus, process I-9 and new hire items for all of campus

    8 years experience, $37,000/year with additional benefits such as health insurance/HSA accounts/etc.

  140. TV Researcher*

    Title: Director of Strategic Research
    Geographic Area: NYC area
    Years of Experience: 2 years at this company, 8 years overall
    Salary: $105,000, plus benefits (healthcare, 401k)

  141. Legal Secretary*

    Legal secretary for a large international law firm in Texas. $56,000/non-exempt, benefits, bonuses are given annually (started four months ago).

    Seven years’ experience in the legal profession, including paralegal work.

    Took a pay raise with a title downgrade at previous job, legal admin asst/office manager (office manager role officially added later) in the legal office for a huge corporation based in North Carolina, starting salary of $57K with benefits/bonus, left after three years at $62K with benefits/bonus.

    1. Human Resources Manager*

      Forgot to mention I am female.
      Benefits are OK/average
      Not extremely fond of the High Deductible Health Plan
      Company is on the smaller side
      Exempt

  143. Research Assistant--Medicine*

    -52K/year starting
    – 0 yrs experience in industry (but see education–academic field)
    – PhD ABD (so hired a MS pay level–will get significant raise with completion of PhD)
    – New England university
    – 15 days vacation
    – 8 days holidays
    – 6 days recess
    – 1 day floating holiday
    (so total of 30 days off/year)
    – 9 days sick leave
    – 10% salary retirement contribution
    – full medical benefits (no out of pocket costs or copays)
    – good dental and vision benefits (miniscule out of pocket cost)
    – (other benefits: 30K grant for down payment on home purchase; personal cell phone benefit, free continuing education, college benefit for dependents for any school, tuition waiver for dependents at this school, etc etc)
    – telecommuting several days/week
    – flex schedule (though this is academia, so really 24/7 job!)
    – tons of training and mentoring and growth

    Best benefit of all:
    – Doing meaningful work for disadvantaged populations!

  144. Recruiter*

    Title/Description: Corporate Recruiter
    Location: Toronto, ON
    Experience: 8+ years
    Salary: $65k with the ability to bonus
    Other: 3 weeks vacation, plus 2 personal days. Flexible benefits. Summer hours – work extra hour each day and then get every other Friday off. Can work remotely when needed.

    2. 3rd Party Recruiter*

      Title: Recruiter (recent promotion from Recruiting Assistant)
      Location: Southern Alberta (not the oil-y part of the province)
      Experience: 1 year in this role (3 years previous in office management)
      Salary: $32K + bonus (this rate based on Recruiting Assistant title…hoping an increase and commission structure implement is imminent)
      Other: Female, Bachelor’s Degree. 2 weeks vacation.

    3. Corporate Recruiter*

      Position: Recruiting and Relocation Manager (Corporate Recruiter also handle temporary housing for training and relocations for current employees for major restaurant company)
      Location: Dallas, TX
      Experience: 4 years
      Salary: $65k + profit sharing
      Gender: Female
      Other: 401k with company match, free food, flexible schedule and ability to work from home

  145. Software Engineer*

    I am a junior software engineer for company on the east coast that makes radar simulation software for the military. I’ve been here 1.5 years. I’m male.

    Salary: $64,000

  146. Admnistrative Assistant*

    This is not my current position, but what I held in 2011.

    Office management, weekly payroll, some accounts support, scheduling help for the many many part time staff, some research. Ad-hoc receptionist for our department. Mostly regular admin things.
    Located in NYC
    No experience. Straight out of college, but with a pretty bulky resume from all the masses of things I was involved in while there (mostly solid work experience that was translatable to the working world)

    Salary: $40,000 (started at $36,000).
    Great health insurance (No co-pays! Not even on epipens! Even dental was low enough that I went to the dentist for funsies, because I could). 4 weeks vacation plus sick leave and personal days. We were encouraged to use it all. There would have been a 401K had I stayed longer.

    I’m not in the US at the moment but I honestly fear never having it so good again.

    1. Communications Manager*

      Is it possible to go to the dentist for funsies? I wish I could get paid to go, because even my free dental isn’t enough motivation sometimes (though pain is).

  147. Sales & Marketing*

    Title: Sales and Marketing Associate/Executive
    Duties: Handle all marketing for a small technology firm (under 30 people) plus do some sales of products we resell. Includes trade shows, email marketing, etc.
    Experience: 4 years in sales positions, Bachelor’s degree with multiple business internships

    Salary: $55,000 in 2013 including performance bonus (maxed out this year), generous Christmas bonus, and commission *note this is my highest salary so far in my career, they have been very happy with me and treat their employees well*

    Location: work remotely for company based in a large metropolitan area

    Benefits: happy with them, I don’t pay for my health insurance but if I had a family it’d be very expensive. 3 weeks personal time – any combination of sick/vacation allowed.

  148. Compliance Specialist*

    Compliance Specialist for self-funded health insurance, responsibilities include: Review and response of first level appeals, coordination of review for second level and external appeals, act as a government liaison, represent company in small claims court as necessary, draft monthly compliance updates to C-level team, create quarterly compliance updates to be sent to all clients and brokers, manage HIPAA authorizations and subrogation cases, review contracts before they’re sent to clients, train clinical team on how to review and draft written appeal responses, manage policies and procedures for organization.

    I’m a female

    Geographic area: Northeast

    Experience: I started this role in August 2012

    Salary: $40k

  149. Director of Field Services*

    Manage a large cadre of volunteers working across the country to realize the mission of my non-profit, manage staff who do the same.
    NYC
    8 years experience in this organization with roles leading up to this one. Some prior experience with volunteer management and engagement. BA in liberal arts, MA in peripherally related field – most learning has been on the job and through additional professional development
    $93,000
    small non-profit

  150. Controller*

    Description: Manage the day-to-day finances, payroll, and accounting, up to and including month end statements, for three companies within a larger corporate group. They have a combined total of about 65 employees to give you an idea of size.

    Geographic Area: Medium sized city in British Columbia, Canada

    Years of Experience: I’ve been with the same company for 8 years. The first 7 were as an office administrator and payroll coordinator. I’ve been in my current role for just over one year.

    Salary: $62,400 in wages plus about $4,000 in other benefits. Includes 3 weeks of paid vacation.

    Education: 2-year Accounting and Finance Diploma (which was paid for by the company).

    Gender: Female

    1. Staff Accountant*

      Is that US$? I’m surprised by this, in U.S. a controller with CPA gets around US$80K minimum. Interesting

        1. Controller*

          It is in Canadian funds, but as Public Accountant mentioned, I’m pretty far off from a CPA.

          We do have our year-end statements prepared by an independent accounting firm. They’re also there for me if I need any advice, but I’ve only had to take advantage of that a couple times. For the level of complexity in our businesses, having a CPA on staff would be overkill.

    2. Assistant Controller*

      I’ll put mine here for comparison:

      Description: manage 6 accounting staff and provide financial statements and other financial reporting to executive management

      Geographic area: also a medium-sized city in British Columbia, Canada, but probably not the same one

      Years of experience: seven as an accountant, previously twelve in corporate communications

      Salary: 90k, medical/dental, RRSP matching, 3 weeks paid vacation

      Education: BA in English Literature, just finished CPA

      Other comments: I changed careers because I maxed out as a communications director and was very bored with what I was doing. I love my job now and work with a fantastic controller who is perfectly happy to see me take over his position when I want it. Awesome, right?

  151. Communications Specialist*

    Job: Communications Specialist at a Big 10 university in its college of engineering. I do not currently directly supervise any people…yet, but that will be coming at some point within the year. I am responsible for developing all media, PR, etc. for the unit that I am in. I also function as the office AV and IT expert (not part of the job description, but I am fine with the responsibility).

    Area: The Midwest

    Experience: 5 years working professionally since finishing grad school, but I had some internship experience before that. I worked at a nonprofit government research org. for three years as a communications specialist and then transitioned into higher education communications and web strategy. I have also worked as a freelance copywriter and journalist for various ventures.

    Salary: $56,000, plus extensive and generous benefits. The retirement isn’t the greatest, but I enjoy 24 vacation days a year, plus 3 personal/floating holidays.

    1. Communications Specialist*

      Let me clarify that when I say the retirement isn’t the greatest, it’s still really, really good compared to some of the 401K match programs that companies offer. It’s a 9%/9% match.

  152. Chief Program Officer*

    Job: Chief Program Officer at a social service non-profit. I supervise direct service programs, work on program development, manage our foundation grantmaking, etc. Supervise (directly and indirectly) about two dozen people.

    Geographic Area: Major urban metropolitan area in the Northeast US. (One of the big ones, but not New York.)

    Years Experience: 10

    Salary: $64,000

    Benefits: More time off than I know what to do with (20 vacation, 8 personal, 10 sick), about 85% employer contribution on the medical insurance but 0% employer contribution dental and no 401(k) match and no tuition reimbursement.

    Additional Info: Female. We did a salary survey last year and confirmed that we’re on the low end compared to our partners.

  154. Manufacturing Engineer*

    -Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer
    -Description: small medical device company, I work on support for equipment/operations, investigating and correcting product defects, install new equipment, validate equipment changes, and in my spare time (ha) work on process improvements. There is also a metric crap-ton of paperwork and documentation I have to work on since the industry is FDA regulated.
    -Geographic area: Denver, CO
    -6+ years experience
    -Salary: $68k with benefits and a small yearly bonus
    -Female

  155. Anon*

    Title: Associate Pastor
    Responsibilities: Basically assist the lead pastor. I lead several auxiliary ministries, assist with pastoral care, do a lot of admin, and pretty much anything that needs to be done.
    Geographic Area: Southern Alabama
    Years of Experience: 4 Full-Time; 8 Part-Time Volunteer
    Education: MA Religion (not an MDiv)
    Salary: $37,000 (I made $40,000 in Middle Tennessee.)

    1. Youth Program Director*

      Love seeing other ministry jobs posted! Here in Minneapolis, I make $35,000 full time as Youth Director with an MA (also not MDIV). Salary is so dependent on church size and location.

  156. College administrator*

    Title: Mid-level college administrator

    Description: Manage large academic division (400+ employees total, many PT contingent–which means adjunct faculty)
    Experience: PhD, decade+ of teaching, 7 as administrator
    Location: Northern CA
    Salary: $130K
    Bennies: pretty good health care; pension (assuming the system survives until I retire); total ~6 weeks vacation; sick leave accrues throughout career and can pay out at retirement. Female, but we have published salary schedules so that doesn’t impact my salary. My salary has been in the newspaper, so really I don’t know why I’m going anon here!

    1. MentalEngineer*

      Reading this thread has made me bitter, so I’m going to go there. How much did you make as a prof. before you turned to the “dark side”?

      1. College administrator*

        About $85K, if I remember right. Could have earned more teaching overloads, but I had my hands full with a 5/5 load. Summers and winter break off, though, so it really works out to about the same hourly salary if you compare apples to apples.

  157. Project Manager (Software)*

    Job Description: I work as a project manager for in-house software projects. This involves working with stakeholders from various areas of the business to define requirements, write use cases, and work as a liason between development teams and the business during development. I also hold the business accountable for putting together training plans, marketing plans, etc. to ensure a successful launch of our feature sets.

    In addition, I oversee and prioritize work for our Production Support Team. These 2 individuals function as 3rd tier support for our internal users and work on tasks that take 3 days or less to complete.

    Geographic Area: Boston, Massachusetts

    Years of Experience in this job function: 4

    Salary: $70,000 / year

      1. Project Manager (Software)*

        Benefits: Decent health and dental (nothing to write home about), 401k match (100% up to 3%, then 50% up to 5%), 20 PTO days, 9 holidays + 3 floating holidays, semi-flexible schedule

  158. EDI File Processor*

    EDI File Processor – I take Excel files that companies send in for their group benefits with my company and then make sure they will go through right and fix any problems that don’t.
    Omaha, NE
    3 years experience in this type of role
    $13.57/hour

  159. Sales Representative*

    Salary: $50,000 + commission (approx $15-20,000 before taxes)
    Industry: Publishing
    Experience: 3 years sales, 5 years in industry
    Benefits: 2.5 weeks vacation, health/dental/vision insurance
    Location: Boston, MA

  160. Lead Financial Analyst*

    – Job description: Financial planning and analysis for a Fortune 500 company
    – Location: North Texas
    – Years of Experience: 10 years in “financial analyst” roles with increasing responsibilities as I have progressed in my career
    – Salary: $102,000 base salary with an additional 10 – 15% bonus each year
    – Additional information: Fairly consistent 40 – 50 hour work week. The salary range for this position is similar across all of our US locations, with minor cost of living adjustments. We also have paid vacation (amount depends on seniority and number of years at the company), 401(k) matching, and medical/dental/life insurance offered.

  161. Anon*

    Title: Archivist (at a small academic institution)
    Geographic Area: Small-town Midwest
    Experience: 3-ish Years
    Salary: 42,000 with ok benefits and 3 wks. vacation

  162. Academic Support (College)*

    My job on Paper:
    – Address transitional issues that challenge first year students
    – Promote student engagement and success
    – Provide academic advisement and mentorship
    – Refer students to appropriate college departments/services
    – Assist in retention activities

    My job in reality:
    – Play on the internet, hoping a student will “drop in”

    My Geographic Area:
    – a small city in Ontario, Canada

    My approximate years of experience:
    – 5 years in this field
    – an additional 4 years in a related field

    My salary:
    – $30,000 + benefits (***8 month contract only***)

    Other info:
    – ZERO job security
    – I get laid off each spring
    – I have no recall rights to this job, and have to reapply each year

    1. Anonymous*

      Out of curiosity, are you generally able to find work over the summers? I’d imagine summer jobs are geared more towards students, so I don’t know how hard it would be for you.

  163. Marketing Manager*

    ◾handle all social media strategy, website strategy + execution, email and media campaign strategy + execution, manage team of 3, IP launches, event marketing, sales collateral/case studies
    ◾Silicon Valley, Bay Area, CA
    ◾5 years of experience
    ◾$82K, (includes 401(k) matching, small merit bonus and small end-of-year profit-sharing, no health benefits b/c I am on my husband’s plan), 15 days of vacation + standard company holidays, relocation allowance when I took the job
    ◾Female, MBA, privately-owned design agency, small marketing team so I wear a lot of hats

  164. Press Secretary*

    Title: Press Secretary for U.S. Senator
    Geographic Area: DC
    Years of Experience: 2 as PS, 2 as Deputy PS, 2 previous in comms
    Salary: about $50,000 (womp womp)

  165. Event Designer / Studio Manager*

    *Your Job* I am a Studio Manager (office manager) at a small full service event design firm. I also have clients, so also have the title of Event Designer. I work hand-in-hand with the owner (no other full timers besides me) to manage her business.

    *Your geographic area* Chicago
    *your approximate years of experience* 4 years in event operations prior to this, 4 years in this position
    *Your Salary* I skew the data points, because I am severely “underpaid” by industry standards. I am paid an hourly rate of $16 per hour, which usually equates to about $35,000 a year. I also don’t receive benefits (luckily I have a husband with a great health plan, or else I couldn’t do this job) or 401(k) or any of that, but I have this job because I love it. I am torn about how I am impacting my future earning potential, but hopefully the right match will come along one day.

      1. Lizard*

        I’d be interested to know whether people are single or married and how this affected their choice of position.

        Speaking from personal experience, pretty sure I’d be in a totally different career if I had someone else’s income to fall back on.

  166. Library Specialist Lead*

    Job: Library Specialist Lead at a university library
    Geographic area : Southwest
    Education: MLIS (job only requires a bachelor degree)
    Experience: ~3 years
    Duties: Harvesting digital documents for a specialized online repository collection, preservation work and binding coordination for deteriorating print volumes, reference (desk, phone, email, chat), monthly displays, social media management, occasional instruction, (no supervision responsibilities)
    Salary: $32k + two weeks vacation + health + tuition waiver

  167. Web Developer*

    salary: 75,000
    benefits: slightly above average but not outstanding
    experience: 20+
    area: southeastern U.S., mid-sized city
    job description: create, maintain websites related to biological research; some database work (Oracle, MS SQL); some programming (JAVA); some of lots of stuff connected to websites like writing, editing

      1. Emma*

        Interesting! Did you get a degree in web dev, or did you learn on-the-job? Did you start out in web development or another computer science area?

  168. Principal Engineer*

    female
    medical devices and pharmaceuticals – R&D, manufacturing
    20 years exp
    greater Denver area
    $120,000 + 20% bonus program

  169. Administrative Assistant*

    -Administrative Assistant at a creative marketing agency
    -Large Midwest city
    -40,000 + good benefits (healthcare, PTO, 401k, paid parking or bus pass, etc.)
    -Bachelor’s Degree, English
    -Age is mid-twenties

  170. Sr. Analyst*

    The job: strategy-business-dev-marketing-related research in the energy industry. Mostly reading & writing reports and analysis. I’m also a data analysis go-to person for the group (excel, database stuff).
    your geographic area: central US
    your approximate years of experience: 15
    your salary: ~100K, good benefits
    education: BS mechanical engineering, MBA (not top tier)
    best perk: easy commute & job autonomy

  171. Tamara*

    “Client Relations Specialist”
    I work for an Enterprise Learning Management System developer so I troubleshoot with clients, contact the development team about bugs, write help documentation, interface with clients, user integrations, client tutorials and work to solve any problems that affects the clients use of our web-based software. I’m kind of the first level of defense. Our company is small so my responsibilities can change drastically day to day.

    Atlanta, GA

    I worked with a clientele in retail for 5 years. Had 6months experience working with students in online learning communities. But with actual troubleshooting/help desk less than 1 year.

    $40,000

    I have a BA: English – Advanced Composition & Rhetoric (Technical & Professional Writing)

    1. Tamara*

      In regards to salary I also have great benefits: Medical and dental premiums 100% paid by company. 401k matched 100% up to 6% of my salary.

  172. Legal Assistant*

    (NB: not paralegal. Paralegals in my area require a diploma and are higher up the chain.)

    Job: Legal assistant/office admin
    Duties: general office admin/front desk, some accounts payable/receivables, lots of writing letters to clients
    Area: Lower Mainland, BC
    Yrs Exp: 1
    Salary: $31K and change, health insurance, unpaid sick time, about 10 days of vacation a year.

  173. Dip-lo-mat*

    -tenured Foreign Service Officer (Department of State)–FS-3. Unlike most of the civilian government, dips are rank-in-person, not rank-in-position. Promotions are competitive and up-or-out.

    -Anywhere and everywhere to do anything and everything; DC when in the US

    -8 years in, 3 years previous pro experience, BA & MS in unrelated fields (no college education is necessary, but you start at a higher rank if you have degrees and previous experience)

    -$76k base, plus locality in US or COLA, hardship and danger pay overseas; started with $48k base at FS-5

    -Other perks: Usual federal benefits plus mandatory home leave in between foreign assignments (at least 4 weeks, often more, of PTO that you are legally obligated to take so you don’t forget ‘Murica); obviously lots of travel to weird and wonderful places; (small) wardrobe allowance if you go from, say, Angola to Siberia back-to-back; paid education at international schools or stipend for boarding school if post does not have an appropriately credentialed school; furnished housing at most places and housing allowance if not (not in US, of course); R&R tickets if at a hardship post; car and HHE shipped by guvmint. (Those last few ones aren’t really perks; they’re necessary if you are dragging your family around the world for 20+ years, but some people still see them as a bonus.)

    -Good to know: you must retire by age 65

    2. AVP*

      Can I ask how much hardship and danger pay go for, when applicable? Does it Change depending on location (i.e., more in places that are REALLY dangerous as opposed to just somewhat dangerous?)

      1. Dip-lo-mat*

        Up to 35% each at a post. So, say, an assignment in Afghanistan will yield base + ⅔ of DC locality pay (long story) + 35% danger + 35% hardship + 15% shift differential (because there are no/no days off there). You’ll also get 3 R&Rs there.

        I’ve had assignments with no danger and hardship, with just danger, and with just hardship, ranging from 5 to 20% each. The upside of going to a 0/0 post, as we say, is that you get to live in, say, Sydney. The downside is you have to fly your entire family home on your own if you want to visit family during your 3 year assignment …super super expensive.

        Oh, though they have reduced the number of languages in the program, if you have a certain level of reading and speaking proficiency, you do get an incentive bonus to go to places where they use that language. Lest you despair, you are generally taught that language for 6 – 24 months as your full-time job.

    3. TL*

      Oh, I’ve been seriously considering starting the application process for the FSO.

      Do you have any advice you’d be willing to pass on?

      1. Dip-lo-mat*

        Sure! I am actually the one on the open thread who said she is looking to get out of her well-paying great job. Crazy, I know. I’ve wanted to do this forever and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a sense of adventure, the ability to represent the U.S. 24 hours a day, and tendency toward workaholism. I do love what I do, but it can be really tough on families. It’s just not working for my son. Other kids end up very worldly and flexible, so it’s not always a bad thing for families.

        Best advice is to not get discouraged if you don’t pass any portion the first or fourth times. It can take time. For the written: read read read. Read the Post, the Times, the Economist. Brush up on geography and generally know culture and history (American music, art, etc.). The idea of the written test is: can you walk into an event at Ambassador’s house and respond when a guest asks about Bob Dylan? Or at least fake it? They are searching for well-rounded people who can write and have great interpersonal skills.

        The oral assessment is a different beast. Be a leader and a team player simultaneously, think about what the question is asking and the information you need and the information you don’t, and be confident even when you don’t feel it.

        Anyway, I think it is the career of a lifetime, whether that career lasts five years or thirty-five. Just remember, it is very rarely Paris, and quite often Guangzhou.

        1. AVP*

          Oh, man. Except for the “representing the US 100% of the time” thing, this is my dream job. Unfortunately I think that’s an important aspect of it which I couldn’t fake…

          1. Dip-lo-mat*

            This is a common concern, as no one agrees with everything all the time. We are free to disagree during the foreign policy sausage making and with our vote. But FSOs should recognize–and most do–that once our game face is on, it’s on, and we represent the government of the United States. By “100% of the time,” that translates to keeping your game face on at the grocery store and in traffic and on Facebook, which can get a bit exhausting when you just want to rant at the complete lack of lines in the host country. But, alas, that wouldn’t be very diplomatic.

        2. TL*

          Thanks, that’s really helpful! I think I could be good at the job – I’m well-rounded, can fake a conversation on most subjects and am really good at game-facing.

          But yeah, I want travel, adventure, and a nice secure job where I can feel like I’m doing some good (but making decent money because I do like the money-having part of jobs.)

  174. Asst. Director Alumni Relations*

    • I am in charge of online communications for a college alumni office. I’m not directly involved with event planning, but do provide support for the other directors in the office.
    • Northeast Ohio
    • Just started my second year in this job, but I am an alumnus of the school and have worked in other departments on the campus over the past 10 years.
    • Started at $41,000
    • Masters degree in communications and significant side experience (blogging, social media). Assistant Director = entry-level, with Associate Director and Director higher up the ladder.

  175. Industrial Waste Inspector (aka Sewer Cop)*

    Municipality near Seattle

    30+ years experience, 23 at current city. Male, though that doesn’t matter here.

    $76,700/year, no bonuses, no 401 contribution, defined benefits retirement.

    1. Industrial Waste Inspector (aka Sewer Cop)*

      I regulate and enforce on local, state, and Federal waste discharge regulations.
      Inspect businesses ranging from one-person shops to the largest manufacturing building in the world.
      Sample wastewater flow ranging from less than a gallon a day to in excess of 1.5 MGD (Million Gallons per Day).
      Sample in collection system manholes with line sizes from 8″ to 72″.
      Determine and prepare enforcement that can range from a phone call to Administrative Fines of $10,000/day, on to the possibility of civil and criminal charges.
      Receive and review self-monitoring reports for compliance.
      Draft and issue discharge permit and discharge authorizations.
      And more.

  176. IT Manager*

    Job: IT Manager: I manage 5 systems administrators and do substantial project management as well. I also write lots of reports.

    Salary: ~$75k annually

    Benefits: substantial 403b contribution (without required matching), excellent healthcare with low monthly premiums, better-than-average PTO, good work/life balance

    Industry: Higher Education– a midsize private university

    Area: a mid-size midwestern city with a low cost of living

    Experience: 4 years as a manager, 10+ years as a sysadmin

    Education: BA in somewhat related field, several tech-y certifications

    1. Application Analyst*

      IT Application Analyst – primary support for financial and HR applications, some web development, some SQL report writing, some project management
      Smaller Midwest city (approx. 30K people)
      7 years in current role, 14 years in IT for healthcare/hospital non-profit
      $63,000, salaried, 403b with matching, decent health/dental/vision insurance, great PTO plan (up to 8 weeks per year), flexible schedule when I need it.
      BS in Computer Science from regional public university
      female

  177. Sales Support Representative*

    I do operations and some customer service for a retail branch of a large mobile phone carrier in US. I’ve been here 2 years 3 months and counting. I started out making $13.92 an hour and now make $16.75 ($34,500 a year or so). We get great benefits: employer subsidized healthcare, matching 401k, tuition reimbursement, 2 weeks of vacation plus about 5 days of other PTO. FWIW I’m female.

  178. Anne*

    Team Manager/Senior Analyst at a social media software company (small start-up)
    SF Bay Area
    9 years experience in the field, 3 in this position
    $60,000 salary, with an additional $8k reimbursement for health insurance (we’re so small that employees find their own health insurance plans and are reimbursed). No other traditional benefits like 401k, health insurance, EAPs, etc.

    1. Anne*

      I should add that we have a very generous vacation policy: 20 paid PTO days plus 9 paid company-wide holidays

  179. Project Coordinator*

    Job: I work at a non-profit research/biotech organization doing grants & contracts management as well as budget management for my department
    Geographic area: Seattle, WA
    Years experience: 5 years in related work
    Salary: $54,000, exempt, 401k matching, low-cost health benefits and some other perks
    Other: female with a bachelor’s degree and some other random professional experience (~5 years)

  180. Copy Editor - Ad Agency*

    – Copy editor / proofreader / occasional copywriter at a boutique ad agency
    – Long Island
    – 8 years (1 in ad business, 8+ as a proofreader/copy editor; before this, I was in the dying field of book publishing where I didn’t get a raise from $43K for 5+ years)
    – $50K base (started at $48K), plus $1K bonus for add’l in-house work. Yearly bonus is about 1/wk of pay.
    – 20 days PTO (sick/vacation in same bucket). 14 holidays. Summer Fridays (leave at 2 p.m.).
    – Hours are pretty 9-5 with occasional late nights. (Much better than industry usual.)
    – Female, early 30s. Degree in Journalism, Master’s in history.

    1. Copy Editor - Ad Agency*

      Just wanted to say, I’m not *complaining* about my former salary, but the NYC area is an incredibly high COLA for those who aren’t from around here (and I’ve lived elsewhere, like FL, OH, CT). So while it seemed like I was raking it in … yeah, not so much :P

    2. Copy Editor (New Media)*

      I’m just going to tag onto this, so that all the copy editors can be in one place. This was my last job because my current one won’t be relevant/helpful (VERY niche)

      Title: Copy Editor
      Job: Copy editor/proofreader/social media coordinator/what-have-you for a VERY SMALL new media company specializing in regional stories of a more literary bent (rather than straight up news).
      Location: Mid-sized city in the lower Midwest (very low COL)
      Experience: 3 years before I started working for this company, worked there for 1.5 years.
      Salary: $20/hr, part time. Started out at 20 hrs/wk, going up to 30 hrs/wk. No PTO, no insurance. Definitely had one of the higher salaries, possibly contributing to my eventual lay-off.
      Other: Female, mid-20s, BA in English. Used a mix of Chicago and AP Style (if you were wondering).

  181. Development Associate*

    Development Associate for a small theater within a larger community organization. I’m responsible for managing our relationships with individual donors to the theater, Theater’s special events, grant writing and essentially manage all of the theater’s fundraising.

    Area: DC

    Experience: 9 month part-time fundraising internship, 3 years as administrative/development assistant at another position, 1 year in this position

    Salary: $35,000 a year plus health insurance and small company match into 401K (2% matching)

  182. Content Strategist*

    (New position)
    Description: Develop content guidelines and work with doc writers, marketing, product management, engineering, and support to create and manage different forms of content for both customers and company initiatives.
    Industry: Software
    Location: Remote, Texas (most staff is Boston or Raleigh, though)
    Pay: $81,000, plus 10% bonuses
    Other compensation: 20 days PTO, 3% matching 401(k), and health/life/disability insurance
    Experience: 12 years

      1. Usually not Anonymous*

        This makes me feel better, since we have roughly the same experience and job description. I’ve been thinking my salary is probably an anomaly, but maybe not.

    2. Technical Editor*

      Good to see that Content Strategy positions are paying well. This is the next step for me as my duties are essentially project management for documents and ensuring that the content produced by engineering and related department aligns with user and company goals.

  183. Programme Support Officer*

    Programme Support Officer
    Writing and editing lots of reports, especially for donors; producing communications materials, such as case studies; keeping track of donor deadlines; some research including desk and field research, some strategic planning and support.

    Location: East Africa

    Years of Experience – 2 – 3 in this area, plus BA and MSc.

    Salary – Approx $15,000, serviced apartment, including all bills, driver/taxis for work, flights at start and end of contract, all medical expenses, flights, food, transport and per diem when in the field.

    (It’s not costing me money to be here, but there’s not really the opportunity to save, as I’m in a fairly big city with plenty of things to do)

    1. Programme Support Officer*

      Oh, and my holidays are statutory, at about 22 days a year, not including public holidays, and I’m female.

  184. Higher Ed Admin*

    -Official Title: Office Admin, Pretty accurate although I would say I do slightly less data entry/filing and slightly more higher level projects than others with similar titles at my university
    -Geographic Area: Chicago
    -2 years experience+BA
    -Salary: $19.42/hour which annualizes to about $38,400+ 5% automatic 403b contribution, additional 5% matching contribution, 3 weeks vacation, and affordable health insurance. Lagging behind on the flexible work arrangements that so many others seem to have though.

  185. Technical Editor*

    Job duties: Part of a dedicated tech pubs team; my role is to edit technical documentation written by other authors; manage the style guide; write internal process and quality documentation.

    Company: Telecom, about 1200 employees worldwide

    Geographic Area: Raleigh/Durham, NC

    Years of Experience: 7 years

    Education: MA Technical Communication, BA English

    Salary: $78,000 with 7.5% annual bonus potential

    Other benefits: 3 weeks vacation, 2 floating days, unlimited sick time, generous WFH policy, 401k matching, health/dental/vision

  186. AR*

    Payroll/HR Administrator – develop and bring payroll and HR into compliance for a company that is in growth mode (30 employees 4 years ago to 130 employees today) in charge of all payroll/HR functions and creation of Payroll/HR policies for the company – anything & everything that is Payroll & HR related, I do
    Original position description: Payroll with some HR
    First year and a half that was true now due to streamlining payroll
    Current position make up is: HR with some payroll
    Washington State
    10 years of Payroll experience – CPP
    3 years of HR (all in this position) – working on PHR
    $40,500 yearly salary
    Manages no one (unless you count managing up)
    Pay is based off of payroll duties not HR

  187. Anon*

    Title: Communications Specialist
    Experience: 1 year at present company, previous experience 5 years in both communications and administrative roles
    Education: some college, no degree
    Geographic Area: Southeast
    Salary $52K, exempt with 5% bonus, decent health vision and dental and 2 weeks vacation

  188. Anon Salary*

    IT System Administrator Level 3
    Chicago Suburbs
    18 years experience in IT field (help desk, programmer, sysadmin), have masters degree in computer science
    100k/year

  189. HR Representative*

    Comparable Title: HR Generalist
    The Job: Administer HR for sales-heavy company with 200 employees. Department consists of me, my manager (who handles hiring/firing, discipline, compensation, etc.) and an intern. I do benefits admin, payroll, new hire orientations, timekeeping, expense reimbursements, commissions, and manage our intern
    Location: Midwest, mid-size metro area
    Years of Experience: 5
    Salary $43,000

  190. High School English Teacher*

    Job: High School English Teacher
    Description: I teach at a charter high school for underprivileged students. My main responsibilities include fostering a love of literature in students, working with students to bring their reading up to grade level (most ninth graders come to our school reading on a fourth grade level or lower), creating a safe classroom environment where students feel empowered, tutoring after school, planning lessons, and sponsoring the Chess Club.
    Geographic area: Virginia
    Experience: 1 year
    Level of education: Master of Ed.
    Salary: 12,982 with benefits
    Gender: Female

    1. Z*

      This is exciting. A surprising number of people making a little less than me, relatively few people making so much I want to cry, but lots of people making *just* enough more than me to give me hope that I might be able to step it up in the future.

      1. AVP*

        I was just going to ask if this was Teach For America – otherwise it seems under minimum wage, no?

        1. Victoria Nonprofit*

          TFA teachers are paid the standard salary for the school or district in which they teach, btw.

      2. High School English Teacher*

        No, I’m not involved with Teach for America or AmeriCorps. To follow up with the other question, I am only paid for the months I “work.” My salary is based on the idea that I only work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the school year (Sept. to June) I actually work most of the year and am usually at the school until 5:00 or 6:00 in the evenings.

        1. Spanish Teacher*

          As a fellow teacher, I hope you are looking for something else. They are taking advantage of you. In my southern district, teachers with a master’s degree start in the low $40s, not counting sponsoring clubs.

          1. I agree*

            My mother is an English teacher, and she started at $35k with her MAT in the early 1990s in NJ. Assisting with or running clubs and being the sponsor for a certain class (like she would sponsor the freshman class and be their faculty representative for the 4 years, helping them with spirit week activities, putting together prom and home coming their senior years, etc) earned her extra stipends.

            $12k for this is criminal.

  191. Anonymous*

    $35K, Staff Accountant, 4 years experience (2 year public), SE, male, NonWhite

    I know, I know I’m way below the market. It sucks

    1. NBB*

      I have heard that is a pretty normal salary for a staff accountant in the SE with less than 10 years of experience.

  192. Accounting/HR*

    Job: Office Manager at a small machine shop. I am responsible for most of the accounting and human resource aspects of the business – the company has an outside accountant to take care of the tax filings and a benefit coordinator to take care of the claims submissions and processing for medical and dental. I am also responsible for some of the less glamorous aspects such as phones, reception and making sure the coffee is fully stocked, but it is understandable since I am the one and only office staff other than the company president.
    15 years experience in accounting/hr, MBA with Specialization in Finance

    Health/Dental benefit premiums paid by employer and health deductible is also paid by employer.

    Geographic Area: Detroit, MI

    Salary: $60,000 + profit sharing bonus + varied employee bonus – $9,000 minimum bonus per year, more depending on profit levels.

    I feel my current employer is generous given the area and level of responsibility. Working for a privately owned business single unit business is quite different from my previous job, which was also accounting/human resource, but was at a facility that was one of many belonging to a large corporation. I earned substantially less with the corporation, but had more responsibility and was a supervisor to other staff.

  193. Sr GIS Analyst*

    Create Maps and Analyze spatial data. Masters in Economics. 7 years in GIS.
    $85,000- includes hardship pay

    Remote location.

    Female

    2. Wants a job working in GIS*

      I’m finishing up a masters at the moment in an obscure field, but chose to specialize in GIS. Was it easy for you to get a job in GIS given that your masters was not in say, urban spatial analytics? This is something that I’m really worried about at the moment, so any advice would be great, thanks!

  194. just do it*

    I work for Nike. I’m the Digital Sport knowledge base author for our consumer services group. I write FAQs and internal knowledge base content about our digital products (apps, wearables, watches) and serve as a general subject matter expert on the technology.

    My salary is $48k, and my annual bonus is generally around $5k.

    1. just do it*

      Edited to add: I’m in the Portland, Oregon metro area, and the benefits and overall work atmosphere here are rather amazing.

  195. Communications Coordinator*

    Job Description: Manage print and online communications for a faith based non profit.
    Location: New Orleans
    Years of Experience: 4 years of nonprofit work experience (development & communication) this includes 2 AmeriCorps years.
    Salary: $41,000, exempt with full benefits.
    Additional Information: I work a 40 hour week, and receive comp time if I work extra. Since my first nonprofit (non AmeriCorps) job I have had a $17k salary increase. My current salary is definitely above average for New Orleans, my last communications gig netted me $36,500.
    Female

  196. Administrative Assistant*

    Description: I work for medical school school pathway, basically creating the exams (adding questions the director chooses, building, formatting, etc.) , about 55 two hundred question board-style exams a year. Put their peer evaluation data into a spreadsheet they can all take with them (and counts for a grade). I put together the medical cases they study (about 70 a year for me). Oh and there’s creating and maintaining the schedule, emailing the students about updates, and so much more…
    Location: Pennsylvania
    Experience: I have been in this position over a year, at my company nearly 3 years. I have a Bachelor and a Masters in Sociology
    Salary $10.25 an hour ($21,320 a year, before taxes)
    We do get health insurance, 133.3% employee match contribution, and 10 days paid vacation (more if you’re faculty/been here longer), but for me, no hope of a raise except for the 2.5% “cost of living increase” every summer.

    1. Administrative Assistant*

      Oh yeah, female, early 30s, and sad/horrified at how little I’m paid (not that it’s news to me, but to see it compared with everyone else’s salaries? Yikes!)

      1. HR lady*

        Are you near a city in PA? (Philly, Pgh, Scranton, or Hbg?) Most areas of PA have a very low cost of living, except for the cities.

        1. Administrative Assistant*

          I am near a city. The local paper recently did an expose that people need to make at least $16 an hour to afford a decent apartment at most rental places in the city. And, perhaps oddly, the prices go up (or at least stay the same) away from the city because of the local universities spread out around here. So not many good options besides “get a better job” but…easier said than done!

  197. Client Relations Specialist*

    Female, 25

    I work for an Enterprise Learning Management System developer so I troubleshoot with clients, contact the development team about bugs, write help documentation, interface with clients, user integrations, client tutorials and work to solve any problems that affects the clients use of our web-based software. I’m kind of the first level of defense. Our company is small so my responsibilities can change drastically day to day.

    Atlanta, GA

    I worked with a clientele in retail for 5 years. Had 6months experience working with students in online learning communities. But with actual troubleshooting/help desk less than 1 year.

    $40,000 (first year) with Medical and dental premiums 100% paid by company. 401k matched 100% up to 6% of my salary. 2 weeks pto. 5 personal days. Forgot how many sick days.

    I have a BA: English – Advanced Composition & Rhetoric (Technical & Professional Writing)

  198. Anonymous*

    Job: Grantwriter at large non-profit arts organization
    Area: Midwest
    Experience: 12 years in fundraising
    Salary: $48,000*

    *My current position was a lateral move – I sacrificed salary for the opportunity to focus my career specifically in the area of grantwriting. If I had moved upwards, I’d probably be in the $65K-$70K range (hope to achieve that with my next position in a few years!)

    1. Development Director*

      I am considering exactly this kind of move. All I really enjoy doing is grantwriting and I would happily take a pay cut to do that full time!

  199. Anonononono*

    Undergraduate Program Coordinator for a small-mid-range Social Sciences Department at a 10-20,000 student university in the Northeastern United States (Scheduling Classes, Student Advising are main duties)
    32,500 take-home, after health insurance, monthly train pass, union dues, retirement are paid. Also, benefit of tuition reimbursement – employees receive 100% tuition back for first class each term, and 75% reimbursement for second class each term (huge considering the price of graduate courses at this university)

    1. Anonononono*

      Sorry, forgot to mention experience: Was about a year out of university when I got the job, but had worked as an admin assistant for 4 full years (generally 3/4 to full-time) at time of interview/hiring.

  200. (Junior) Software Developer*

    title: Software Developer (Junior, even if that isn’t in my actual title)
    area: Boston
    company age, size: established (not start-up, but not 30+ yrs old, either), mid-sized
    experience: 0-2 years*
    degree: computer science from good 4-yr university
    salary: $86,000, with 3-15% performance bonus in contract
    benefits: okay. 4 weeks PTO, medical/dental/vision, 401(k) with some level of matching that I don’t know because I haven’t really started paying attention to savings yet (supposedly you’re enrolled automatically and have to un-enroll)

    * I graduated in 2011, and worked for 1.5 years in a technical but not-development position (at a place where I’m pretty sure I was verrry underpaid). So I had a bit of workplace experience, but was still considered entry-level when I was searching for a new gig.

  201. Marketing and Communications Coordinator*

    Marketing and Communications Coordinator
    Wisconsin
    3 Years experience
    $47,000/year

    In the Financial Services industry.

    1. Marketing and Communications Coordinator*

      EEeep. I should have included more info.

      Some College, no degree

      exempt with full benefits. Bonus eligible but haven’t been at the current place long enough!

      18 Vacation/PTO/Sick days

      1. Marketing Manager DC*

        I’m moving back to Wisconsin! I don’t make much more than you and the cost of living is twice has high here!

  202. Web Designer/Content Manager*

    Geographical Area: Large-ish city in southeastern US
    Employer: Private college
    Years of Experience: total work experience is nearly 8, but only 1 in this particular field
    Salary: 45,000 salaried, non-exempt + health insurance + vacation time + sick + 5% match on a 403(b)

  203. Rat Racer*

    Title: Chief of Staff
    Industry: Healthcare Insurance
    Salary: 120K + 15% bonus
    Experience: 12 years + Masters in Public Administration
    Location: SF Bay Area
    Gender: Female
    Other Perks: work full time from home

    Am I going to get eggs thrown at me?

      1. Rat Racer*

        I think of all the people struggling to pay their health care premiums each month, and am mortified by how much people make in my industry. Note that I am at the low end of my salary bandwidth and one of my direct reports makes more than I do. But people should know how effed up the health care industry is.

        1. Anon If You Don't Play Detective*

          I work for a broker but in a non-commissioned position. I make good money for my experience and region, but it is INSANE how much some of sales staff makes.

  204. Project Archivist*

    FT; term-limited; partially grant funded; cultural institution
    Los Angeles, CA, US
    5 years experience
    $51,500

    I have no clue if this is more or less than a permanent Archivist position in the same area.

    1. Project Archivist*

      includes lots of vacation/sick time; health/dental/eye insurance (partially paid); some kind of matching retirement program.

      female, mid-30s.

      masters degree

  205. Production Manager*

    Commercial & film production manager
    NYC-based, small company
    5 years experience

    $52,000, no benefits

    1. Production Manager*

      I should add in here, if I went freelance this would likely be more in the 70K range, but I hate freelancing as a rule and am trying not to go that route if I can help it.

  206. Environmental Consultant*

    Job: Environmental Consultant, with a focus on air permitting
    Geographic Area: Seattle
    Years of Experience: 2
    Salary: $59k, plus health insurance, 401k match + pension, currently 14 days of vacation, 10 days of sick time per year time that accrues up to 520 hours

  207. Paralegal*

    Title: Litigation Paralegal; handle work-up for cases and clients for a small team of attorneys at a small to mid-size firm
    Area: Boston
    Experience: 2.5 years here (recent college graduate)
    Salary: $43,000.00; total compensation was $51,000 including overtime and bonus

    1. Paralegal*

      Sorry, should’ve added benefits – small company match on 401K contributions, good health and dental, undefined vacation (as long as the billable hours are met, it’s usually 2-4 weeks).

  208. Supply Chain Sr. Project Manager*

    Supply Chain Sr. Project Manager for major retailer. I manage multi-million dollar systems and technology projects

    Midwest but east coast home office
    15
    $100k
    bachelor’s degree, no addtl certifications
    up to 75% domestic travel
    female

  209. Anon*

    Admin Assistant at a University
    Metro Detroit
    almost 5 years (2 in non-profit work; 2.5 at the university)
    $37K plus benefits (generous sick time, retirement matching, paid vacation days, FSA/HSA,etc)

  210. Electronic Resources Librarian*

    Description: manage database, electronic journal, and electronic book purchases/subscriptions in a mid-sized (@5,000 FTE) university library. Update website and various linking tools, answer reference questions, work the occasional weekend.
    Geography: Ohio, USA
    Years Exp: Been here 6 months, librarian for 20+ years. I’m over-qualified but was looking for a step down and was geographically limited.
    Salary: $50,000 base plus 10-21% merit bonus (unheard of in higher ed)

  211. Systems Analyst/Programmer II*

    Description: Oracle development, Crystal Reports, documentation. Recent previous jobs also included working in SQL-Server, SSIS, other database programming, C#, C++, VB.Net, ColdFusion, server issues, user training, troubleshooting, user support, implementation, and anything else that anyone came up with.
    Experience: about 22 years
    Location: Eastern WA
    Salary: just under $62,000
    Gender: female

    According to payscale.com that was mentioned in a previous post, for my experience and location and job, for this job I’m being paid more than exactly nobody.

  212. Senior Analyst, Business Intelligence & Analytics*

    your job – I do data analysis, root cause analysis, forecasting/modeling, and reporting development. I work a lot with Big Data & I use tools like Minitab/SAS/Tableau/Microstrategy/etc.

    your geographic area – Twin Cities, MN (Upper Midwest)

    your approximate years of experience – 18 months in this specific role; 8 total years working FT after graduate school in a different field

    your salary – $82, 300

    anything else pertinent to put that number in context – I started my career as an engineer so that has inflated my salary compared to others. I made a career change after 7 years in technical roles because I wanted to learn more of the business side.

    1. Senior Analyst, Business Intelligence & Analytics*

      I’ll also add:
      * I have a BS & MS in a technical field
      * My current company is a Fortune 100 company & I work at HQ
      * We have (what I consider) standard benefits: medical/dental/vision, 2 weeks vacation (low to me), 401k, tuition reimbursement, life/disability insurance.

    2. Not Me*

      This sounds like an amazing job – really interesting work. If I didn’t do whatever it is I do, I would want to do something almost exactly like this.

  213. Sales Rep*

    Title: Sales Rep
    Industry: Advertising
    Experience: 7 years sales experience
    Area: Large Canadian city
    Salary: Base $45k + commission, total salary last 3 years has consistently been over $90k
    Benefits: 4 weeks vacation, health, dental, vision, car allowance, work provided cell phone, laptop and ipad

    And I’m a female.

  214. Admin Assistant*

    Title: Administrative Assistant
    Location: Toronto, Canada
    Industry: Investment
    Job info: providing senior level support to department execs and a large team
    Salary: $60,000 plus $6,000 bonus, pension plan, medical + dental
    Experience: 22 years (2 yrs at this job)

  215. Programmer*

    Software development for web and server systems.
    Experience: 10 years experience in IT, 5 as a programmer
    Education: High school education only
    Location: Philadelphia
    Salary: $74,000/exempt, decent benefits, some working from home, matched 401k

  216. Meghan Magee*

    Title: Service Management Deployment Lead – I gather business requirements and then help design a Service Management solution using a particular Service Management application tool set. Then I oversee the deployment of that solution while making ad hoc ‘fixes’ to the plan as needed to meet to overall requirements.
    Geographic Area: Global (I live in MS but my projects could deploy anywhere in the world)
    Years of Experience: 14 years
    Salary: $72,000

  217. Exec Marketing & Operations (female)*

    Salary: 15ok, + unlimited bonus based on net profit. Usually 50% to 100% of base most years that aren’t 2008 & 2009.

    Benefits: fully paid health, nothing else unusual.

    Experience: 30 years

    Area: East Coast city suburbs (not NYC)

    Job Description: responsible for the entire final results of this division of the company. Making money, have a job. Not making money, don’t.

    Side note: started at the company, many years ago, as an admin assistant at $16,000 a year. Was at that point in time a male dominated field.

      2. Exec Marketing & Operations (female)*

        Time and place.

        If I’d been born 10 years earlier, I’d have been in the secretarial pool at Sterling Cooper. People like Peggy made the first strike. The business world was warmed up by the time women my age came along.

        If I’d been born 10 years later, it would have been STEM or bust! :)

      3. FRRibs*

        My sister had the same sort of success; starting as a secretary in a small office, she moved through a succession of employers with increasing responsibility and after twenty years she’s head of HR making 130k a year. Determination and meeting your destiny rather than waiting for it (plus skill, a measure of luck and location, location, location) can pay off!

  218. Non-Tenure Track Academic*

    your job: non-tenure track academic with admin, research, and publishing responsibilities
    your geographic area: non-urban midwest
    your approximate years of experience: decades + PhD
    your salary: around $88k, a portion of which is stipend; benefits include insurance and pension

    1. MentalEngineer*

      What’s your field? I’m curious because there’s no way any non-TT job in my area would pay even close to that.

      1. Non-Tenure Track Academic*

        It’s not a hugely common arrangement, it’s true! But it’s not like a non-tenure teaching job: stipend ($25k) is from a research directorship; the rest is from journal publishing. It’s in LIS.

  219. Project manager / software architect*

    Architect, trainer and now also project manager on a specific piece of software in the Microsoft stack for enterprise implementations. 7 years of experience in this field, 9 years total. Female and had to work hard to get my salary up with negotiations, etc.

    Based in Stockholm, Sweden, for a Swedish company – approximately 550.000 sek or 85,000 USD per year. Just note that health care and pension all work differently in Europe/EU.

    1. Project manager / software architect*

      30 days of paid vacation
      Sick leave as stated by Swedish law (first day is non-paid, after that full salary for 3 weeks)
      Working area: mostly the Nordics now, though occasionally western Europe
      No matching on pension.

      1. Software Developer*

        Do you mind saying what Microsoft enterprise software?

        I am also in Europe and starting a new job with a Microsoft partner next month.

  220. Contract Attorney (aka Document Review Attorney)*

    Job Description:
    I’m hired on a project basis for a specific case, which can last anywhere from a day to a few years. I review documents to be produced in litigation as well as those produced to us by other parties and do a lot of factual research to support legal arguments. This tends to be very long hours. Right now I work about 56 hours/week but I’ve worked a few 90-100 hour weeks.

    Geographic Area: NYC

    Years of Experience: 4

    Salary: Curent project pays $35/hour plus OT. My yearly income has ranged from $55,000-110,000 based on project pay and hours. I do not receive any benefits. I’m eligible for a health plan through my agency but it is hugely expensive and ends whenever my project does, which could be any day. We rarely get any notice that a project is ending, we are just told not to return the next day. I also will have access to a 401K without any match after being employed by my current agency for 1 year, which hasn’t happened yet.

    1. Contract Attorney (aka Document Review Attorney)*

      I’m female. Each project pays people at my position the same amount. The only people who receive a higher rate are team leads or are doing a different type of review. In my experience, these people are split pretty equally between men a women.

  221. Financial Grants Manager*

    Financial Grants Manager – I am responsible for all the accounting/financial duties for over 30 grants – approving payables, budgets, financial statements & reports as well as other miscellaneous accounting duties.
    My Location – Mid-Size city in Michigan
    Experience – 5 years in non-profit accounting
    Salary – $48,000/year with good health/retirement benefits and a very laid-back & flexible work culture. I’m happy with my compensation package.

  222. Food and Beverage Supervisor*

    Job Description: Supervise several hotel outlets on the floor…in practical terms, put out brushfires as they come up, facilitate communication between departments, do various projects
    Geographic Area: Midwest
    Experience: 1 year management, about eight years customer service
    Salary: $14/hour non-exempt, but I average about ten hours of overtime per week, so it’s likely to come to about 35k this year, if the average holds true. We also get decent health and dental.

    Notes: This is an entry-level management position in the hotel world. The hours are long–yesterday I went in at 9AM and didn’t leave until 2AM this morning, and my average day is about 10.5 hours, mostly on my feet–but it’s a really great springboard position if you want to get into hospitality management.

    1. Food and Beverage Supervisor*

      Also, I’m female, but my company has a very strict compensation structure, so every person at my position starts at the same rate of pay.

  223. Software developer*

    Java Software Developer (woman)
    Germany
    MSc, but not in Computer Science
    Three years of experience in a more support focused role, first job as a pure software developer.
    42K €, 6 weeks of vacation

    2. Software developer #2*

      Also Germany, also female. Technically I’m the department head of programming but at the moment my department is three people (including me) plus one freelancer. We do website programming.

      * Bachelor’s
      * Just above €50 K, 24 vacation days
      * 7 years experience

      I feel a little underpaid reading this thread, but as I found out when I was promoted my salary was previously equal to or better than my male colleagues, and those who’ve moved on to other jobs earn about the same as they did before.

      1. Software Engineer (male)*

        Software Engineer (male)
        * Technology: Java, JEE (and C#)
        * Location: Germany
        * MSc, in Computer Science (excellent grades)
        * Employer: Large international company
        * Experience: 3 years (total and in this job; age 29)
        * Salary: 60k €, 6 weeks of vacation (starting salary was just above 50k €)

  224. Director, Learning & Development*

    Title is a bit inflated: I manage learning and development projects (don’t manage people) and am lead designer on a few nation-wide learning projects (conferences, in-person training, online university courses, leadership development initiatives) that involve about 50 regional offices. Large non-profit.

    Geographic area: NYC metro
    Years of Experience: 8 years
    Education: M.Ed. in Adult Education
    Salary: 74K + 5% match on retirement and pretty solid health benefits
    Gender: Female

  225. Pastor Anon*

    Senior pastor of a medium sized “mainline” church
    Midwest, female, 10+ years experience
    Salary – 50k which includes both salary and housing allowance
    Health insurance (decent)
    4 weeks vacation per year (!!! I know)
    Masters degree (4 year program, still paying it off)
    Work about 50 hrs per week

    1. Youth Program Director*

      Love seeing ministry jobs post salary! Midwest as well, making $35,000 as Youth Director with MA. And YES– still paying it off!

  226. Editorial Assistant*

    Job: Editorial assistant for a mid-sized book publishing group (a division of a much larger organization) doing administrative work for several senior editors as well as some research, writing, editing, and general project management of my own.

    Area: Washington, D.C.

    Experience: Graduated with a B.S. last year, did several internships over the course of college. Have been in this job since November.

    Salary: 36K with benefits: insurance (health, dental, vision, life, pet), 18 vacation days, 11 sick days, and every other Friday off in the summer, some telecommuting, 401K contribution matching, subsidized cafeteria, probably some other benefits that I’m forgetting/don’t use

    1. Anonymous*

      Can I ask how you got into this field? I’m in college now and my degree isn’t really relevant, but this seems like something I’d enjoy.

      1. managing editorial assistant*

        Not the OP, but I’ll answer anyway–it’s all about the internships! The field is very competitive–any kind of editing experience will give you an edge. (I volunteer copy edited for a few local nonprofit magazines.)

  227. Sr. Contract Manager*

    Manage a team of 6+ who handle contracts for $1.2B in spend in a division of a Fortune 100 company located in the southwest.

    Experience: 15 years in career (2 in management)

    Salary: $130K plus bonus (target 15%), 401K matching, 4 weeks vacation.

  228. Lori*

    Ooh, I’ll play. I’m an in-house PR/Marketing Director for a privately-owned company, and I make $93K. I have 15 years of experience and I’m in LA.

  229. manager crim just/law enforce*

    Duties- manage an office responsible for supervision of offenders in the community
    Female
    Geographic Area NYC
    Salary- $104K
    Year Exp – 20 in this agency , 26 total
    Education- Bachelors in Psychology

    Additional Info – 60% pension at 55 with 30 years service, sick leaves accrues up to 1500 hours and provides additional pension time and credit toward retiree insurance premiums , 12 holidays, 20 vacation days, 5 personal days, and all insurance ( health, prescription, dental and optical)

  230. Public Health Analyst*

    Title: Public Health Analyst (federal contractor working on-site at a government agency)
    Gender: Female
    Location: Atlanta, GA
    Years of Experience: 9
    Education: BA in Psychology, MPH candidate
    Salary: $72,000
    – As I work for a private company rather than the federal government, I have received annual merit raises and bonuses. I started with this company with the same title/responsibilities 3.5 years ago at $65,000. My prior position was in state government where I earned $36,000.

    1. Anonymous*

      Do you mind expanding on what exactly you do as a public health analyst? I’m just beginning to get into the public health field and would like to eventually get my MPH. Thanks so much!

      1. Health Educator/Counselor*

        I posted down below as Health Educator/Counselor. This way I can find this comment thread later =)

      2. Public Health Analyst*

        Public Health Analyst (or Public Health Advisor) is a very broad title that includes a lot of different roles. In my case, I am contracted under a specific, short term, funding allocation to coordinate a project with state and local awardees. So the awardees apply for the funds and I come in after the funds have been awarded to make sure the awardees are fulfilling the terms of the funding allocation, monitor and evaluate their activities as well as the overall project, and help them when possible if they run into problems with their project and/or they need additional assistance or in some cases, intervention from the government agency. However, since I am not a government employee, I have to defer any significant actions to the official project officer. This is my second contract like this and although I have had basically the same responsibilities for both, I have a lot more autonomy on my current project partially because I have a lot of experience with this particular project area and partially because the office I am contracted to is extremely understaffed. But every office is different in how they view the Public Health Analyst/Advisor role and how they view contractors.

        1. Public Health Analyst*

          After reading all the comments, just wanted to add a couple of things. I started out as a secretary in a state health department and worked my way up. I recommend to anyone to work a couple of years in public health and get their MPH – my path would have been much easier if I already had it and not having the MPH has limited my potential salary by about $20K.

  231. Accountant*

    Financial Reporting Manager/Cost Accountant
    DC metro
    10 years BA, BS, MBA (not top tier)
    $75K + upto 15% in bonus
    includes health insurance, 401(k), and fairly flexible hours

  232. pizzagrl*

    Title/Description: Marketing & Executive Assistant at a small business in a niche industry.

    Geographic Area: New York City

    Experience: First job out of college (graduated in May 2013) with several prior internships.

    Salary: $37,000 pre-tax with PTO, 401k matching after a year, full cost of healthcare paid for

  234. Anonymous*

    Job: IS Support Specialist
    Area: Central PA
    14+ plus years experience with an Associates and certifications
    Salary: 46,500 with performance bonuses
    Just got the job about a month ago. Benefits are OK, but my doctor doesn’t participate with the plan. Performance bonuses pretty much cover the cost of benefits I’ll be paying.

    1. Anonymous*

      Oh yeah I have 3 1/2 weeks of accrued time off that rolls over every year and would get paid for any time that I did not use if I leave the company.

  235. Prospect Researcher*

    Job: Prospect Researcher with a large university. I only do profiles/wealth assessments, no analysis.
    Area: Pittsburgh
    Experience: Less than one year
    Salary: $31,000
    Notes: I am a woman. I have a decent benefits package (health plans to choose from, dental, vision, and education benefits).

    1. Prospect Researcher*

      I didn’t think to add this: I have an MLIS, but it wasn’t necessary for the job. I probably got it because of my 6+ years of library research background. My supervisor called my salary “entry level” in the interview, so I’m assuming other universities in the area pay more, but I can’t confirm that.

      Thanks for doing this, Alison! I’m so nosy, and I’ve always been curious about other people’s salary since I started working.

  236. Oracle System Architect*

    Industry: Various (currently WC Insurance)
    Salary: 185K + bonus
    Experience: 18 years
    Location: Denver
    Gender: Female
    Other Perks: Clients in Atlanta, Las Vegas. 401K match + health insurance + full time remote work + 4 weeks vacation

    Job is db and application design, programming, support.

  238. Accountant, US Gov't.*

    I’m a grade 9, step 2, which after our recent raise [1%] equals $49,520,

    Description: Non-supervisory position, I work with budgetary planning/analysis and monitor fund balances. I approve requisitions, but only in the sense where I certify that funds are available, and can decide how to pay for things, I have to report to my supervisor if it’s a situation where we have to change a requisition.

    Experience: Still basically entry level, I’ve been here almost a year and a half, and other than this job I’ve only worked for one year in public accounting. I have a CPA license that I keep on inactive status, my position doesn’t require me to exercise any kind of professional judgment. What mainly qualified me for the position was that I have a graduate degree in accounting, although those other things probably helped sway the decision to hire me.

    Job has no promotional potential beyond the step increases, I’ll have to eventually leave [and probably to another agency] if I want to move up, unless the right people retire at the right time. Upper level finance positions are pretty scarce in my agency.

    Region: south/central US, not in a state with major metros or any increased locality pay. Wages on average are lower where I live, so I probably make more than private sector people at my current experience level. The problem is, my pay won’t really go up with experience, especially after year 3 or 4. Currently, the pay tops out at around $62,000, but it takes several years to get to the final step.

    Benefits are good, not great, and I think it says more about how poor the benefits can be in the private sector. Many state and municipal employees tend to have far better benefits, as do postal workers [as far as healthcare premiums.]

    1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

      Other stuff: I’m 41, male. Career changer. BA was in English so I had to start all over when I went back to school.

      1. Cathi*

        I’m a BA in Communications looking to go back to school for accounting.

        Did you do a post-baccalaureate degree, or did you get a master’s? It seems silly to get a second BA, but it also seems silly to pretty much have to do a second-BA’s-worth of pre-req classes to complete a master’s degree.

        1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

          I got a master’s….the college where I was living at the time was not admitting students for 2nd bachelor’s [and many times even schools that let you in won’t give you financial aid for 2nd bachelor’s.] Also, I was looking at taking a few years of classes so it made more sense to just get a graduate degree. I was fortunate that I only had to take an extra year of pre-reqs, so it took 3 years total.

          Ended up making more sense for me anyway, since my first job after school paid me a bit more for having a graduate degree, and I was able to substitute the degree for experience to qualify for my current job.

          The additional courses also allowed me to qualify to take the CPA exam. I will say though the job market is tougher than people think for accounting, and I had a very long gap in employment between my public accounting job and my current job.

          1. Anonymous*

            This! I am thinking the route of government/state accounting because I am a tired with all the BS in private sector. I’ve two BBAs, Accounting & Finance. I’ve two year gap. I couldn’t find work. When I finally got a job it paid US$30K. I used to make US$50K. I don’t have CPA license but plan on getting one soon. To those planning a career change to accounting be warned, take a look at your age. They discriminate very much. If you past a certain age you might not get hired in public accounting.

            1. Controller (with CPA)*

              Where I worked at Big 4 I did a lot of college recruiting. I found that, just as you say, the managers, directors and partners did not typically bring older candidates back in for interviews. A director told me once: is a guy in his 40s doing an internship or taking a position as a staff accountant really going to take a senior associate’s guidance seriously? So I agree the public accounting job market is tough if you’re older and looking for a position below the manager level.

  239. HR & Payroll Administrator*

    I singlehandedly run the HR and payroll departments for a 60-person, multi-state employer based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I report to the company’s president. I am a female and I currently make $54,000. I joined the company’s accounting department and gradually began taking on HR-related responsibilities, which I asked for because no one else was doing them and I saw the company’s need. After two years, I left all my accounting duties behind, received the Professional Human Resources certification, and have two additional years as HR-Payroll only. I’ve been told by other HR professionals in Charlottesville that I’m underpaid, but I have a flexible schedule and can work from home at my discretion, which to me is worth more than money.

    -Payroll processing, including funding benefit contributions, paying wage garnishments, and depositing tax payments
    -Benefit management, including enrollments, terminations, open enrollment presentations, employee-benefit education, paying insurance premiums, helping employees with claims, and making suggestions to the president on annual benefit changes
    -I built and maintain the company’s HR database in Access that houses all employment information, including benefits, employment terms, personal information, company assets assigned to an employee, login credentials, etc.
    -DOT regulations and electronic file management for the company’s drivers (about 80% of the staff), including reviewing DMV records quarterly, tracking expiration of medical cards and driver’s licenses, and handling pre-employment and random drug screening
    -Filing quarterly and annual payroll taxes (I worked with a consultant for several quarters to ensure accuracy)
    -HR tasks such as handling unemployment claims, administering FMLA, advising supervisors and employees on personnel issues, management coaching, alerting managers to annual review dates, maintaining electronic personnel files, assisting managers in hiring process, maintaining the employee handbook, etc.

  240. Proposal Manager*

    Job: Proposal Manager at a small but growing government contractor
    Salary: $60k plus $10-15k in bonuses
    Experience: 3 years (but I was just promoted to this position 6 months ago)
    Geographic Area: DC Metro

    We also have good benefits, 95% paid health insurance, 401k matching, 3 weeks PTO

  241. Accounting Assistant*

    I do a bunch of things that all generally add up to being the local accounting person for the field office, reporting to our corporate accounting department where all the actual accountants are.

    Minneapolis

    6 years professional work experience post-college

    approximately $50K

    Other: We get solid benefits. Health, dental, vision, FSA, 3 weeks vacation (increasing with years of service), 8 days sick, 10 paid holidays a year, life insurance, short term disability, 401K with a match. The health insurance is particularly awesome and pays for freaking everything. I’ve been getting my employer’s money’s worth on that one.

    1. Accounting Assistant*

      Dang, forgot to specify that I only have 2 years experience in my current role. Prior to that I was the receptionist.

  242. Anon1000*

    Title: Marketing Specialist at University (for profit)
    Years experience: about 10, also have a master’s degree in my field
    Geographic area: Chicago suburbs
    Salary: $75k
    My original title was social media specialist. I manage and maintain all our social sites, writing copy, responding to fans. I work a normal day and then do extended monitoring on nights until 8pm and weekends until 8pm as well.

    I also do a few other projects like internal communications and student communications on occasion, and work with agencies on strategy (and my team on strategy).

    My manager hired me and did so at the top of the salary range because she knew raises might not be forthcoming. I was supposed to have a 10k bonus but that was eliminated shortly after I was hired (never count on a bonus!)

    I haven’t had a raise and don’t expect to. My co-worker who has less experience and no master’s was hired at the same rate as me.

    I negotiated for an extra week of vacation at hiring time. Benefits are average, but health coverage does NOT include mental health which I feel is BS.

  243. Project Manager*

    Title: Project Manager, but it’s more like admin duties combined with customer service for a small manufacturer.

    Area: Greater Pittsburgh, PA

    Experience: 3 years of college, lots of temp and retail work, stay-at-home mom for a couple years–not a fantastic resume, trust me. I was promoted to PM after 6 months as a CSR.

    $30,000 ($12.00 per hour + overtime + $300 per month bonus to NOT take the company health care), 401K match at 3%, 1 week vacation.

    This is not a great area to find work. I feel like I fell into a fantastic opportunity.

  244. Customer Solutions Engineer - Medical*

    $33/hr. Full time + overtime + pager pay + company car + good benefits (gross was $87,000 for 2013)

    Male in Madison, WI – 4 years in this role, but 20 years in IT

    Also known as a Field Service Engineer, but I mostly do software application support managing the application and the servers it runs on. VMWare, Windows servers, SAN storage. Some medical equipment service in hospitals and clinics. On call ~8 weeks per year. Travel within the state, but overnight 2-4 days per month. Training out of state 3-4 weeks a year.

  245. Senior Executive Asst*

    I wanna play too!
    Area: KC, MO
    Industry: Big 4 consulting firm
    Salary: $45,000.00 + OT
    Perks: Ins; 401k; Individual bonus/spot bonus; subsidies
    15+ years of experience

  246. Development Planner*

    Oil & gas industry / Houston, TX / employer is a British consultancy that specializes on Project Controls / permanently assigned to a 500-Fortune oil & gas company

    My responsibilities vary somewhat from a project to a project but basically this is all Project Controls: scheduling, cost control, contracts, project management. About 13 years of experience, an undergrad from Europe (born and raised there but I am the US citizen) totally not related to what I do which was hurting me a lot at first. Now I also have an MBA from the best business school in the state with concentration in operations/oil & gas.

    $75,000, 16 vacation days/10 sick days, health, dental and vision insurance, with my minimal contribution. I work 9/80 which is common around here which is nice (10 hour work day but every other Fri is a day off). The company matches 25% of my 401k contributions which is I max out every year, so this is a nice perk.

    I am seriously underpaid: an average salary of my MBA classmates [56 oil & gas engineers out of the total class of 63] upon graduation a year ago was ~$97,000 which is also in line with what someone with my experience and skill set earns around here, so I am looking at switching companies.

    1. Sr. Analyst*

      as a degreed engineer in the energy industry, also doing a non-engineering job, I honestly think there is a salary bump for engineers compared to business degree-only people in the same roles. . .No way to verify it except my own personal experience. I guess when looking at jobs, I always think if they’re only going to pay me “X” I can easily go back to an engineering position and make “X+Y”. (Of course, that only applies to the boom part of the energy industry cycle.)

      1. Development Planner*

        Generally I agree. Petrotechs tend to be valued higher than non-petrotechs (but almost 25% gap is kind of higher than typical, isn’t it?). But: I sort of generalized when I said “56 oil & gas engineers among my classmates”; the more accurate way to put it would be “56 classmates, mostly engineers but also finance people, economists and such”. Also like I said, an experienced scheduler/cost engineer in Houston with over 10 years of experience who works in oil& gas makes around ~100K plus-minus $5K, so after all I’d say my self-assessment as underpaid is correct. Throw in my foreign language skills (Ifluently speak two languages in addition to English) and international oil & gas project experience. Plus my MBA should have earned me a decent salary bump – but it didn’t (why is another story and this is the reason why I’d like to switch companies).

        1. Sr. Analyst*

          I don’t know if the 25% gap is that crazy. I think salary history has a lot to do with it. A friend of my husband’s just took an industry position at $60K that I know industry insiders would need at least $100K for, plus a better commission package. If they knew you made $40K, they know you’ll be ecstatic to make $60K.

          But, it’s not right! You should be making more, I think. Especially in O&G in Houston. It seems like people in our office there get a lot more headhunters calling than we do in my region.

          I’m not sure what the going rate for project controls is, but I did an 18 month stint in that role, ending up in the low $70s at the end of 2006. It was an engineering-side position in the office, too, not field.

          (Just another data point. . .)

        2. Texas Engineer*

          I also think cost engineer is pretty different than say a mechanical/chemical/electrical/etc engineer. At most major Texas Universities those would require much more math and science.

  247. Lily in NYC*

    Executive Assistant
    Manhattan
    Salary: 80K plus overtime. Perks: I don’t get social security taken out of my paycheck and I get 15% of my salary placed in a retirement fund. Can also sell back 3 weeks of vacation every year.

    Caveat: I work for a high-powered individual at a very competitive organization. I also had a boss who gave me two huge raises before she quit, which means I make more than the other admins. This is the ultimate golden handcuffs job!

    1. Lily in NYC*

      Oops, forgot to write that I’ve been at my job for 10 years and have been in my current field for 15 years. Worked in journalism before I became an assistant.

      1. Lucy*

        Can you tell me about making that transition? I’ve always wondered if I’d make a good executive assistant, but it didn’t seem like a logical move – my background is communications too.

        1. Lily in NYC*

          Hi Lucy, I worked as a photo editor when I was in journalism. I also did similar work at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. When I decided to leave the media world after a disastrous stint at Sports Illustrated, I went to a headhunter who got me an admin job – I was able to get a good-paying one because I had some experience through earlier jobs and to be honest, I have a degree from a top school which always helps open doors.
          I do think a communications background would make for an excellent assistant. The job is ideal for someone who is type-A, organized, with good follow-through skills. The ability to communicate well verbally and via email is essential. I am not naturally organized or type-A, but I have a very strong work ethic and force myself to stop procrastinating when I get lazy. However, it can be a thankless job and you have to be able to swallow your pride and realize that a lot of people think you are beneath them because you are a “lowly admin”. Having a good boss makes all the difference. The job can be a drudge and most don’t pay well – especially if you aren’t in NY or SF. I don’t do this job because I have a natural love for it – I would have changed careers 5 years ago if I weren’t dealing with a caregiving situation where I need the flexibility I have from being here for so long.

  248. Senior Web Developer*

    $108K, pension, medical, etc
    West Coast
    18 years experience web/10 years experience as DBA, Oracle
    Female
    College: BS Chemistry, MS Ag Science (should have gone with applied math but it seemed too easy at the time)

    1. Director of communications in a nonprofit organization*

      (doing as reply since i have some similar stats)
      20+ years experience, about 10 in communications work, most at same place I work now
      $107K plus decent benefits for nonprofits (almost 5 weeks PTO, good health insurance for US, company contribution to 401K, short maternity/paternity leave)
      Expensive city in Northeast US
      MLIS, MA, BA
      Male

  249. Account Supervisor (PR)*

    Account Supervisor at a big, international PR firm. Job includes a bit of everything– lots of writing, media relations, strategy, client service.
    Salary- about $70k, plus decent benefits (and about 2 1/2 weeks of PTO per year)
    Location: Washington, DC
    Years of experience- 7ish, but not all in PR. I did other sorts of work with transferable skills.
    Age/Gender: 28/Female

  250. Planner/Buyer*

    Planner/Buyer with 30 Rock company in Upstate NY
    $62,500 salary with 401k plan, medical/dental/eye benefits
    2 years experience

  251. Marketing Manager*

    Marketing Manager (female) for a large B2B company headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

    I wear many hats, but focus on social media. Other day-to-day activities include brochure production, internal communication, advertising and content writer.

    Experience: 6+ years

    Salary: $46k

    Side note: Great health benefits and 401k match.

  252. ProjectManager*

    Health IT project with 16 people — software development and delivery solution. I am project manager with no direct-reports so responsibility is process
    Geographic area: about an hour west of downtown Atlanta
    Years of Experience: in this field 2; in IT 12
    Salary: $85K

    1. ProjectManager*

      I am female, which I think matters a little.
      Benefits are standard with 15 days PTO and normal insurance coverage but no employer matching for 401K

  253. Microbiologist/Inspector (female)*

    Scientist who inspects labs for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Position is based out of Atlanta w/frequent travel throughout US.
    Have been in the position for ~1.5 years (Ph.D. + 4 year postdoc).
    Salary: 73k/year

  254. Tax accountant*

    $47,000 plus benefits
    UK (used google to translate the salary)
    2 Years of experience in current role
    1 years prior experience
    Graduate degree
    Female
    Job still deemed as entry level until formal qualification gained after 4 years

  255. Event Planner*

    Female
    Position: Meetings & Events Planner – I plan educational seminars that administer certification credits to professionals with specific titles. I also plan and manage conferences.
    Area: Philadelphia Area
    Salary: 30,000. Benefits(health and dental, 401k(no matching), 5 days PTO and 7 sick days/year
    Experience: 2 years professional plus 3 college internships

    BS in Hospitality Management

    I took this job to gain experience and leverage it into a new job. I am applying to new jobs and so far I’m getting lots of interviews, no doubt, because of this job.

  256. Director*

    Staffing and Reporting for a financial company. (aka work with Excel all day)

    Salary: 100k + 20%target bonus
    about 18 years experience, no higher ed.
    Iowa
    6% 401k matching, 28 PTO days a year.

  257. A Teacher*

    Title: High School Teacher
    Experience: 4 years as a teacher but worked 7+ years in healthcare at a high school as an athletic trainer
    Education: BS, MS in first field; MA in teaching
    Geographic: Mid-size city Midwest
    Salary: ~48,000 as a teacher; I also coach so I get a stipend for that and serve on a committee and get paid an hour for that.
    Female–not that it matters in education, ours is all by our union contract.

    Decent benefits and we self-fund our pension in our state with the district only paying a small percentage in my specific district. 12 sick days and 2 personal days each school year that roll over to sick days if we don’t use them.

  258. Staff Scientist: Bioinformatician*

    Job: It’s sort of hard to define my job title because it’s not something we really have here in Canada, but basically I have a M.Sc. in bioinformatics and I do bioinformatics for biology labs that don’t have (enough) people with my skills. It’s a job I’m sort of building/shoe-horning into existence through sheer force of will.

    Pay: $25/hr, 22.5hr/wk. No benefits at all, just that amount. It would come to around $30k/yr, except I’m always on short-term contracts, so I sometimes go a few weeks with no work. If it was full time it would be $50k/yr.

    Institution: Large research university in Canada

    Experience: M. Sc., 9 months of job-hunting, 7 months of working so far.

  259. Marketing Specialist*

    I work for a health insurance non-profit as a “Marketing Specialist” – which in my case means writing a lot of brochures/flyers/e-blasts/newsletters/self-mailers/educational pamphlets and managing those projects from start to finish, working with other internal departments as my “clients.”

    your geographic area: New England
    your approximate years of experience: 6ish
    your salary: $70 k
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: Yearly 3%ish raises, tuition reimbursement, 401k match to 6%, 3 wks vacation/yr

  260. Marketing & Communications Specialist*

    Duties: Essentially write/edit everything that the company uses as marketing material.
    Education: BA in Communications (PR)
    Area: SC
    Exp: 5 years, all at one job
    Salary: 43.5k
    Other benefits: health insurance (incl. dental and vision), 3 weeks ATO (includes sick and vacation time)

    Also, I’m a female :)

  261. Human Resources Representative*

    Total Comp: $73,000 + benefits + 401(k) + annual incentive plan of 5% of base salary.
    Info: I’m an HR Rep (in title only; functionally we’re all generalists) at a Fortune 100 company. I work in one of their pharma plants in Southern California.
    Background: I have a BS in Business Admin and a MA in HR from a midwest university (that’s how I was recruited for this job). I have about 3.5 years total HR experience.

    1. LKB*

      Can I ask how old you are? I’m going into the HRM Masters program this year and am curious about potential options for my career.

  262. Senior Financial Analyst*

    Your job: Sr Cost Controller/Sr Financial Analyst – basically I provide budgeting and forecasting accounting support to a CIO of a Global IT department for a $2 billion dollar in revenue oil/gas company.

    Your geographic area – TX

    Your approximate years of experience -13 yrs or so

    Your salary – I’m a contractor so my hourly rate is $45/hr plus OT. I’m paying my medical out of pocket, no sick or vacay days if I don’t work. At my last full time job I made 75K, full benefits, 2 weeks PTO.

  263. Program Analyst (Government)*

    Program Analyst at a Department of State (GS9)
    Regulation and Program Support for an Educational Exchange Program
    Washington DC
    5 Years Experience International and Domestic Experience – Entry level position with opportunity to climb the ladder within the same position (increased salary) up to ~80,000
    $53,000

    1. Dearnina84*

      Program Analyst, I’m struggling with understanding how gs-levels and my work experiences correlate as I apply for government jobs. Can ask you questions behind the scenes?

  264. Customer Service Representative*

    Title: Customer Service Representative
    Industry: Insurance
    Duties/Skills: customer inquires on current policies, new policies or cancellations, give quotes, any work that needs to be dealt with for customers other than claims.
    Experience: BA in education, 2 years in rental car industry, little background in insurance been here for about a month(thanks to AAM)
    Area: Boston
    Salary: $38K starting plus annul increases and bonuses
    Benefits: 401K employer matching up to 6% , pension plan, 100% tuition coverage after 1 year, health (dental+vision) with flex spending and 4 weeks of FTO time starting on your first day, and tons of room for moving up

  265. Senior project manager*

    I manage a wide variety of projects (online/digital, creative, RFPs, change management, etc.) at a large NGO, and also manage a team of three. I’m a 35-year-old woman with a bachelor’s degree.
    Region: Pacific NW
    Years of experience: 8
    Current salary: $61,000
    Benefits: very generous time off and sick leave, 6% employer match for 403(b), zero cost healthcare (including coverage of spouse/partner/children), public transportation pass, etc. Excellent, overall.

    I’ve been with my current organization for a little over a year, and have had an $8,000 raise and a promotion during that time, as well as a $1,500 bonus. Previously, I worked with a technology company where I made about $100,000 a year including bonuses, but was worked like a dog. Taking the initial ~50% pay cut to switch industries was well worth it in terms of work/life balance and a sense of fulfillment and pride in what I do. I do miss the higher pay, though, and if anything happened to my partner, I would need to move back to the technology world to maintain our standard of living on our current combined incomes.

  266. Senior System Administrator*

    Sr. Sysadmin (mostly Windows with minor Linux and development)
    Pittsburgh, PA
    12 years experience
    $85K salary (average 45 hours per week with no on-call)
    Great benefits with full dental, vision and scripts ($200/month)
    Company provides laptop and pays for smartphone and home Internet service
    No tuition reimbursement
    I can work from home anytime I want

    White male, single, 42 years old, associates degree + a bunch of certs

    Unless I get into a new, specialized technology or head towards management (no interest), I think I’m about as far as I can go which is acceptable to me. I’ve had a bunch of really horrible jobs where they worked me like a slave before I got here so I know how good I have it now. Pittsburgh is cheap and I live within my means.

  267. Marketing Specialist*

    Title: Marketing Specialist at University (for profit)
    Years experience: about 10, also have a master’s degree in my field
    Geographic area: Chicago suburbs
    Salary: $75k
    I am a woman. My original title was social media specialist. I manage and maintain all our social sites, writing copy, responding to fans. I work a normal day and then do extended monitoring on nights until 8pm and weekends until 8pm as well.

    I also do a few other projects like internal communications and student communications on occasion, and work with agencies on strategy (and my team on strategy).

    My manager hired me and did so at the top of the salary range because she knew raises might not be forthcoming. I was supposed to have a 10k bonus but that was eliminated shortly after I was hired (never count on a bonus!)

    I haven’t had a raise and don’t expect to. My co-worker who has less experience and no master’s was hired at the same rate as me.

    I negotiated for an extra week of vacation at hiring time. Benefits are average, but health coverage does NOT include mental health which I feel is BS.

  268. Donor Projects Manager*

    Job: Consulting role that’s a combo of account manager and special projects administrator, in a specialty nonprofit field.
    Area: Philadelphia, PA
    Years Experience: 15+ professional, 8+ in the specific field
    Salary: $60,000 plus bonus & 2% retirement plan match
    Requirements: Masters degree & experience in finance & project management

        1. Leslie Yep*

          I know we’re supposed to have disabused ourselves of the term “dream job” but. This would probably be mine.

  269. Nonprofit - social services*

    Title: social worker (non-licensed, I have a BA but not BSW)
    Industry: nonprofit social services
    City: Minneapolis, Minnesota
    Years of experience: 6
    Salary: $35,000 plus good benefits

    For social services in my area, FT entry-level starting wage is roughly $25-30,000 depending on your exact line of work. 5 years in, my peers are making $30-40,000 with BAs, mostly in the low-mid 30s.

    Benefits vary widely; usually FT jobs come with very good PTO benefits (3-6 weeks in the first few years) but things like health insurance (usually provided, but varying quality), training, 403(b) etc. can differ a lot between organizations.

  270. Marketing Associate*

    Job: Marketing Associate. Right now, acting manager of department as well. I handle all of our social media, email, and print materials.
    Industry: Finance
    Location: NYC Metro (Jersey side of the Hudson)
    Years of Experience: >1. Graduated in May and got this (first!!) job in June. No previous experience or schooling in Marketing.
    Salary: 30k, health and dental, 401(k), very rare overtime.

  271. Website Content Editor*

    $60k even, straight salary, exempt employee so no OT.

    Washington, DC.

    Three years of experience in this particular career track, but 8-9 years of white-collar office-work career experience in general.

    Previous position in same field paid $50k. And I’m the kind of content editor who is a writer and editor, not the kind who is also expected to half-program the site.

    1. Website Content Editor*

      (Also, I am female and my employer is a non-profit, although it’s one of the very large, corporate-like nonprofits. The $50k last job was for a decidedly for-profit company.)

  272. Anon*

    Legal aid attorney, housing law

    Suburban Massachusetts

    About 2-3 years of experience depending if you count law school internships

    salary: $46k with automatic 3% raise every year for the first few years (union job); awesome health ins including dental, and about 2500 worth of tuition reimbursement. Plus extensive PTO and flexible hours.

  273. Head of IT and other random stuff*

    Head of IT – also oversee cost accounting and QS – 150 end users/7 servers/sole IT so will troubleshoot your VPN connection in addition to my core responsibilities – my expertise is in DBA and business data analytics.

    Midwest
    In workforce 8 years total
    $70 K straight (variable bonuses take it to $85-90+ K)

    (It’s not a particularly lucrative industry but I’m well aware of how my salary compares to market. I would be a happier person if I was less aware.)

    Education – I have most of the credits for a bachelors but no degree.

  274. Senior Allocation Analyst*

    Industry: Retail (Basically I make sure the product that is bought goes to the correct stores in the correct quantities.)

    Salary: 54k

    Education: Bachelor’s degree (not related to my field)

    Geographic area: Texas

    Experience: 9 years (first 5 at the store management level, almost 4 years corporate experience)

    Age and sex: 30 year old female

    Benefits: Pretty basic health/dental and 401k; not much vacation time as compared to other places I’ve worked

    I haven’t seen anyone else in my industry reply yet, I’ll be curious to see the responses!

  275. Assessment Coordinator/Analyst*

    My job: Assessment Coordinator/Analyst at a large public university, working for one college within that university. In my case, this means that I deal with internal assessment (including teaching evaluations and the assessments of internal “learning goals” that our students have to complete), accreditation (preparing the information we have to send to our accrediting body), and various external surveys and assessments (preparing the information we send to the magazines that rank colleges, that sort of thing). I’m also the keeper of some types of internal data (enrollment numbers, etc.) and responsible for answering general questions relating to that stuff.
    My location: A major city in Texas.
    My experience: None. I started this job recently, and it’s my first “career”-type job; my previous work experience has mostly been in retail.
    My salary: $44,000/year, exempt.
    Other info: Pretty solid benefits — I’m a state employee. Generous (by US standards) vacation and sick time, which rolls over with no cap. Also, the whole campus closes for 2 weeks over winter break, which is nice — I’ll never have to use vacation days for Christmas. I’m female; I’ve been out of undergrad for 4 years; I have a BA in English from the university where I work and an M.Ed. from elsewhere, plus a teaching license (middle-school math) and a year of student-teaching experience.

    1. Anonymous*

      This sounds great! Would you mind sharing how you got into the role? I haven’t really heard about this type of position, but I’m super interested in education and in assessments more specifically.

  276. Clinical Data Coordinator*

    Work as a secondary data manager and primary data manager for contract research organization, running the data management for phase 1-3 clinical trials. In San Diego county.
    My experience: Two years in clinical research, MS in biomedical research, 5+ years preclinical research in genetics.
    Salary: $48k — I think I could probably get better if I went elsewhere (I came to this job with no clinical experience two years ago), but I really do enjoy the work culture here (good manager, great coworkers).

  277. Accounting Specialist*

    Title: Accounting Specialist

    Desc: Accounts Receivable clerk for local community college.

    Exp: Need Associates degree for work and is very clerical. Inflexible union rules as well.

    15+ years with college, 2 years in this job, recent MAB graduate and have been actively searching for other positions internally and realized there was no growth internally. Have been looking at other schools/universities along with several private sector positions.

    Have a great supervisor who has told me she expects me to jump ship ASAP as for what it costs in terms of $$ and time away from family she would be upset if I stayed at current level and feels I can double my salary in several positions in private sector and certain university settings.

    Salary: $52k per year, no bonus or OT. 40 hours week. However, worth noting this is a union job and IMO doesn’t reflect market realities. Most get generous pension with 85% funded by employer and pretty great benefits (vacation, sick, personal, holidays off, 403(b) in addition to pension, free tuition at community college for yourself, spouse and kids until 25. Also tuition reimbursement for schools for undergrad/grad level.

    Location: Metro Detroit

    1. Accounting Specialist*

      Oops, MBA degree :)

      I am also male, but regardless, the salary is what it is no matter who sits at desk as all salary is part of union neg. This also has been a thorn in side as no matter how hard some work and how little some work, everyone gets the same.

  278. Mortgage Loan Underwriter*

    Location: Large Midwest metro area
    Company: A top 3 mortgage lender
    Years Experience: 8 in the mortgage industry
    Salary: $60,000, plus overtime when busy, and yearly bonuses
    Other benefits- 401(k) matching, paid holidays, 4 weeks PTO, normal health benefits

  279. Spanish Teacher*

    I teach middle & high school Spanish in a public magnet school in a small city in the Southeast.

    Experience: 5 years

    Education: BA in Spanish, MEd in Secondary Ed

    Salary: $40,000

    Benefits: 3 personal days/yr, 10 sick days/yr. Sick rolls over, personal does not. Plus school holidays and snow days. Decent health insurance and non-matched 403b. And my children will get preference at my k-12 school, which is one of the best in the district.

  280. Software Engineer*

    My official title includes a number, but as those can vary – software engineer, 15+ years experience both in software engineering and in the specific sub-industry we right code for, so I have domain expertise. I architect and design smaller solutions, though architect is not in my title; this includes both back-end and user-facing gui changes, including UI design mock-ups, usually accepted as-is or with minor changes. I also document the design, provide information to the documentation team, implement, and bug-fix. Some of my designs are passed to other, generally more junior, engineers for implementation. I review designs created by other engineers for their features as well, and am one of the people who can provide code review before the code is committed. I also work with the actually titled architect on architectural level problems at times, as a sounding board or offering suggestions, and am one of his code reviewers when needed. I communicate directly with clients for some bugs and features, and I am occasionally sent to a client site or required to support a client in the middle of the night.

    I am female, I am employed not far from Portland, Oregon, and I make about $90,000 a year, plus decent benefits.

  281. Academic Advisor (postsecondary)*

    The job: Advisor to first year college students in a large public community college system
    Location: US, midwest
    Years of experience: About 3
    Salary: 37,614 and some change
    Other pertinent info: My job pretty much requires a bachelor’s degree as a minimum, but a master’s is going to be needed to have good options for advancement. I have a bachelor’s right now and will get a small pay bump when I finish my master’s. There’s a graduate certificate through KSU, but I don’t know if that has the same clout as a master’s yet.

    1. Academic Advisor (postsecondary)*

      Oh, almost forgot-benefits package is pretty nice. Eligible for 401k at 2 years FT, which I don’t have to pay into unless I want to (a financial planner told me is one of the best he’s seen), decent health, dental, and vision rates, vacation and sick days that accrue through the year. I have no less than 2 months leave accrued right now. I’m a terrible estimator, but I’m guessing my benefits have a fairly high market value.

  282. Manager, Programs and Communications*

    Duties: Manage all traditional and online media, manage a national coalition (including annual conference, webinars, a working group), support program work by writing proposals, track legislation and create content. Member of a 4 person team.

    Geographic Area: Washington, DC (MD Suburb)
    Years of Experience: 3 – 4, but I have a J.D. as well (which helps with the policy-related work).
    Salary: $55,000 annually with opportunities for annual bonus and/or raise, employer contributes 10% annual salary to retirement account, 15 days PTO (but this includes sick leave), health insurance/dental. And an office. Which is not a traditional perk but boy is it nice.

  283. BA*

    Title: Sr. Business Analyst. IT project management, requirements analysis and QA testing for a company in the insurance / healthcare industry.
    Area: Chicago
    Employer Size: 250 – 500 Employees
    Experience: 7 years
    Salary: 97k, Bonus 3-5K, 401k (4% match), almost 4 weeks PTO, Life / LTD / Dental / Health Benefits

  284. Application Analyst*

    Reposting not as a reply…

    IT Application Analyst – primary support for financial and HR applications, some web development, some SQL report writing, some project management
    Smaller Midwest city (approx. 30K people)
    7 years in current role, 14 years in IT for healthcare/hospital non-profit
    $63,000, salaried, 403b with matching, decent health/dental/vision insurance, great PTO plan (up to 8 weeks per year), flexible schedule when I need it.
    BS in Computer Science from regional public university
    female

  285. Business Analyst - Public Sector*

    Actual Official Payroll Title: Information Systems Tech Consultant
    Industry: State government
    Years Experience: 18 years (combination Business Analyst and Project Manager); 17 years in private sector, 1 year in public sector
    Education/Certifications: MBA, PMP
    Location: Nashville
    Salary: $96,000
    Benefits: Standard State benefits – good time off, health insurance, pension, 401(k), short working hours (37.5/week)

    High-Level Job Description: I work as part of an internal consultancy-type group that provides project management and business analysis to other State agencies for their large, complex IT projects. My title is Business Analyst, but I do stray over into the project management realm as needed.

    Oh, and I’m female.

    (And, as someone noted above, public sector jobs generally have salary information available online if you search.)

  286. Library Technican*

    I work for a university library in their interlibrary loan office. My job primarily entails using & modifying software (ILLiad) to provide materials for our patrons.

    Geographic Area: Alaska
    Years of Experience: 7
    Salary: $37k

    I’m male. My institution also has decent benefits with medical, dental, retirement, separate sick and annual leave, and paid holidays.

    2. Library Technical Assistant*

      I work circulation and computer support at one of the largest public library systems in the country, located in the Pacific NW. This means I spend most of my time showing people how to attach documents to their email. I make $18/hr. They pay my excellent healthcare, with dental, a pension, mass transit discount and tuition assistance. I get roughly 2 weeks off per year.

      I have an MILS and a grad certificate in Information Management.

  287. Research Coordinator*

    Job title: Research coordinator (formerly assistant) in a small health research unit at a large Canadian research university
    Where: Canada’s biggest yoga-loving-est west coast city.
    Years of experience: One-and-a-half out of school, about two years of part-time RA experience as a student. I have a Masters degree in my field.
    Salary: $48K, with excellent benefits: more than matching CPP contributions, four weeks of vacation, excellent extended health, flexible hours, tuition benefits, one year of paid maternity leave if/when I have kids. Plus I like my coworkers and boss and the general environment. I can expect 2% annual COL raises + 3% annual performance raises in this role.

    Also I am mid-20s and female. My director and manager are also female and I feel like they emphasize work-life balance, which is really nice, since I like my work but also like having a life outside of it.

  288. Senior Accountant*

    responsibilities: reviewing audit and tax workpapers done by interns, assisting in training interns, and preparing audit and tax workpapers, tax returns, and financial statements
    location: NYC, manhattan
    total work experience in auditing/tax: 2 years
    salary: 60,000 + about 5-6k in overtime
    misc: works at midsize public accounting frim

    1. Public Accountant*

      So glad to find other public accountants. Although industry wide they really don’t adjust enough for cost of living. You are exactly on par with me and I am in TX. I wonder how this compares to the Big Four?

      1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

        Used to work for Big 4 tax, I know the higher COL markets usually started in the 50s-very low 60s. I made 58k as an entry level hire working in the Bay Area with a graduate degree.

        Didn’t stick around long enough to find out what seniors/managers made!

        1. Public Accountant*

          I believe tax makes a little more than audit as well. I should have been a consultant.

          1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

            Tax apparently is considered specialized enough to be paid a bit more, of course the downside is there are fewer exit opportunities depending on the market…but there were quite a few more places to go at my former workplace since they had so many large companies that had very specialized tax issues.

            Of course, another downside was that if you left the area, your experience wasn’t all that useful in places with a more traditional client base.

        2. Financial Accountant, Sydney*

          As an entry-level hire in Big 4 few years ago in one of Europe’s more expensive cities I made €21,500. Would have been €22,500 with a Master’s. I’m agog at how much you were paid! Was that including scads of study leave and lecture fees though or were they on top?

      2. Senior Accountant*

        My brother works at one of the Big Four and lives in a major city also. He makes about 10k more than when I was staff accountant 2 (53,000 + 4k in overtime) and had 10 more holidays .

        1. Senior Accountant*

          He makes about 10.5k (67.5k and no overtime) more than when I was a staff accountant 2 (53,000 + 4k in overtime) and had 10 more holidays than me.*

          2. Public Accountant*

            Even when the math doesn’t come out in my favor, the straight-time overtime compensation structure mentally helps me get through busy season. When I was a staff and I was kept until 10 PM at a client even though I wasn’t doing much, I felt better knowing I was at least getting paid more that night

            I also think it cuts back on In Charges keeping staff late every night even though they’re not busy just because someone made them stay late when they were a staff.

      3. Controller (with CPA)*

        Big 4 in Central FL starts new audit associates at $50k. I don’t know about tax. From what I’ve heard from the college students/recent grads during the recruiting process, midsize and national firms in the area start their incoming staff at around this salary as well.

  289. Editor*

    My Job: product quality control and production editing for small not-for-profit organization. Non-management position.
    Geographic Area: Northern Virginia
    Years of Experience: 12 with long break after 8 to be a mom (been at this job 3.5 years).
    Salary: $58,000

  290. Librarian*

    Title: Library Manager
    Description: Library manager for a government library
    Salary: $63,000
    Experience: 4 years
    Degrees: BA, MLIS
    Area: British Columbia, Canada
    Benefits: Defined benefit pension plan; good extended health and dental benefits)

    *Equivalent private sector positions are paid around $85,000, but pension plans are not nearly as generous

  291. Teaching Assistant*

    I’m a grad student and teaching assistant in the philosophy department of a state university (not the main campus).

    I run 4 discussion sections per week, grade quizzes and exams, hold office hours, answer emails, and have various quasi-professional responsibilities like attending colloquia with visiting scholars.

    Geographic area: Midwest (I can’t put my city because there are only two schools with philosophy departments here)

    Years of experience: 0 in the field, which is why I TA 101 and not something interesting. 8 months in the standard philosophy major fallback – a call center. 3 months interning at a software company. Almost 2 years cumulative experience doing a couple different kinds of contract work online.

    Salary: $7,200 for nine months of work ($800/mo), plus tuition remission. If I hadn’t gotten a stunningly good deal on rent – which my parents are still having to help with, as otherwise it would be 2/3s of my monthly income – I would be eating even less than I already do. If I get into a doctoral program, I can expect to make $15-20K.

    Context: This is bog-standard pay across the industry. And we have a good department that actually fights to get funding for its grad students. Heck, the TAs here actually have a union, which will almost certainly not be the case wherever I end up next. All of this to say that this is as good as it gets.

    1. Teaching Assistant*

      And incidentally, I’m actually from NoVA, so if the Beltway network that’s appearing out of the shadows has any suggestions of places that might want a 25-year-old with a philosophy M.A., I’ll lick your boots. Or something.

  292. IT PMO Director*

    I manage 5 individuals and run large infrastructure programs for a Fortune 100 company.

    Experience: 15+ years
    Education: I have a master’s, but none of my education has anything to do with my job & my boss has a high school education (as do 2 of my employees).

    Geography: Missouri

    Salary: $140k + 20% bonus target and opportunity for RSUs. Raises range wildly from year to year depending on company performance & my own. Raise pool this year is only 1.5% due to market & regulatory flux.

    Bennies: I telecommute exclusively with very little to no travel. 33 days paid time off, take it or lose it. Good healthcare insurance.

    Cons: the job is high stress and can be a lot of hours. It is not uncommon for me to work 12 straight hours with only quick dashes to the bathroom. I am also tied to my email on my personal smartphone & tablet. My job is essentially to convince some very opinionated cats to agree on a single direction & all go that direction by the most reasonable cost means. Performance expectations are extremely high.

    Gender: female

    By the way – I love my job and the people I work with. I am often amazed by how much I am paid.

  293. Content Editor*

    Title: Content Editor

    Description: I work for a global information company (6,000+ employees worldwide), updating a website that specializes in regulatory information management. Specifically, the site aggregates regulations relating to the EHS&S industry on an international, national, state, and sometimes regional level. We have a proprietary publishing system that allows users to annotate specific sections and paragraphs and share those annotations collaboratively, etc. My job involves keeping my assigned content up-to-date, and making any changes so that our customers are notified via an automated system. Basically I do a lot of HTML and Word editing, proofreading, and that sort of thing. I also do quite a bit of document conversion, primarily PDF to HTML and XML to HTML.

    Geographic area: Phoenix, AZ

    Years of experience: 5 with this specific product (started at the original company in 2008, product was acquired by current company in 2012 and so was I – my service years carried over), about 10 years in the editing/writing/proofreading field total (2003-present)

    Salary: $43,200 gross income per year. Benefits include 401k + matching, health/vision/dental, STD & LTD, Vacation + flex time (I think I get 160 hrs of the former and 64 hrs of the latter per year, ability to telecommute 1 day per week or as needed for minor illness and etc.

    I am a woman.

    1. Content Editor*

      Also, I’m non-exempt and very rarely work overtime (last occurrence was several years ago).

    3. Technical Editor*

      This will sound weird, but I think working in the EH&S industry is really interesting. I used to do EH&S documentation for a pharma company and I’ve been trying to get back to doing that.

      Since you’re in Phoenix, you should consider attending the Society for Technical Communication Summit (conference) in May. I’m looking forward to it, especially because Phoenix seems like a great city to visit.

  294. Social Media Coordinator*

    JD: I lead all social media marketing and communications for prospective and newly admitted students at a large public university
    location: Large city in Canada
    experience: 2 years in this job, before that I worked as a student advisor for 5 years, bachelor’s degree
    salary: $60,000
    I get 5 weeks vacation plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, really great extended health coverage, and tuition credits for myself or family equivalent to full time grad student tuition.

  295. Madge*

    ■Advanced SAP A/P Invoice Compliance & processing
    ■Houston
    ■8
    ■$62K+pension+401K+ medical,dental, vision, metal

  296. Academic Librarian*

    Job: Academic librarian, ranked Librarian II (of 5 ranks)
    Region: Northeast at a flagship public research institution
    Experience: 5 years of experience + MLS
    Salary: 58k
    Other info: librarians are unionized here

  297. News editor*

    Responsibilities: Determining what’s newsworthy in my patch (Europe, the Middle East and Africa – I share with another editor), editing reports written by, er, reporters, giving feedback to writers and doing the admin parts of publishing stories online.
    Geographic area: London, UK
    Years of experience: 5
    Salary: £35,000 (plus 33 days holiday and double pension matching up to 10%, ie I put in £100 they put in £200). I’m a woman.

  298. Site Safety Manager - Construction*

    Heavy industrial construction. Think: refineries, power plants, etc.
    11 years construction experience + 10 years chemical industry experience
    Relevant certification, OSHA authorized trainer, AHA CPR/AED trainer
    Salary-$100k + $500/wk per diem + vehicle & phone allowance. Some OT @ straight time rate & theoretical end-of-job bonus.

  299. Sanitary Engineer*

    Title: Environmental Engineer
    Sector: State Government
    Exp: 4 yrs
    Education: B.S. Environmental Engineering
    Pay: $55k
    Location: New England
    Benefits: Excellent Health insurance with relatively low premiums, Flex time, 2 weeks vacation + generous sick time + holidays. There may or may not be a pension (that “benefit” will most certainly be gone if were to stay put, but I digress)
    Best perk: short commute & very rarely is overtime even allowed

  300. Academic Librarian*

    Title: Research & instruction librarian at small college library
    Duties: Reference work, instruction, various outreach activities, etc.
    Area: Central MA
    Education: BA, MLS
    Experience: 6 months in this position, 2 years as a paraprofessional (plus addtl 6 years PT in customer service positions)
    Salary: $45,000 + benefits, 401k match, 2 weeks vacation

    And I’m a woman.

  301. Operations Manager*

    Title: North America Operations Manager
    Exp: 5 years in Operations; 5 in Controls; 10 in Project Management; 5 in Admin/Customer Service
    Location: Northern California (work from home – not the Bay Area)
    Degree: Recently completed AA
    Other Quals: Certified PMP (Project Manager)
    Age/Gender: 43, Female
    Salary: $125K (+ benefits, 401K matching, annual bonus, etc.)

    I’m the Operations Manager for the US/Canada for a division of a large, Global Fortune 50 company. I manage 30+ people and own the processes used to sell and manage large outsourcing contracts (sales, program management etc).

    1. Geeb*

      Sorry if I’m being dense, but your experience is all separate jobs, right? You worked five years admin, and then ten in project management, etc? So you’re roughly 25 years in your career?
      Also, were there any operations aspects to your earlier jobs?
      I’m so interested (:

      1. Operations Manager*

        I took a (for the US) non-traditional working path. I did everything from call center to customer service to temp work from the time I left high school until I was about 23 (basically the first 5 years of my ‘professional’ life). I literally fell into IT when I was temping and got an assignment as an Admin for a PeopleSoft implementation project. By the time that project was done, I’d moved from Admin to essentially an associate Project Manager (I’m a fairly quick study). At that point I got picked up by an IT consulting firm to specialize in IT PMO work.

        While doing that, I learned a lot about process, controls, leading process improvement projects etc and through that work I ended up landing a job with my current company to implement processes into an IT Outsourcing environment.

        In my 15 years with my company, I’ve worked my way up from there. There’s almost nothing about running an Outsourcing contract (whether IT or Process outsourcing) that I haven’t directly handled.

        The two things (generally) that I’ve found to be helpful in my career: learn everything you can about anything you deal with at your job (who, what, when, where and most importantly WHY things are done the way they are). Then think about how you can do them better – and don’t be afraid to be the person that speaks up and advocates for change. The trick is in HOW you do it without alienating people. You’ll find some folks don’t value that – but they are frequently the ones left behind.

        I’ve found that always being willing to take things on in addition to “your job” and relentlessly driving improvement is key to growing in your career. My company doesn’t care that I didn’t have a degree (I still don’t have a 4 year degree) – they care about the results I deliver. And that’s really been a somewhat natural fit with Operations – how you get the business to drive out inefficiency, deliver better results and still manage risk and compliance (ie: keep your Executives out of jail – both corporate and real jail).

        1. Geeb*

          Thanks for the detailed answer! When I see job descriptions for operations roles a few years past entry level, I’m like “I want to do that!” I’m only a couple years out of school, and working as an admin, so I’m trying to apply for jobs like “operations associate” & “logistics coordinator”
          I hope I find something that’s a good for (:
          Thanks again!

          1. Anonymous*

            You may like consider getting at least an Associate Project Manager qualification with the PMI. Then anything that has PMO (Project/Program Management Office) is something worth applying for if you’re interested in Ops. Operations in companies like IBM, Accenture, HP etc is often managing the Operations of a collective set of PMOs – or be referred to as Program Management Office instead of “Operations”.

            What tends to separate ‘Operations’ from ‘Program Management Office’ in the services business is whether or not Sales is under the umbrella as well.

            Good luck!

  302. Admin/Operations Assistant*

    Job Title: Operations Assistant; I am basically the admin for two VPs and a medical director, with some additional miscellaneous stuff for the department.

    Place: Boston, MA

    Experience: About 4 total, including just over 1 at my current company.

    Salary: $40k currently (my boss has basically told me I’ll be getting a raise within the next few months but I don’t know how much)
    your salary.

    Decent benefits — about 2wks PTO/year (accrues per pay period) with carryover, health insurance, etc. Bonuses happen and I hear they are pretty good (this is my first year-end-review period).

    IME admin assistant salaries vary a lot even within the city. Within the company, I’ve had access to peak at other salaries and I’m probably on the low end for our company overall… but it’s still not bad.

    1. Admin/Operations Assistant*

      Oh, and I’m a 25 year old woman. When I applied to the position I had completed 2 years of college but had no degree. I was told though that they were offering the high end of the approved range for that position.

  303. Director of Communications and Policy*

    This is my old job; now I’m a consultant:
    Duties: Write/edit everything the org. produces; guide content on website and written reports; media relations; government relations, new business development; strategic planning; manage vendors; manage project managers.
    Industry: Small (<15 non-profit, health care (not service provider)
    Education: Masters, Public Administration
    Area: Minneapolis/St. Paul
    Exp: 25, 3 at this job
    Salary: $102K
    Other benefits: health insurance (incl. dental and vision), 3 weeks ATO (includes sick and vacation time); generous employer match on 401k.
    Female

  304. Logistics Coordinator*

    Logistics Coordinator at a very small (<10 employees) consulting company. I do several different jobs at once! Assisting workshops, making travel plans, editing articles, keeping everything organizing, etc.
    -San Francisco
    -Less than 1 year in this job/field, a couple years experience doing similar stuff. BA in unrelated field.
    -$40,000 with decent health insurance and vacation, but no dental or retirement. Good work/life balance though.
    -I've been trying to get up the courage to ask for a raise, but I haven't yet!

  305. Human Resources Manager*

    Small Public agency in central California area (Union shop)
    One-person HR department — so I do everything, including negotiating Union contracts
    Gazillion (OK, about 25+) years experience
    Salary $86K/year; 4% contribution to my retirement; health/dental insurance premium paid 100% (really good plan, too)

  306. Software QA Engineer*

    I set up software systems, run tests against them (including automated tests), and diagnose the inevitable problems. Also sit around waiting for builds. Sigh.

    Experience — about 3 years directly as a QAE, plus four more in other engineering jobs.
    Location — downtown Denver, CO
    Salary — $75k, plus decent insurance, 401k no matching, pre-tax deductions for bus pass (which I don’t use yet), and beer fridge.
    Education — BS and MS in electrical engineering (Mines, fwiw)
    Gender — uhm. Female?

    Doing an appraisal is a little difficult because I’m kind of quasi-but-arguably-not-quite a career changer in that my education and early experience isn’t dissimilar from what I do now, but also isn’t the standard background for a software person. Also recently changed jobs due to being laid off from big metal telecom a few months ago, and have kind of leveraged that event into getting me into a) startups b) downtown.

    So it’s possible that I could get more, and indeed may well get more soonish, but I think all circumstances considered I’m getting a fairly decent deal.

      1. Software QA Engineer*

        CO — I’m your classic CSM person who has lodged permanently in Denver, much to the dismay of out of state recruiters.

  307. A scientist, but not the scientist*

    Research Technician, private university

    2 years experience

    Boston-ish area

    $37,000 + benefits – health, dental, vision, 3 weeks’ vacation, unlimited sick time, life insurance, some retirement benefits (that I don’t recall but are pretty good), gym membership discount, public transportation discount, plus random things like discounts to tickets to events and vendor discounts.

  308. Research Analyst*

    This is the entry-level title of the research world.

    Geographic Area: large metropolitan city in Ontario
    Years experience: almost two years in lab tech-type roles, with a little over a year of that being through undergrad co-op program. In this role 5 months. I also have a master’s degree in epidemiology (2 year program).
    Salary: $48,000. I am paid hourly and work about 37.5 hours/week (some more, some less, depending on demand). I don’t get any vacation, and have no health benefits. If I stay on with this company after my one-year contract is up I’ll become part of a union.

    Other perks? My bosses and co-workers are great, the research area is totally my area of interest and “expertise” and it’s a very relaxed culture. Major downside: I wish I got to use my master’s training a bit more.

  309. Budget Analyst - Federal*

    Title: Budget Analyst; Auditing, forecasting, operations research
    Area: DC
    Employer Size: Medium-sized Federal Agency
    Experience: 8 years
    Education: BS, MS
    Salary: 95k, 401k (4% match), 4 weeks PTO, Life / LTD / Dental / Health Benefits

  310. Research Scientist*

    Staff scientist at academic institution – biology
    Geographic Area: Boston
    Years of Experience: PhD + 5
    Salary: $85K

  311. Research Analyst*

    Location: Boston, MA
    Industry: Financial – Fixed Income
    Exp: 4 years
    Salary: $60k (with bonus and retirement contribution $100k)

  312. Marketing Assistant*

    Marketing Assistant
    Duties: Create newsletters and web content, social media management, random administrative duties, media relations
    Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Experience : 1.5 years experience before starting here, been here 3 months
    Salary 28K per year, minor dental and prescription coverage (that’s the only thing we require separate coverage for in Ontario, so it’s decent)

  313. Bella*

    Title: Assistant Director
    Industry: Higher Education
    Location: South Florida
    Years Experience: 10
    Salary: $48,000
    I get 401k, 6 weeks off plus holidays and sick time.cell phone and free tuition also for family.
    For south Florida this is low towards the cost of living. Also I’m 41. Would love to be making 60-100k.

  314. Software Engineer*

    Job Description: Design and develop software for: android on OSX, server and tools in .NET, Big Data processing on LINUX, front end work in javascript/.NET
    Years of Experience: Professionally 9; Hobby 6 years prior. (total of 15 years programming)
    Geographic Area: Greater Seattle, WA Area
    Salary: $90K

  315. Marketing specialist*

    Work on all mktg related activities focusing on lead gen. Really the acting mktg mgr for division.

    5 years exp in mktg, 12 years in workforce
    North Carolina
    Healthcare technology

    48k with meh benefits, no 401k match, no bonus.

  316. Senior Software Engineer*

    Job: Write and design software and software systems, including documentation, testing, and deployment

    Area: Northern Virginia

    Experience: 12 years

    Salary: $165,000
    100% Medical, 5 Weeks vacation

  317. Personal Injury Lawyer*

    Job: Plaintiff’s side associate attorney at small law firm.

    Geography: Greater SF Bay Area.

    Experience: 1+ years admitted to practice, plus ~ 1-3 years non-practicing work in same industry depending on how you count law school internships and pre-admission type employment.

    Salary: ~$62k+ bonus. Bonus last year brought total comp to ~$84k.

  318. Elementary Science Teacher*

    I teach science in a private elementary school in a major city, one of the top 2 or 3 most expensive cities in the US (I want to keep location a little vague for slight anonymity, but that info does narrow it down!).

    Experience: 6 years at this school, 8 years teaching overall. I’ve earned a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certificate.

    Salary: $52K, plus benefits (my health insurance is 100% covered, plus my employer contributes a small amount to my retirement fund)

    I think this is significantly higher than the national average for teachers, but the cost of living here is very high. As an example, the rent on my 1-bedroom apartment in a nice-but-not-trendy neighborhood is $2K/month, and it’s not a bad deal for the area! Fortunately I live with my fiancé so I’m only paying half that…

  319. Administrative assistant*

    $40,000 (annual)
    San Francisco, CA
    One year mish mash experience prior to this job
    Was making less at the same company as a temp, then a couple months in, was bumped up to this salary
    Also: UC Berkeley grad, high GPA

    1. Administrative assistant*

      Okay I skipped a bunch:
      The office: less than ten people, I do personal scheduling for the manager, I sit at the front desk. There are spurts of busy time (like a week, every couple months) but generally not much pubic traffic. I also help out with IT, HR other stuff since HQ is a different state.
      And I’m female
      (btw, the moneys not bad, but it’s incredibly boring and the manager is terrible)

  320. Marketing Information Researcher*

    I do research on marketing topics for nonprofit association members.
    Geographic area: NYC
    Education: BFA and MLS
    8 years experience; almost 6 at this job
    Salary: $63,000
    And I’m a woman

  321. Marketing Director*

    Location: Silicon Valley, CA
    $160k
    Female
    Small privately held company (fewer than 150 employees)
    Good health benefits, 401k, company-provided lunch and fully stocked kitchen.

  322. Technical Project Management Intern*

    I intern full time for a year in a web development agency, coordinate projects, write benchmarking and Google Analytics reports, write metadata, perform testing and content management, as well as other miscellaneous tasks. I recently graduated with a M.A. in technical writing/information design from a European university.
    Area: Michigan
    Salary: $8,500/year
    Other: Shared housing and car provided by employer

  323. Controller*

    Job description: All financials for a small flooring company, cost accounting and analyticals.
    Area: AZ
    Salary: $65K no benefits, not even sick leave
    Years experience: 10 years various accounting related jobs.
    I have a master’s in accounting and I am getting certified as a CPA
    Female

  324. Senior Financial Manager*

    Fortune 500 company
    Florida city that isn’t Miami
    11 yrs experience
    $120k base + eligible for 20% bonus + eligible for 33% in stock options
    Male

  325. Receptionist*

    Title: Receptionist
    Duties: Reception + overflow from the Executive Assistants
    Industry: Finance (Private Equity, specifically)
    Company Size: ~40 full time staff
    Location: San Francisco, CA
    Salary: $47,000 non-exempt (minimal overtime) + variable annual bonus (mine was about 9% of my total salary last year).
    Benefits: Full health/dental/vision coverage for employees and their families (decent plans). 10 vacation days + 9 sick days per year. 401k, no matching. Annual raises of ~2-5%, depending on how the business is doing and your performance.
    Experience: Entry level. I was hired more for potential than for previous experience.

    1. Receptionist*

      Oh, education–I have a B.A. from UC Berkeley. It took me a few years to find this job; before that, I was working in retail and HATING it.

  326. IT System Analyst*

    Job: Lead IT System Analyst for a telecom company. I write requirements that the developers use to make changes to our systems. The systems I work for are the ones used to set up new service for a customer. These are business customers, not residential. The system changes usually come about from new products that the company wants to sell. I also support the testing/quality assurance team, and help resolve issues on live orders.

    Geographic Area: Midwest

    Yrs of Experience: 13 years

    Degree: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. (This is my first job out of college)

    Salary: $78,000 and a yearly bonus that ranges from $5-$7K.

    Other Info: 5 weeks vacation, no separate sick time. 401K. Company provides benefits, but I get insurance through my husband’s work. Flexible work schedule and work from home ability.

    1. Anon - 345*

      Entry Level IT Systems Analyst –
      IT System Analyst for a Fortune 500 Company. I write requirements that the developers use to make changes to our systems. The systems I work support business reporting. The system changes usually involve upgrading old systems. I lead the testing/quality assurance efforts on our dept specific changes.

      Geographic Area: Pacific Northwest

      Yrs of Experience: 2 years in current role with 2 years of experience in the business area that I support now in IT and 4 years in a non related function.

      Degree: Bachelors of Art in Economics, MBA, 2nd Bachelors of Science in Business Systems Analysis.

      Salary: $58,000 and a 10% yearly bonus

      Other Info: 5 weeks PTO. 5% 401K match. Profit Sharing and Stock Purchase Opportunities.

  327. Newspaper Reporter*

    Title: Newspaper Reporter (I write articles, interview politicians.)
    Area: Washington D.C.
    Years experience: 6
    Education: BA
    Salary: $65,000 +usual benefits

    I am a woman.

  328. Research Scientist*

    Job: Research Scientist: I am responsible for innovation and research & development for a large consumer products company.

    Salary: $80k annually

    Benefits: substantial 401k contribution, good healthcare with very low monthly premiums (if you are tobacco free) + HSA contribution, average vacation time (only 2 weeks with no increase to 3 weeks until you work 5 years), good work/life balance

    Industry: Consumer Products

    Area: Midwest (small city with a low cost of living)

    Experience: 4.5 years as a product development engineer for medical devices prior to CP

    Education: BS/MS in engineering

    Female

  329. Manager of Library Operations*

    Title: Manager of Library Operations (oversee a staff of 16, budget, day-to day activities and customers at a small branch public library with a larger metropolitan system).
    Geographic area: Midwest
    Years of Experience: 2 year in the Library Field; 8 years management experience.
    Salary: $58,500 + Health + 11 paid holidays + sick and vacation leave + 10% employer contribution into a retirement fund + COL of 3% a year and annual merit raises of 1-3%

  330. Marketing / Events Manager (arts & culture industry)*

    Region: Mid-Atlantic major city
    Experience: Related master’s degree + 4 years professional experience
    Compensation: $40,000 base salary + about $10,000 annually in bonuses /commission.

    Gender: Female (most with similar job titles are white females, industry-wide.)

    1. Marketing / Events Manager (arts & culture industry)*

      Duties: Book rental events into our venue (source of commission $), market our main cultural “product”, and produce & market in-house events to support branding and alternate revenue streams (e.g. food and alcohol).

      Sole employee in my department. Creative work, but long hours.

  331. Secretary / Assistant, Legal and other*

    your job: legal secretary
    your geographic area: West Virginia
    your approximate years of experience: 0-3
    your salary: 24,000-28,000 hourly, great Christmas bonus
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: started with 0 xp and a BBA, family run plaintiff personal injury firm supporting 1 attorney, 7 or less attorneys in entire firm

    your job: legal secretary
    your geographic area: West Virginia
    your approximate years of experience: 5+
    your salary: 29,000-45,000 hourly
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: local branch of BigLaw firm, supporting 1-3 attorneys, if your branch is small enough and the company doesn’t research pay in the area you can make California level money, woot!

    your job: department secretary, hospital
    your geographic area: West Virginia
    your approximate years of experience: 3+
    your salary: 26,000
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: great benefits, hospital affiliated medical and dental care is close to free, 401k

  332. A DC Journo*

    Title: Reporter — I write about policy on Capitol Hill for a website, as well as frequently appear as an analyst on TV/radio programs. Hours can vary, but an average week is about 50.

    Geographic Area: Washington, D.C.

    Approximate years of experience: 5

    Salary: $70K

    **Note: This salary includes signing a two year contract and a non-compete. Signing contracts at my news organization tends to put people on track to get higher salaries. **

    1. Mike C.*

      If you’re comfortable answering these, are there any shows you really enjoy being on? Preference for tv or radio? Any weird stories?

  333. Project Manager-State Education Agency*

    * Project manager at a state education agency
    *Boston area
    *8 years experience
    *Female, age 31
    *$72,000
    *Good insurance, reasonable vacation, retirement.
    *BA in a non-directly related discipline; Masters in a directly related discipline

  334. Business Operations Manager*

    Current job title is Business Operations Manager. I work for a young (less than 10 years), small (~40 employees) non-profit organization and manage a wide range of systems and business processes. This includes risk management and safety functions, information systems, contracts, office services, and vehicle fleet oversight. I also spend significant time providing guidance to employees and functional directors regarding organizational policies and procedures, develop and implement new policies and procedures as needed, create new systems as the organization grows and changes, and develop and implement needed trainings. I dabble in employment issues, primarily researching and interpreting laws and regulations, but day-to-day personnel and payroll functions are done by others. Another very large part of my job is to continually troubleshoot and resolve problems related to business operations and support. This has been the bulk of my work over the past five months, as we are experiencing significant growth along with “growing pains”.

    I am located in Southern California.

    Total years of professional experience is 16, with more than nine years of that experience in project management. I have been in this position for five months and with the organization for two and one-half years. This is a career change, as my previous line of work disappeared due to budget realignment in California. So, prior to coming here, I had no direct experience in business operations but had always worked for small organizations where everyone wore multiple hats, so had significant exposure to many areas I now manage. But this is my first time being directly responsible for all of these areas.

    Current salary is $56,500. No bonuses but very good benefits, flexible schedule, and a casual but entrepreneurial environment.

  335. Accounting Supervisor*

    Accounting Supervisor, Small Credit Union

    5 years with the company, 3 years in Accounting

    NY

    $40,000 + benefits – health, dental, vision, 2 weeks’ vacation, unlimited sick time, life insurance, 401K with no matching + random things like discounts to tickets to events and vendor discounts.

  336. Legal Assistant*

    Experience: 5 years
    Area: BC Interior
    Salary: $30,000k
    Benefits: No extended medical/dental, 3 weeks vacation, no paid sick days.

    Other details: Small civil/family litigation firm in a medium-small community. The region is considered desirable and wages are lower than they would otherwise be as a result.

  337. Marketing Manager*

    -Ecommerce Marketing Manager, Fortune 1000 company
    – BA
    -New England
    -20 years experience
    -$115k

  338. Director of Religious Education*

    Description: I run a Sunday School for a small church. I plan classes for around a dozen children and teens, set up the classrooms for the lessons, manage the church nursery, coordinate volunteers to teach the classes, and plan social events for church families. I also write a newsletter for the parents of the children. Expected to be at church every Sunday.

    Area: Rocky Mountain West

    Salary: $400/month for 10 hours/week ($3,600 annual). No benefits except 7 Sundays off per year, paid. Occasional professional development conferences paid by employer. (This is not fair wage for my church’s denomination, but it’s what my church can afford)

    Experience: 2 years in this job, 6 years semi-relevant experience before this.

    Education: BS in Health & Human Development, Early Childhood Education

      1. Youth Program Director*

        I wish your church could afford to pay you more as that is a lot of work you do! Hope the job is fulfilling to you and a blessing to the church.

  339. Sr. Analyst, Proposals*

    Title: Sr. Analyst, Proposals (basically sales support/marketing/project management)
    Location: Small city in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
    Experience: 10+ years with a MS degree
    Salary: $75K with decent benefits and rare bonuses

  340. Recruiting/HR assistant*

    Title: Recruiting assistant(/HR assistant)
    Location: Boston
    Experience: 2.5 yrs
    Salary: 47k~ (just got a raise beginning of Jan.), plus any overtime, plus any year-end bonus; for 2013: 5k). Great benefits; 15% of salary matched and deposited into SEP-IRA.
    Female, age 25, first “real” job (all jobs are valid, but this is the first one I’ve loved). Most previous experience retail. I don’t want to be incredibly detailed because it’s a small firm and likely a semi-unique hiring experience, but I have a BA in English Lit and rather fell into this position/firm by happenstance & luck, made it my own with hard work (that sounds self-promoting, but I need to fight the imposter syndrome instinct and own it).

        1. Communications Manager*

          That’s basically what I do now (I work for an HR outsourcing firm), but for half the pay in Salt Lake City

  343. Medical Librarian, NonProfit Hospital SW USA*

    Requirements: MLIS and 1-2 years experience in a healthcare setting/library. I have 10+ years experience as a paraprofessional in special and public libraries. Time lapse between degree and first professional librarian job–6 years.

    $23.17/hr, 40 hr week, exempt staff. My primary area is outreach, but I also do research/reference requests, consumer collection development, other things as assigned.

  344. Business Systems Analyst*

    ■ I do a lot of project management for an IT team that updates and maintains a large university database. I’ve also picked up technical skills such as database extraction, black box testing, release management, and data integrity. I’m the go-to person in convincing the various campuses to use the database the same way so that the reports pulled from the system are accurate (seriously, the hardest part of the job). I pitch in on troubleshooting for end-users and application administration.
    ■ Oakland, CA
    ■ 4 years of project management experience in a different (corporate, non-technical) industry/ 3 years at this position at the university
    ■ $55,000/year
    ■ The salary is kind of low for the geographical and technical area. I got a recruiting call from Google last year and the salary they were offering for a similar job blew me away. However I have amazing benefits and an unparalleled pension plan. If I can survive to 5 years or longer in this environment of federal and state budget cuts, I’ll be vested. Also, the work/life balance is astounding. When I worked in the corporate world I put in 60-80 hours a week and didn’t enjoy my life at all. Now when I’m done with the 8-5 workday that still gives me the evenings and weekends to hang out with my SO and dog, play sports, see friends, and just enjoy my life in general. I’m also able to take several vacations a year. To me, the low salary is a fair trade-off for the great quality of life.

  345. Student Financial Services Department at a College*

    -I handle all 3rd party payments/billing (tuition) for the school and oversee a certain student populations’ accounts to make sure they are paid in full, have financial aid, etc. I also handle the general email account, answer the phones, and walkins. Basically, I have dedicated tasks that only I do as well as customer service. I am in a more senior position than others who do similar (but a lesser amount and of lesser responsibility–more like data entry) work as me.
    -I am in the North East.
    -I’ve worked in this position for a year and a half, but have related experience in another field for 3 years.
    -I make $20/hr. I just got a raise and a bonus this past summer. Also, I can go to to school for free and I pretty much get every holiday you can think of off. 2 weeks vacation & 2 weeks sick (increase every year).

    1. Anonymous*

      The salary comes out to about $36500/year. I plan to apply for a more elevated position (bursar/assistant bursar-type) once I get more experience if I don’t think I can move up here (people NEVER leave higher ed so this will probably be somewhere in the next 10 years). Oh, school is discounted for my dependants and relatives too (20% off every year.) employer contributes 2.5% of my salary to my 403b, health insurance (20% employee contribution)

  346. Communications Specialist*

    –marketing communications, about 80% writing (articles, brochures, flyers, ads, press releases)
    –located in Ontario, Canada
    –5 years of comms experience
    –$60,000 +$5,000-7,000 in bonus pay
    –large multinational company

  347. Director of Human Resources*

    I’m the Director of HR for a recently-formed entertainment production company, based in our NY office. I work under an EVP of HR who is based in LA, and we have a Coordinator in each office. We’re a small team so we’re all generalists, handling everything from legal/compliance to benefits admin to employee relations to throwing the monthly pizza party. For perspective, I’m uniquely suited to this role because there aren’t a lot of HR people with previous tv production experience (I spent 10 years as a TV production coordinator. It’s a hard life, it made me want to go into HR and learn how to treat employees more fairly!).

    Geographic region: I’m based in NYC, previously based in Los Angeles. Salary didn’t change when I relocated.

    Experience: 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, 4 of those years in HR roles. I’ve been with my current company for 18 months. I have a BFA in film & tv directing.

    Salary: $125k base, and a 10% annual bonus if the company meets its annual EBITDA goal

    Benefits: Great medical/dental/vision/Life & LTD/FSA/Transit plans. 4% match on the 401k. 10 sick days, 10 vacation, 10 paid holidays and the office is closed for a week and a half over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday.

      1. Erin*

        Sounds like a great job! As someone with five years of HR experience and a degree in Mass Comm./Film, sounds like I would love your company :)

  348. Program Manager*

    Title: Program Manager
    Years experience when I started: 2
    Starting salary: $42,000
    2013 Salary: $46,000
    Education: BA, International Studies
    Location: Washington, DC

    I was the Program manager for a very small non-profit organization in the international affairs field. I handled budgeting, event management, proposal coordination, managed the website, misc. communications tasks, general bookkeeping type stuff, and misc. admin tasks.

    (p.s. Thanks, this was a really great idea!!)

    1. Program Manager*

      Should have also added my benefits:
      – health insurance, including vision and dental fully paid by employer
      – 5% 401k contribution
      – public transportation subsidy ($60/month) that covered my full work-related transportation costs
      – 2 weeks vacation plus week between Xmas and New Years off.

  349. Librarian in a Law firm*

    British Columbia, Canada
    2 years experience (working full time since graduation 2 years ago)
    female
    $58,000 CDN before taxes

    1. Another BC Legal Assistant*

      Can I ask what schooling you needed to take in order to be qualified for your position? Library sciences or something law-specific?

      Does your job involve doing any actual legal research, or just managing the library?

      1. Another law librarian in BC*

        You need an MLIS to be a librarian. At the law library I work at, we research the law in terms of finding the information. But we shy away from calling that “legal research” since to lawyers, “legal research” can also mean analysing, and creating summaries or reports, which we don’t do.

        I know a law library manager who makes 80k in BC but I’m not sure what the average is. I’m guessing it varies quite widely depending on supervisory responsibilities and experience!

  350. Anonymous*

    Are there any lower level interactive project managers out there? sometimes the title varies. I’ve seen them called Associate Project Managers, Associate Producers, Jr Producers, etc.

    1. Web Project Manager*

      I’m not sure I’d be classified as an Interactive PM per your personal definition. I am a Project Manager/Coordinator for web design and development.

      Current Salary: $55,000

      2 years experience, plus Bachelors and MBA

      Location: City in the Midwest

      1. Digital Producer / Project Manager*

        I’m also a Digital Producer / Project Manager at a digital agency.

        Salary: $50,000 (about $44,000 in USD)
        Location: Australia
        Experience: 2 years agency experience (plus a couple of years non-agency experience before then, some of which is specifically relevant to my role but most of which is more general)
        Other: Hons degree in another field, no benefits

  351. Archivist / Librarian*

    Title: Archivist, Records Manager, and Librarian
    Geographic Area: Austin, TX
    Experience: 11+ Years
    Salary: $46,000 (+good benefits)

    1. Librarian / Dept. Head*

      Title: Head of X Dept. (in Academic Library)
      Geographic Area: Austin, TX
      Experience: 11+ years
      Salary: $50K + good benefits

  352. Project Archivist*

    Job details/duties: I’m processing (arranging/organizing and describing) and digitizing a historical forestry collection. Position is full-time and funded for 1 year.
    Geographic area: Western South Dakota
    Years of experience: 2 in special collections/archives, 11 in libraries Education: MLS degree with archives/special collections concentration
    Your salary: $29K
    Female

    Position is temporary with no benefits, and (at present) no sign of extension.

  353. Public School Teacher - Special Education*

    Greater Boston
    Special education Preschool (ABA) classroom
    Public Schools
    $67,000
    10 years experience
    Master’s (required by law to teach in MA)
    Working on another Master’s
    Retirement – 80% of my 3 highest earning years after 35 years service.
    I work 182 days a year!

  354. Human Resources Coordinator*

    $42,000
    Washington, DC
    2 years experience in HR, 7+ years experience in customer service

    I work for a private university as basically a generalist. My job is about half customer service (first point of contact for pay/benefits questions, new hire orientation) and half processing (creating contracts, entering pay and benefits into the database, checking the payroll each month for accuracy, etc).

  355. Membership Manager*

    Title: Membership Manager
    Geographic Area: NYC Metro
    Experience: 3+ years non-profit, no fundraising experience
    Salary: $58,000

  356. Tourism / Hospitality*

    Los Angeles
    3 years experience
    $36,000
    I cannot put my exact title as it would be a dead giveaway. I ctrl + F for tourism, hospitality etc. and it seems most of us are in the $3x,xxx range. I really hope to earn more in the future but not sure how as it seems wages are low across the board in this field.

  357. Anonymous*

    Marketing/PR at an academic publisher in the South
    16 years experience
    $42,000 with excellent benefits, including 4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks sick leave, and tuition benefits for me and my kids

  358. Jamie*

    490 comments – this is amazing! That’s the beauty of the internet – anonymity.

    Seriously, how many of us would answer this question in real life? I’m thinking not many It annoys me that my own husband gets to see my W2!

    I just think it’s fascinating. Alison is your intern going to run some stats on this? Location, position, salary…it’s an interesting look into the demographics of your readers (assuming those who comment are an accurate sampling of all readers, which may or may not be the case in which we have to solve for the difference in control group and readers as an aggregate…)

    Because I have to tell you – my inner stats geek is getting all itchy thinking at the story these numbers will tell and I’d love to see the breakdown. (If I end up doing it myself for my own amusement it will make me the geekiest AAM fangirl of all…)

    2. AAA*

      +1 on the request for stats summary!!

      But I, for one, *would* answer this without the anonymity…but maybe that is because I typically over-share…

      1. Jamie*

        I, on the other hand, would be more likely to strip down to my bra in public while singing the theme song to “Hello Larry” than answer this question face to face.

        I am definitely not mid-spectrum for privacy on this. :)

        1. Accountant, US Gov't.*

          It’s weird with the fed, if you know an employee’s name you can generally look up how much they make online. I think if someone works for the military or law enforcement related agencies sometimes the info isn’t available, but for most people it is considered public record, including any bonuses.

      1. Director of communications in a nonprofit organization*

        The easy way would have been to use a web form designed specifically for this question, with different fields of different items, including a few plain text fields for comments. That would populate a database that would allow easy clean up and conversion to Excel or other software for analysis.

        Sadly, probably too late for that.

        1. Ask a Manager* Post author

          I know — I totally failed to anticipate how much response it would get. I could throw 100 bucks at the problem to get someone to do the data entry to put it in a Google spreadsheet and categorize it though. I think I’m going to post about this separately later this week (although if anyone has a better idea, tell me now!)

          1. Jubilance*

            I’m interested if you’re looking for someone to take on this project. The nerd in me would love to see how this data would look in something like Tableau.

          2. James M*

            I’m super-busy this week, but otherwise it would take me about 3 hours to write a computer program to scrape the HTML, look at each post for ones with a likely job title and salary, filter those posts through some regular expressions (for other info), and write the results to a CSV file with columns for the job title, salary, location, experience, education, and the full text of the post.

            A data entry person would still need to check each row, but it would probably be 1700% faster than bare-knuckle data entry.

              1. James M*

                I’ll review my workload and see if I can take a whack at it later today. I’ll email you before tomorrow morning with the results.

                2. Director of communications in a nonprofit organization*

                  It would be nice if the data was shared in a way that was open (perhaps the resulting Excel/CSV file) so other geeks could play with it.

          3. Josh S*

            This might be a job worth paying someone from TaskRabbit or Mechanical Turk or something–very low rates for repetitive tasks…

  360. Software Developer*

    Job: Junior C# Developer – mostly enterprise and UI development.
    Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    Experience: 1 year of C# experience, total experience in industry of 2.5 years.
    Salary:$64,000
    Benefits: RRSP match to 4%, annual bonus ~7-10%, 3 weeks vacation, flex time,health benefits.

    I’m also a female, if that counts for anything, with a B.Sc. in Computer Science.

  361. Asst. Supt./CFO*

    – Asst. Supt. for Business/Chief Financial Officer for School District…Oversee all non-educational aspects (Finance, transportation, food service, etc.)
    – Chicagoland Suburb
    – 6 years exp.
    – 159,000

  362. Financial Analyst*

    I work at a manufacturing company doing financial analysis for a couple of different managers. This role would be considered mid-level non management. It is a pretty 9 to 5 position which is a nice benefit

    Salary: $80K
    Experience: 5 year
    Other: 27 yr old Female
    Geography: Minnesota – where it’s cold

    Benefits are pretty standard but I have the ability to work flex hours and from home when I like.

  363. Anonymous*

    Hi Everybody. Are there any NY-based Assistant Editors (video) or Jr Editors who work in AVID out there reading this? I’ve seen positions paying $15-20 an hour. I think this is at the lower end. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

    1. Senior Editor, Print & Digital Publishing*

      I’m married to one — he gets a weekly rate and it ranges from $1300 to $1800/wk. He’s mainly on AVID and has worked for reality TV (Assistant Editor) as well as a high end cable network on a live sports show (Senior Media Manager).

    2. Wife of an editor*

      My husband uses final cut, but when he was freelancing he was getting about $35/hour. He’s full time at an ad agency now making in the mid $60s.

      Also, check out Creative Circle (a temp agency for creative jobs) – that’s how he’s found a lot of paid work.

  364. CommsAssociate*

    Job: Communications associate at a medium/small sized international nonprofit. I work mainly to support the overall communications team needs (editing, mailings, invoice processing, some writing, project development), as well as take the lead on our digital presence. That means everything from updating the website to running social media, developing strategy and outreach plans, implementing said plans, recording analytics, analyzing analytics, etc. At my organization this is a lower-mid level position, with assistant level being below, officer above, followed by manager, then director.
    Geographic Area: Washington, DC
    Approximate Years of Experience: 4
    Salary: $45,000

    I was recently promoted and had to fight tooth and nail for a pay bump more then $1000. Our organization does NOT like salary increases or staff members willing to advocate for them. I feel lucky to be paid what I am but still feel that the work I do should be compensated at a higher level.

  365. D.*

    Deputy County Attorney – Civil
    State of Utah
    8
    $69,000 a year.
    I also receive mediocre, though employer funded, health insurance plan. The upside of being underpaid is that I am eligible for that state retirement/pension plan.

  366. Office Manager (UK)*

    Salary: £20,000
    Region: UK (non-London)

    “Office Manager” in my case means I manage the office, since I don’t have any subordinates. I take care of most of the administrative, HR, and business needs of the company. I don’t have an HR qualification, but I do have about 10 years’ experience in administration.

  368. Software R&D Lead*

    Run a 50 person R&D team building software products. Team includes software developers, QA, product management.

    Location: Boston

    Salary: $105,000 plus variable annual bonus which is typically $25,000 – $30,000

    Years experience: 10+ at company, 3.5 years in current role

    Benefits: 6 weeks PTO (based on tenure), excellent health care coverage

  369. Anon*

    Title: Campaign Lead
    Description: run (strategy and tactics) 2 large regional marketing campaigns consisting of about 15 brands.
    Experience: <5 years
    Geog: mid-sized city, Ontario, canada
    Salary: $75,000
    Perks: 15% yearly bonus (NOT guaranteed), great health and dental insurance, $600 "Lifestyle" account, 3 wks vacation

  370. Paralegal*

    Litigation paralegal in the Chicago Loop area. 6 years of experience, and lots of responsibility for day-to-day case management. For this I make $12,50 per hour. No, that isn’t a typo. No benefits of any kind.

  371. Human Resources Generalist*

    Title/Info: HR Generalist supporting a 250 employee division of a 10k+ employee global manufacturing organization. Report to VP of HR, part of a five person department.
    Geographic area: Indiana
    Years of experience: 8 overall, less than a year with the company
    Salary: $75,000 (bonus potential up to $22,500 annually)

    Company salary strategy is to pay at the 75 percentile. Strong benefits package, Best Places to Work in Indiana award winner.

  372. Assistant Admin Analyst*

    Title: Assistant Administrative Analyst, Basic Life Support Program Coordinator
    Company: Medium-sized Fire Department (Local Gov’t Agency)
    Location: Los Angeles Metro Area
    Experience: 1 year post-graduate school, 2-3 additional years (part-time) post-BA
    Education: Ph.D. (in unrelated field)

    Duties/Responsibilities:
    I do data analysis and reporting for things like firefighter response times, quality management of emergency medical services, and ambulance billing. I also am the manager of our “Ambulance Operator” program – I manage 32 EMTs – though because of the nature of a paramilitary organization like the fire service, I really just approve vacation time, etc. as their Fire Captains mostly handle their day-to-day management.

    Salary: ~$45,000 ($21.70/hour + some benefits)

  373. Graduate student*

    Position: Graduate student (doctoral)
    Field: Evolutionary biology
    Location: California central coast
    Education (prior): MS
    Salary: $33K
    Benefits: good health insurance, no dental, time off by arrangement but discouraged (NO summers off!)
    Hours: typically 40-60/week, 80+/week during fieldwork and writing periods

    Just wanted to toss in a comment to say that grad school doesn’t always require abject poverty. I’ve been supported by fellowships for my entire 5.5-year program, have had a limited teaching requirement (3 classes in 5 years), and work solely on my own research. I am very, very lucky – much more funding is available for STEM degrees than humanities – but it can be done. Currently I caretake in exchange for free rent, so even living in an expensive part of the country, I will graduate debt-free and with some money saved.

    I’m a 32-year-old woman.

  374. ETL Integration Developer*

    Job Description: I take data from multiple enterprise level databases and extract, transform and load the data into data warehouses and other auxiliary databases. I work with IBM Cognos, Oracle and SQL Server.
    Geographic area: Phoenix, Arizona
    Approximate years of experience: 9 months
    Your salary: $98,000
    Pertinent Info: I’ve been working with the same higher ed institution for 8 years. I recently asked for a job change and received a lateral move. Now I’m learning new skills on the job.

    1. ETL Integration Developer*

      I should also mention I’m female, 36, have been in Information Technology and computer programming positions since high school, and I have a Master’s Degree in Information Management.

    2. ETL Integration Developer*

      My pay grade runs from $69,000 to $98,000 so I’m what they call “red-lined” at the top. Since we are part of the state government, our institution requires 11.6% mandatory contribution to the Arizona State Retirement System, which they start partial matching after 5 years and match 100% after 10 years of service. We get 4 weeks vacation, 3 weeks sick time, and 17 paid holidays every year. Our health insurance is the best I have ever had and it’s very inexpensive (less than $80 per paycheck out of pocket). We can take classes tuition-free at any of our ten colleges in the system.

  375. Anon35*

    – Business analyst on the user side, i.e. liaise between the users and MIS and maintain the business data in a large ERP system
    – Los Angeles
    – 7, not including a masters in my field
    – 70K + overtime at 1.5x, I averaged a couple of hours each week last year
    – Fortune 500 non-Tech company

    PS. Echoing other commenters here, I am totally itching to analyze this hahahah.

  376. Employment Specialist*

    I work for the Department of Workforce Development for the State of Indiana. I’m stationed at a career center in the northern part of the state. Mid-sized industrial city. I’m a Community Employment Specialist, which basically means I help unemployed or underemployed people as they look for work. Emotionally draining but rewarding job.

    $24,000/year.

    State salaries here are shamefully low.

    1. Employment Specialist*

      Also meant to include: I am a 29 year old female. BA in English. 7 years of experience in Non-Profit communications.

  377. Anon*

    Female, 16 years experience, 5+ at current position.
    Gallery Manager
    roughly 40K, plus benefits.
    TX

  378. Public Defender*

    Midwest
    Lots of experience, but not in this field.
    $53,000 (standard starting salary)
    Excellent benefits, terrible hours.

    Best job in the world.

    1. Youth Program Director*

      Glad you love your job!

      I also should add I think my job is the best job in the world. Anyone else?

  379. Michele*

    Title: Manager of Production and Allocations (Menswear)
    Experience: 8 Years
    Geographic Area: NYC
    Salary: $70k

    Full benefits paid, 4 weeks of vacation

  380. Online Marketing Manager*

    Job: Manage all online marketing initiatives (SEO, PPC, social media, online branding, blogging, web design, lead generation, etc.) but not people (yet).
    Geographic area: Greater Boston Area
    Years of Experience: 4
    Salary: $75,000 + $6,000 bonus available based on predetermined goals ($1,500 a quarter, $300 per goal met)

    Also have decent health insurance, 19 days of PTO that accrued throughout the year (includes sick time) and some telecommuting allowed (when I’m sick or need to be home for something, or during snowstorms).

  381. Precert RN for a TPA*

    your job – preauthorize procedures and inpatient stays for our clients and their employees
    your geographic area – Northwest US
    your approximate years of experience – 43 in the medical field, 33 as an RN
    your salary – $60,000/year
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context – I get to work from home in my pajamas all the time and my employer is very kind a rational, not like some of those horrible ones you can think of. We make reasonable decisions about care. I have made as much as $75,000/year as a director in a hospital, but the stress was much more. My work and pay history is like most RNs who tend to make less as they get closer to retirement.

  382. Executive Administrative Assistant*

    ■Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO & COO of a national youth service non-profit
    ■Midwest, population 600,000+
    ■2.5ish years of experience, depending on how you calculate it. Basically, entry-level
    ■Just under $30,000 (sigh…)
    ■It’s a non-profit and I love my job, so it’s worth it to me (except right now, when I am hunting for my next apartment…)

    2. Executive Administrative Assistant*

      I just realized I didn’t include anything about benefits:
      -Amazing health/dental/vision/etc
      -403(b) with 12% match
      -Free gym membership
      -I started with 12 days each of sick/vacation time. Next year I’ll go up to 12 sick/17 vacation (yay!)
      -Amazing, supportive team and manager + great work/life balance and occasional bring-your-pet-to-work days (a HUGE perk for me)

  383. Staff Auditor/Internal Compliance Auditor*

    South Central Pennsylvania – around $25,000/year. I have been auditing for a year now and I’m preeetty sure I am making less than I should be (but that’s also one of the reasons why I’m currently looking for another job)

    I have an associate’s degree in Business Administration and this is my first auditing position. Prior to this I have worked as an admin. assistant and a customer service rep.

    Here is my resume’s version of my duties as an auditor.
     Perform required audit procedures, including compliance testing and substantive testing
     Prepare audit reports that identify deficiencies and recommend a timely resolution for problem areas
     Schedule compliance reviews and audits based on the policy guidelines developed by management
     Communicate audit needs to senior management and the board of directors
     Review previous examination reports to ensure recommendations have been implemented

    1. Staff Auditor/Internal Compliance Auditor*

      Also — I’m a 26 year old Female. (who lives with her parents until she can afford a place of her own – not relevant except to complain about my low salary)

      1. Auditor*

        Your challenge might be the associate’s degree. Most internal auditors have experience with a public accounting firm plus a bachelor’s or master’s degree. It could also be location. Do you have any certifications like a Certified Internal Auditor or Certified Fraud Examiner?

        1. Jamie*

          Totally agreed if she’s a financial auditor, but I can’t tell from her post if she is, or if she’s an internal auditor for QC. They don’t tend to have the same educational requirements.

          On the subject I’m a fan of the professional org IIA – Institute of Internal Auditors. Membership comes with some pretty great networking opportunities as well as access to training resources which are really useful.

          I’m not on the membership committee – just throwing it out there.

          1. Staff Auditor/Internal Compliance Auditor*

            I completely understand that my associate’s degree is probably holding me back in this area. I feel like I am in a complete catch 22 though. I need more schooling to continue in any career, but I cannot afford to pay for it. Also, I am horrible at online classes and I am not comfortable walking across a college campus at night for evening classes. My place of employment does have tuition reimbursement, but in order to use it, you have to sign a contract that states you must work for them the entire time you are in school plus the equivalent years after school (meaning 4 years of school = 4 years of working AFTER I graduate) or else I have to pay them back IN FULL within so many days after I quit.

            So I’m screwed no matter which way I look at it.

            1. Judy*

              Be sure to check out what it means. I did my masters and my company had a program like that. But I took one class at a time, while working full time. They considered that I was “working off” the previous class when I was taking the next class. They only counted the time after school for the lucky folks that made it in to the “fellowship program” where they paid salary and let you go to school full time.

  384. Administrative Coordinator*

    I am graded as an administrative assistant at a university- I design marketing materials (print and web), plan marketing, events, online registration for non-degree/continuing education for nurses. Another facet of my job is assisting professors in designing online classes that are user friendly and educationally sound. I am also responsible for keeping everything on track for the new offerings my department plans and also coming up with some of those plans I don’t do much calendaring/meeting coordination/gatekeeping. I was lucky enough to create my job from scratch to suit my needs and I have 2 student assistants

    Salary $35,000
    Experience: 14 years
    Benefits- 5 weeks vacation (or 10 weeks at half pay)
    80% tuition waiver (but it is very expensive to even pay 20%)
    decent health care, but it used to be free!

    1. Administrative Coordinator*

      Also I am female- I think it hasn’t effected my salary, but men who start as “administrative assistants” which is basically the university speak for “worker- general” get promoted out of it fairly quickly. Weirdly, the next step up is usually Assistant Director– there isn’t really anything in between.

      I have a BA with a double major in English and Theatre

  385. Senior Accountant*

    This is an entry level accounting position at a Fortune 500 company located in central Ohio. I have 10+ years of experience but still at entry level because I got a late start on my career plus I don’t have a degree – yet should have my bachelors degree in Accounting later this year.

    I make $50K plus good benefits / PTO time. I’ve been here 7 years and have 5 weeks of vacation a year. Not sure how my tenure might impact my current salary.

    I am a woman and I am 40 years old.

  386. Marketing Researcher*

    I am the only marketing researcher for a relatively small consumer packaged goods company ~250 employees, ~100 million revenue. I work with vendors on projects too large to tackle on our own, use SurveyMonkey to conduct internal and external research, analyze the data from those reports, and report them to the appropriate audiences within the company. I live in a small town area of Oregon (not Portland), and make $57k.

    Or did…I just found out I’m being laid off.

    1. Marketing Researcher*

      Oh, and I have very little experience. I transferred from a different position in the company, so it’s been mostly OTJ training, with a few week-long classes/seminars for good measure. I’ve been in the position coming up on two years.

  387. Marketing Communications Manager*

    I am a marcomms manager for a building-related consulting firm – I manage all our external communications programs (PR, web, social, market research, speakers bureau, etc). I am a member of our leadership team and have a lot decision making authority, manage the budget etc etc
    Seattle, WA
    About 13 years in marketing, 8 in professional services (architecture, design, consulting)
    $70,600 base plus annual sales bonus opportunity
    Salary is in addition to partially subsidized healthcare for employees (no subsidy for spouses/dependents and it is freaking expensive), professional development budget, fairly generous PTO accrual

    1. Marketing Communications Manager*

      Oh, I’m a female and I also have a fairly generous 401K program, it’s a small (under 50) private firm and I’ve been here for five years and got promoted once. I’m also the only person in the department and I average about 50 hours a week.

      this is fascinating – would love an analysis!

  388. Preschool Teacher*

    I teach at a licensed, NAEYC accredited private preschool. Our tuition is on the higher end of the scale for local preschools and we consistently have a waitlist for openings.

    Positions: Lead teacher
    Years of experience: 1 preschool specific, 5 in education field
    Education: BA completed, MA in progress
    Geographic region: Minnesota, Urban
    Salary: $30,000
    Benefits: Good health plan with dental, small life insurance policy, 3% retirement matching, flexible PTO, excellent working environment

  389. Digital Content Writer*

    Geographic Area: Greater Philadelphia Area

    Years of Experience: Approx. 2 yrs writing, including student internships in college and freelancing. (One year out of college, THANK YOU ALISON FOR HELPING ME FIND MY JOB!!)

    Salary: $40,000+benefits (health insurance, 401k after first year, etc.)

    So I’m responsible for newsletters and social media for my company. My employers are very big into professional development, so they’re talking about sending me to conferences on publishing and marketing, as well as providing me with study materials and resources to learn more about the practical aspects of the craft. :) All of which I include as perks and benefits, so I’ve added here. I can’t describe to you how AMAZING it is to work somewhere that supports this. :)

  390. English Instructor (university-level, non-tenure track)*

    English Instructor — non-tenure track, 4/4 load, 3-yr renewable contract
    Large State University in SEC
    3+ yrs experience
    $35,000
    Good benefits

  391. PhD Candidate*

    Social sciences.
    $25k – 5 year program. If you get accepted, your offer is $25k plus a bump if you get an external fellowship during your first two years. Currently still make $25k in my sixth year because of an external fellowship.
    East coast
    Private university

    (Thought I’d add my data but not sure how helpful it will be!)

  392. HR Supervisor*

    HR Supervisor
    New England – medium sized city

    Years of experience: 4 in supervisory role (I supervise 3 staff members currently), 4 in HR
    Salary: 40k
    Benefits: Approx. $300 per month for medical (our cheapest plans are around $500 individual premium), 401k match up to 6%

  393. Medical Office Manager*

    Title: Office manager for orthopedic surgeon
    Description: manage day to day operations for doctors office, supervise 10 employees, A/R, payroll, insurance contract negotiation
    Gender: Female
    Location: Texas
    Experience: 12 years
    Education: Bachelor’s degree
    Salary: 55,000 + benefits

  394. Adjunct Professor*

    ■Adjunct professor, community college
    ■North Texas
    ■10+
    ■$570 per credit hour
    ■Adjuncts at this institution are limited to 9 hours per 15 week semester, or just over 10K per year. No benefits.

    I typically don’t know for certain how many classes I will have until a week or less before classes start- if my class doesn’t have enough students, it won’t “make” and I’m down a class. If a full-time faculty member’s section doesn’t make, an adjunct’s section is usually reassigned to them. In that case, it’s expected that the adjuct’s prep work will be passed along to the new instructor, but the adjunct won’t be paid for their work.

  395. Team Lead - Human Resources/Recruiting*

    I manage a mid-sized group of entry level people in recruiting at a large bank in Ohio; I am a female with approximately 8 years of experience; I make 44k per year.

  396. Development Coordinator*

    Position: Development Coordinator (nonprofit fundraising)
    Experience: 2 part time years during college. 2 full time before this position, 3 in this position.
    Salary: $43K
    Location: Atlanta
    Sex: Female

    I have fantastic benefits including a great 401k match and lots of vacation time (saving for a wedding and honeymoon or else I’d be shamed into going somewhere ASAP). I love this idea!

  397. Small Firm Associate Attorney*

    Associate Attorney
    Small, general practice firm (3 attorneys)
    Location: Midwest/Great Plains – metro area with a population of ~2 million
    Experience: 6 years; 1 year at this firm.
    Salary: $44k in 2013 (which included base salary of $36k plus bonus for work I brought in)
    Also receive health and dental insurance completely paid by firm and mileage reimbursement for travel related to job.

    1. Small Firm Associate Attorney*

      I’m also female – two of the three founding partners are female as well.

  398. Graphic Designer*

    Toronto, ON
    5+ year experience
    46K + great benefits, three weeks vacation.

    I started this job recently, so even though we get bonuses, I’m not sure what the range is like. Graphic design is a fussy industry, in general, when it comes to salary range. Over the past four years I’ve jumped 18k just by changing employers a couple times.

    1. MissDisplaced*

      Yes, graphic design has a HUGE range.
      I’ve seen anything from $10/hour (an insult!) up to $75k if you progress to Senior Art or Creative Director (hard to do). I think that on average for an experience designers runs more in the $45-$55k average depending on the size of the agency or company.

    2. I hire and manage graphic artists*

      The range is giant.

      Entry level production art is $15-$17 an hour. Most entry level do not progress.

      A creative director makes $65K .

      We have an amazing one-of-a-kind web designer who makes $80k, and we’re lucky to have him at that because not only is he one of the most talented designers ever, but he can manage delegating all of the technical aspects of his web work and incorporate the technical back into his final work, and launch.

      Graphic art is almost like being a Hollywood actor. There’s a small percent who go into the field who have the talent and the chops to make the jump to $$ and then there is serious competition for them.

      1. Graphic Designer*

        IMO, the problem with a lot of entry level production and design roles is that if you aren’t working somewhere with good projects (a decent agency, daring company, innovative non-profit, etc), it’s very hard to grow professionally.

        If you’re working at a sign or print shop, you don’t really get projects that make you better. I left my last job because my art director wasn’t a good designer, so working with him, my designs would never get decent feedback and it was hard to improve.

        1. I hire and manage graphic artists*

          I agree with you. We do give opportunities but we’re not art school. Our current creative director started out doing lower-than-production-art at $12 an hour so there are indeed opportunities, but for people who understand the basics of design and have “an eye”. People who don’t show promise don’t get mentored.

          I could go on all day about what I think of the prep that students get from schools, either for profit or traditional university, that they paid $$$$ for.

    3. Graphic Designer (also)*

      In-house graphic designer
      Los Angeles, CA
      4 years of experience
      $40,000

      I am the only graphic designer at my company. My original title was Jr Graphic Designer, which was changed over the summer, but I haven’t received a salary increase. This is my first in-house job. For cost of living in LA, and my experience, this seems to be in the low- mid range.

      I am female.

  399. Membership Associate*

    Process membership applications, product orders, institutional subscriptions , heavy phone and email customer service
    Geographic Area: DC Metro
    Years of Experience: 1 (3 years of various administrative positions)
    Salary: $39k

  400. Project Manager*

    Title: Project Manager

    Company: We provide various language services in our city and elsewhere, to both corporate and individual clients

    Job Description: Working with various file types, proofreading, formatting, pricing projects, communicating with clients and freelance linguists, and investigating payment inquiries.

    Geographic Area: Greater St. Louis area

    Years of experience: 3 at the company, 6 months in the job itself. I started as an Admin Assistant, was promoted to Executive Assistant, then promoted to Project Manager. Basically, though, it’s just above entry-level.

    Salary: $33k (and I had to fight for that), no benefits, small company.

  401. Quality and Process Manager*

    $74000 salary plus bonuses and benefits (medical, dental, 401k).

    I’m a quality and process manager (Six Sigma, Lean, etc) for a Fortune 500 (in the top 20) company. My daily job consists of process improvement and management training.

    I’m in the Detroit-Area. I have thirteen years with the company, six years in management, two years of quality and process experience and I’m three credits short of my BS in Business Management (I should be done in a few weeks).

    And I’m a female working in a largely male-dominated field.

  402. Kitchen Hand/Prepared Foods Team Member (Grocery Store/Food Retail)*

    Title: Prepared Foods Team Member
    Salary: 12.14/hour, or about ~$25,000 a year
    Experience: 6 years in food retail (various grocery stores and restaurants)
    Education: High school diploma
    Geography: Nevada
    Gender: Female
    Benefits: Health insurance which is pretty “meh” (I use my husband’s insurance instead), store discount (yay!), a really “meh” 401K, monthly bonuses called “gainsharing” (I’m kind of giving away my company here…) that are from the store’s profits, which range from $80-$400, depending on your department and the season
    Description: serving customers, preparing food (chopping, grilling, mixing stuff… yeah, this is probably self explanatory :P), cleaning
    Hours: Are random- I can start anywhere from 6am and get off work as late as 10:30pm
    Other info: the wage cap for someone in my position (i.e. someone who is not a supervisor or manager) is $17

    I’m not sure if anyone’s interested in mine, but it was fun to fill out nonetheless!

    Also, this is a really cool idea!

    1. Kitchen Hand/Prepared Foods Team Member (Grocery Store/Food Retail)*

      My official title is “Prepared foods team member” but I thought that might be vague which is why I added the other “titles.”

    2. Kitchen Hand/Prepared Foods Team Member (Grocery Store/Food Retail)*

      Also, those monthly bonuses tend towards $80, and I’ve never had one over $200 (the larger bonuses go to other departments, like front end and grocery)

  403. Systems Administrator*

    Salary: $80,000 + overtime at double time + benefits including a defined benefit pension
    Location: Western Canada
    Experience: 6 years military, 10 years senior management, 15 years IT
    Demographics: Female in her 40s

  404. Account Director (Social Media)*

    I work for a large advertising agency in a large midwestern city. I’m female, with 7 years of experience in this industry. Salary is $98.5k (though last year I earned $115k gross including bonuses).

  405. Mel*

    Marketing director
    10 years experience
    Portland, OR
    Salary 40K
    Part time, health (no dental, no 401K), awesome wellness program, flexible schedule, unlimited time off (with no pressure)

    It’s less than half what I was making before (full time), but I can take whatever time I need to be with my kids. I LOVE my job.

    1. Anna*

      What does the marketing director do? I have a concept of “marketing” but I’m not sure what a management position in marketing would look like. And likely it’s something I’ll want to know at some point.

  406. Corporate and Foundations Fundraiser*

    I’m in DC, I’ve been in the fundraising/grant writing field 5 years and have a masters in nonprofit management. I’m currently making $55,000 (benefits + 401k). (and I work for a nonprofit in case that wasn’t already clear)

    This type of collection of data is so helpful. I can’t speak to other sectors, but the nonprofit sector is incredibly poor in the salary history collection area. While I get that a lawyer/social worker/accountant is going to have a value regardless of private/government/nonprofit sector (though the sector may vary slightly in pay range) – for those of us in truly “nonprofit only” jobs searchable terms like “technical writer” simply aren’t useful.

    Prior to my current position (which I’ve had now for 2 weeks!), I was working overseas as an organization’s lone fundraiser in a city with a cost of living similar to a Midwestern large city (but not Chicago). I was making roughly $29,000 (it was a country where there was good national healthcare, very generous pension packages, and a far more generous vacation/holiday policy – so there are benefits not entirely represented by the salary, but nothing extensive). On my return for the US, I simply had no clue what I could begin to ask for. It would be great to see someone take this data and try to come up a more searchable database.

    1. Donor Projects Manager*

      Well, the good thing about nonprofit jobs at the top of the ladder is that you can just look up the org’s Form 990 to see what it paid in the past. But I agree, it’s tough to determine at the mid- to entry- level.

    2. Hey There*

      Can I ask how you found your current position? We are looking for a development/fundraising and operations person for a non-profit in the DC area (Bethesda) and have trouble getting quality applicants. It’s Director level and pays $70-80k plus performance based incentives.

      To your larger point, there is a non-profit salary survey for DC at http://nonprofitroundtable.org/storage/documents/pnpsalarysurveydc2012.pdf. It breaks down salary ranges by size of the non-profit, which is helpful too.

      1. Online Fundraising Manager*

        Post your job on Idealist.org – it’s where all my best candidates have always come from.

      3. Corporate and Foundations Fundraiser*

        Another place to try that does get more senior candidates is Reliefweb – though that will also depend on the subject matter of your organization.

        I can’t speak for everyone in my field – but personally, the phrase “performance based incentives” would scare me off. I’ve only been in the field for 5 years, so a lot of my experience and those of my peers has still been on the “entry level/teeny tiny organization” scope – but everyone I’ve known that’s worked somewhere with that dynamic, has not been in a very supportive environment.

        I don’t know specifically what you mean by “performance based incentives” – but I can say that I would read that and pass. In my masters nonprofit program it was a kind of job that we were specifically told to avoid. This may be generational or regional and I’m sure there are other opinions – but from what you’ve provided that’s the only thing that jumped out at me.

        After my previous job where I was the lone fundraiser for a 40 person organization, I knew I wanted my next job to be in a place where I worked for people who understood fundraising. I was tired of too many meetings with my boss (the ED) where it felt like one tragic and ongoing Buzzfeed list of how sad it is to be a fundraiser (i.e. I don’t understand why you can’t just send Richard Branson an email?). While the performance based incentives you’re offering may be very standard for your industry and not the scary “commission” based scenario I’m imaging – it would scare me off. Rightly or wrongly.

        1. Vice President, Fund Development*

          I disagree with this assessment of performance based incentives. I see many nonprofits moving toward this, and while it has its pros and cons, if managed right I think they are worth it. What we as fundraisers are to steer away from are commission-based packages, which are fraught with danger. Performance incentives, on the other hand, could be useful. My greatest concern would be that fundraisers aren’t so “incentive”-motivated that they put inappropriate pressure on donors or lose focus on the mission of the organization.

          1. Corporate and Foundations Fundraiser*

            My position in being turned off of “performance based incentives” – is that I don’t know what the incentives would be if they’re not commission based packages. So the phrase alone would make me assume commission. If there are non-commission oriented incentives that can be offered, I’d be interested in just learning what they are.

            As I said before, I’m relatively new to the field (5 years), so most of my and my peers experiences have been more at the entry level end of the spectrum. And most with smaller organizations. I’ve also been working outside of the US up until recently, and while I was working with American fundraisers – the professional environment was different. Those who worked in heavy commission based environments were usually treated really poorly in terms of support and worked with organizations that had dubious boards/management.

  407. HR Generalist*

    HR Generalist – recruiting, benefits management, payroll entry, and every administrative task that HR gets to handle. Non-manager, smaller HR dept (2 managers, me, and an assistant for a company of 250).

    Located in MD, 30 mins from DC.

    Approx 4 years experience.

    Salary – $49,500 (started as an Assistant at $43k, promoted to coordinator at $48k after 6 months, promoted again to current salary after 2 years with company)

  408. Video game writer*

    Develop and implement storylines for online video games.

    $50/hour, contract. 1 year experience. San Francisco area. Female.

    1. tea*

      If you don’t mind me writing, how did you get into/become successful in your field? I’d love to go into writing for videogames, though I know it’s a very competitive field right now, but am not even sure where to start.

      1. Video game writer*

        My husband worked for video game companies so I had an “in”. I have no idea how else you could get started with it; everyone on the planet wants this job. You have to have a high tolerance for nosy executives messing up all your stories, though. :)

      2. Chris*

        One good way is to develop and write your own stuff. For instance, Phoenix Wright has a fan community where some creators write and design their own cases using either Ace Attorney Online or PyWright. Of course, that would involve learning spriting (difficult) and programming (feasible) as well.

        1. Chris*

          Or maybe check Newsgrounds and get a team to design a flash game and work your way in as a writer from there.

    2. Mike C.*

      Do you face problems trying to create stories that feature main characters that are women, or at least women characters that aren’t two dimensional or always in need of saving?

  409. (Former) Patent Analyst*

    Eh, I might be semi-recognizable to some of you (if anyone even makes it down this far in the thread). Job searching at the moment, so my currently salary is $0. :(

    Former role:
    -Job/company: Patent Analyst at a smallish (about 150 people total) legal consulting firm. The company had a contract with the USPTO for reviewing a certain subset of its patent applications.

    I worked on the commercial side where we did research projects for (mostly) attorneys and corporate counsels. Basically, I searched for things (a more accurate term would be patent searcher). I was an individual contributor (i.e., no management experience) and did research on client requests using commercial patent databases and academic literature. I had to understand the technicality of the literature and the client’s project. Wrote reports of my findings based on what I could find in the amount of time the client purchased. A little legal analysis required (mostly just wading through the patent law terminology), but nothing along the lines of writing motions, filing suits, etc.

    -Salary: $68,000/year, no bonuses, exempt, worked about 50-55 hours, week, OT infrequent (sometimes given if there’s a client rush or you agree to work a holiday).

    -Benefits: Average

    -Prior experience: two years’ prior experience doing a similar role at the USPTO

    -Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering (although I had several coworkers with JDs)

    -Geographic area: DC

  410. Sr. Planner*

    I work for a large Fortune 500 company in Chicago. I’m a demand planner and make 82K. I have 5.5 years of experience with a bachelors degree. Benefits: 6% 401K company match, a 9% annual bonus, and 3 weeks of vacation. I’m female.

  411. Library Technical Assistant*

    Library Tech Assistant in Digital Services department
    Grant funded, projected two year project with benefits
    BA & MLIS
    Couple years experience with part-time and internship
    $26,000
    Atlanta, GA

  412. "Senior Engineering Technician" (Administrative Assistant)*

    For all intents and purposes I am an administrative assistant for an engineering company in the Midwest United States. (Our company likes to give people titles like this).

    I have 5+ years experience as an admin/account rep/project coordinator. I have a bachelor’s degree in business. I am a female.

    I prepare all correspondence, presentations, proposals, set up conferences, schedule workers to go into the field, make travel arrangements, and review any written work done on engineering projects before it leaves the office.

    I make 40K as an hourly full time employee. I get three weeks vacation with full benefits and can take up to 80 hours of unpaid leave which I think is actually really nice. I use my husbands insurance however because his is MUCH better. Hopefully this helps someone!

  413. Senior Program Consultant - Energy Efficiency*

    Running residential energy efficiency programs in a regulated environment. Day to day work is mainly project based/project management. I supervise two employees. 45-50 hr/wk average with ~10 weeks closer to 60 hr. Small company <50 employees.

    Southern California

    2 years (both at current company) plus an extremely relevant grad school internship. I've been promoted twice while here.

    Great insurance fully funded for me and my dependents. 24 days PTO (holiday, vacation, sick). No 401k match, but we get profit sharing (last year @5% of salary). Smaller bonuses (1-6K).

    $75,000 (12% increase from last promotion)

    Professional MS in field straight after undergrad.

  414. Child care*

    I already posted, but this topic is great!
    Normal rate for babysitting in the Bay Area, California is about $10/hour
    (assuming it’s a young person without credentials or anything)
    Minimum $20 though, and more like $15/hour for two kids
    And a pizza!

    1. I'll Play!*

      And this is why for YEARS, my husband I never went out unless we could get a Grandma or Aunt to watch the kids (now I pay the older one to watch the younger one!).

  415. HR Manager*

    Female, 13 years experience, Masters, CIPD (professional HR qualification), experience in corporate, NFP, currently in a 500 person organisation in the South East UK, responsible for the overall HR provision. Salary is equivalent to $75,000, 7.3 weeks holiday (including public holidays), 8% pension contributions from employer, free food. No private healthcare but that isn’t as big a deal in the UK. Sick pay is lousy. Salary is good for the area- could earn much more in London but I’d be sacrificing a 30 minute car journey for over an hour by rail (and paying through the nose for it).

  416. Grants & Community Development Director*

    Duties: Write grants for a nonprofit ($1.5M budget), manage grant making programs, and provide technical assistance for grantees
    Location: Louisiana
    Experience: 6 years of experience + MA in the field
    Salary: $46,400 + decent benefits (vacation, health insurance, simple IRA with match)

    1. Grants & Community Development Director*

      Experience includes 2 years of 30/hours a week during grad school

  417. Senior Communication Specialist*

    30 y/o Female in Los Angeles with a degree in communications. I am a senior specialist in internal communications for a Fortune 100 company. Job includes lots of writing and internal communication strategy development for clients and team members. I make a little over $70k – salaried and exempt. Company offers reasonable benefits – medical, dental, vision, 2% 401k match, plus some other company-specific benefits that are nice. I now get 3 weeks vacation per year plus 10 sick days. I have a little over 3 years at this company (started at $52k, so I’ve received some nice bumps and a promotion in my time here) and 2 years prior experience in the industry.

  418. Grants & Federal Programs*

    Location: Rural South/East coast state
    Salary: $44,000
    I handle the federal education programs, write other grants, and manage the special projects for a small school district. I’ve been on this job for 11 years as of December. It’s probably one of the better-paid public sector jobs in this community.
    We get state benefits, which includes decent enough health insurance. The best benefit is state retirement (which I will be able to draw in 4.5 years).

  419. woop*

    Title: Client Services Manager
    Description: I’m the receptionist, on-site office admin, client relations manager, and attorney personal assistant all rolled into one at a VERY small law firm (2 attorneys, a paralegal, and me.)
    Area: Los Angeles
    Experience: 1.5 years at this job, got hired (luckily) right after graduating with a B.A. in English
    Salary: Actually just got a raise, so $35,000 before taxes + health care coverage (but it’s pretty crappy and only getting worse)
    Additiona: I’m 23 years old and female.

  420. anonforthisone!*

    Customer service and engineering supervisor
    (Manufacturing from customer supplied files, NOT certified engineering)
    Associates degree
    ~5 years experience, 3 months as supervisor
    Midwest
    44k

  421. Administrative Analyst II*

    The company I work for is Insurance/Health Care delivery and has ~ 8,000 employees. My position involves some SAS programming, SQL, a lot of Excel, and some writing. I am a go-to person for some regulatory matters, and do some project management.
    Years of experience: 3 before having kids (though in a different position), was away for 10 years, and have been back for just about 3 years.
    Seattle, WA
    Salary: $65,000, with a 1-2,000 bonus.

    Female

    The health insurance is great (includes dental and vision), there is a defined contribution retirement plan (6.6%) as well as matching up to an additional 2%. There is life insurance, disability (regular and short-term), an employee assistance program, and in March I will be up to accruing 5 weeks PTO (combined sick and vacation) annually. We also get a floating holiday and 8 paid holidays.

  422. Career Counselor*

    Position: University career counselor
    Location: DC Metro Area
    Education: MA in an unrelated field
    Experience: 6 years related experience
    Salary: $51,000
    Gender: Female
    Other: Good PTO, retirement base + match, and tuition reimbursement benefits, decent health and dental coverage

  423. Marketing Communications Specialist*

    A mix of Marketing Manager, Graphic Designer, Web Designer with design, copywriting, product development and branding, quoting software management, event and trade show planning and general communications to distribution channels and customers. It’s a little bit of everything, but I love it.

    Location: Dayton, Ohio

    Experience: 2.5 years prior (part-time), 3 years in current position

    Salary: $37,000 (with about $2,000 in bonuses each year and an annual raise between 4-6%)

    Health insurance (it’s okay – I’m on my husband’s), HSA contributions ($1,000/yr), Short and Long-Term Disability (paid), Life Insurance (employer pays and amount is equal to your salary), 401K Matching up to 5%, 8 paid holidays, 2 weeks paid vacation (every 5 years earns another week, up to 4 weeks), fluid schedule and a lot of small perks like free flu shots, free Thanksgiving turkeys and donuts every Friday : )

    This is a small (~60 employees), private manufacturing company and the chain of command is CDO – Marketing Manager – Me – Intern.

    1. Marketing Communications Specialist*

      Forgot to mention I have a BFA in Fine Arts in Graphic Design with a Minor in Marketing.

  424. Office Manager Anon*

    Title: Office Manager:
    Duties: Wear 5-10 hats at work from bookkeeper to HR to Payroll to purchasing to PA for Owner and much much more!
    Geographic Area: Detroit, MI.
    Experience: 8 years (only at this company)
    Salary: 71k + bonuses +401K matching + other great benefits
    Associates degree and continuing work toward Bachelors – I take any class or training I can get my hands on.
    Direct reports: 6

    1. Office Manager Anon*

      Adds: 37 years young
      Industry: Engineering Automotive
      Travel- there has been talk for years sending me around world to visit 6 of our international offices. Not to keen on this.
      I am a woman.

  425. Research Director Nonprofit*

    $86,000.
    Milwaukee metro area
    Non profit
    Ph.D. in Political Science and Research Methods
    20 years’ career experience
    Two weeks’ vacation, 401K matching starts after 3 years.
    Female
    I’m over 50 so I was super excited to get this job after having been unemployed for 15 months, but it’s not a great fit. I was previously working as a Data Analyst for a company that went under and was making $145,000.

  426. consultamous*

    2 observations:
    (1) Highest rate of commenters writing “Also, I’m a woman” anywhere, ever?
    (2) It would be awesome (for you, for us) if this was a survey which captured age, years experience, degree, job title, industry, pay, travel…. etc — and then your intern could analyze and get (a) an estimate of where readers are geographically and (b) salaries for that area and also (c) salaries by industry.

    1. Clever Name*

      I’m also noticing that the lawyers seem to be the highest paid, which is okay, since they all hate their jobs. (I kid. I’m sure many lawyers like what they do, but the commenters on Corporette sure seem to hate their jobs.)

      Next highest paid seem to be the folks in STEM fields. I’m very heartened to see that many Ph.D. level research scientists make good money. I hear a lot about how Ph.D.s have a hard time finding work, and that what they do find is low-paying.

      The liberal arts seem to be the lowest paid.

      Most of this isn’t surprising, but it is cool to see how the trends you read/hear about played out in a concrete way with individual data points.

      1. AVP*

        Personally I’m surprised to see how decently many communications & marketing people are paid. I’m on the periphery of that field, and it’s encouraging to see that I could have that option, and that it pays well, if I need it later…

  427. Office Manager*

    Title: Office Manager – Basically I’m responsible for everything to run a small architectural and engineering firm. I do payables, billing, receivables, payroll, answer phones, order supplies, run errands, and anything else my boss (the president of the company) can think up. Because we’re very small (5 employees including myself), it’s part time ~25-30 hrs per week.
    Geographic Area: Houston, TX
    Experience: In this position, about 1.5 years, but in general work experience, I probably have about 5 years experience.
    Salary: ~$22k ($15/hr for 25-30hrs per week) No benefits. Got a $500 Christmas bonus last year.

    Other info- This is only one of my jobs, I’m also a tutor part time and one of the things that allows me to tutor is the flexibility of hours in this job, so I guess I’ll list that job too.

    Job Title : Tutor (through a tutoring company, I do mostly test prep – SAT and ACT)
    Geographic Area: Houston, TX
    Salary: Very hard to pin down a number on this… in 2013, I made about $10-11k, but the company has a very well structured raise/evaluation program that significantly increases my hourly rate. My current rate is $26.50/hr and I work ~15 hours per week, however I will likely have at least one raise, if not 2 by the end of the year which would put me at nearly $30/hr.

    1. Office Manager*

      Also, since I forgot to mention:

      Education: I have a BA with a double major in Political Science and Philosophy, minor in History (can you tell I love the social sciences?)

      And I am a female.

  428. University admin*

    Program assistant for public university
    40k plus tuition benefits with a value for me of about $14k
    2 weeks vacation, 6 days sick, 6 days personal, plus paid holidays

  429. HR Policy Analyst*

    20 years of HR experience (generalist, from HR Assistant up through HR Director). Currently a policy analyst/subject matter expert for 6 months for a set of employee relations policies (including Code of Conduct).

    Salary: $86k
    Region: NJ

    Expensive health insurance (so covered through spouse) but generous time off policies. Very small match to 401k, because I HAVE A PENSION PLAN. Who can say that these days?! Very large, private, for-profit company. No bonuses if not in leadership; very small annual increases for HR people. Very pleasant working environment; nicest place I’ve ever worked.

  430. SAP Security Analyst/Administrator*

    SAP Security Analyst and Administrator. I handle production user access, assist with audits, run occasional security checks on the SAP application, and assist with projects pertaining to SAP

    Oklahoma

    10; most is production only, no development (meaning I have not created profiles and/or roles)

    Base is $55,000, with up to possible 10% bonus at end of year

    My understanding is I am woefully underpaid, but SAP salaries appear to average wildly depending on experience and location. If I were to look for a different job, I would probably ask between 75K and 82K.

  431. Marketeer*

    Title: Communications Specialist
    Geographic Area: Hawaii
    Years of Experience: 7+
    Salary: $47,000; decent benefits; 3 weeks PTO; tuition reimbursement. I feel my salary is low compared to what I can do, but that’s a Hawaii thing. Plus, the lifestyle out here is amazing, and people will settle for a lower salary to live here. My manager is wonderful, and my office is generally very laid-back. Could be much worse.
    Additional context: One thing I want to mention about geography is that I moved here from SF, where I was a marketing manager. With 5 years of experience there, I made $73,000. When I mentioned that to prospective employers out here, they actually laughed at me. You have to be director or VP level to even come close to my old pay. This has skewed my own perspective, because I now make what I did when I was only two years out of school, so it’s like I’m moving backwards. My fear is that whenever I move back to the mainland, employers will see my Hawaii salary and lowball me.

    1. hawaii girl*

      Oh MAN! I feel you!!! I feel like I am moving backwards too, in Hawaii. I’m glad you posted this because I was feeling seriously depressed about my situation. I work in marketing for a local engineering company, and making what I did right out of college on the mainland.
      Though I agree lifestyle here is amazing, cost of living is really high as well ($50 easy at Safeway for one person for a few days of food. I used to buy a shopping cart full of food for that $ on mainland).
      PS – I have a MA degree and 5 years experience.

  432. managing editorial assistant*

    title: managing editorial assistant at an independent trade publisher
    area: San Francisco
    experience: entry level (BA in journalism, some internships and unpaid copy editing experience)
    salary: $32,000 with benefits and a yearly profit-sharing bonus

    Many of my attempts to search for salary numbers have been confounded by the fact that “managing editor” is a very different job title in magazine vs book publishing, so some of the other posts from publishing folks have been very informative! Thanks for doing this.

    1. Copy Editor - Ad Agency*

      You’ve probably already figured this out, but it might be better to just search for EA salaries and add a bit to those, since I’m assuming that you manage other folks? Or have a few years under your belt? (At my old reference publishing job, the step up from EA was assistant editor — so many the low end of that scale?)

      1. managing editorial assistant*

        Oops–way to complain that I can’t find salary info due to differing job descriptions, and then not actually describe what I do as Alison requested! I am not a manager, but rather an assistant for the managing editorial department, which is so named (I believe) because the managing editors manage the publication schedules. (Some of them do manage other employees, but it’s not necessarily in the job description.) So I’m at the same level as an EA, but in a different department–we deal more with copyediting, proofreading, and scheduling. (Similar to the way the production editors who have posted here describe their jobs, actually.) If anyone in publishing does happen to know how the pay in managing editorial generally compares to editorial, I’d be interested to hear it!

  433. Senior Accounting Manager*

    I do forecasting and cost accounting for a mid-sized contractor in the oil & gas industry.
    Geographic area: Texas
    Years of Experience: 8
    I have an MBA and am a 43-yr-old female.
    Salary: $93K plus bonus potential of 18%

    1. Inventory Accountant*

      Salary – 75k + 12 – 18% bonus
      Experience – 5 years
      Location – Houston
      Industry – oil & gas
      40- 45 hours/week; salaried
      Large JV between two Fortune 500 companies
      Female, 34
      BBA in Accounting, CPA eligible
      Standard benefits for the industry – 9/80, 6% 401 k match, 3 weeks vacation, unlimited sick time, decent medical,

  434. Anon*

    Not going to disclose title because I think it’s unique to my company and there aren’t many of us.

    New York City. Editorial, middle management level, in pharma advertising (in this industry, this role is as much about factchecking and regulatory compliance as it is about proofreading and copyediting). 7.5 years industry experience and 2.5 years related non-industry experience, plus college and grad school (the latter not required for the job); I’m in my late thirties. 96K, no structured bonuses, excellent benefits (including tons of time off, though working late is often necessary while we’re here).

  435. Parking Superintendent*

    Assists in managing the parking department of a major university. Oversees student employees, scheduling and assignments, customer service and support for failing machines, repair work on machines and driving around enforcing parking regulations.

    Location: Ohio

    Experience: 2 years as a student worker (part-time), then was promoted and have 6 months in current position

    Salary: ~$32000 (paid hourly and I get about an additional $5,000-$8,000 with overtime)

    Great health insurance, OPERS retirement system, all major holidays paid, 2 weeks paid vacation and free school at the University for immediate family (spouse and dependents). Also all the other perks of working at a University, like discounts and access to the library.

  436. Director of Development*

    Location: large East Coast city
    Salary: $58,000
    Experience: BA + 7 years experience
    Area: nonprofit, $3M-ish budget

    PS: I do know our budget, but I’m being deliberately vague :)

  437. Office Manager*

    I work in Washington, DC, and have been at my job almost exactly 3 years. This year, I make $49,000, up from my starting salary of $35,000 three years ago.

    I wear many hats, including executive assistant to the ED, HR stuff like resume screening and phone interviews, compliance stuff with state government, bookkeeping, payroll, and general office management.

    I do get the impression that I’m somewhat overpaid compared to others similarly situated, but my job is more complicated than some Office Managers’.

  438. HR Generalist*

    HR Generalist – a senior HR person who provides all the HR support (hiring, firing, performance management, training, recognition, retention, etc) to an industrial facility and also has HR responsibilities at the corporate head office
    Location: Ontario, Canada
    Approx years of experience: 7
    Salary: 80k + benefits and 3 weeks vacation. No retirement plan or bonuses.

  439. Marketing Comm. Manager*

    Title: Marketing Communications Manager
    Duties: Work with internal clients to develop marketing campaigns, and manage execution with internal digital and creative teams. No direct reports. Position is manager level.
    Industry: Financial Services
    Company Size: ~5000
    Location: metroBoston
    Salary: $77,000 + bonus (target = 10% of salary) = .
    Benefits: 15 vacation days with 3 floaters, plus 3 sick and 4 personal days, match on 401k up to 7%
    Experience: 15 years experience, but took time off for kids, before kids made $80K+ at a director level.

    REPLY

  440. Sr. Specialist - IT (woman)*

    Working at the same company for: 15 years
    Location: STL, MO
    Experience in this position: 2
    Salary: $56,000
    Bonus: Up to 10% of annual salary + potential for additional bonus
    Other perks: 50% off of personal cell phone, home monitoring and TV/Internet/Home phone bills.
    Vacation: 5 weeks paid
    Insurance: Costs me $100/month for family of 3
    401k match: Yes
    Do I like my job: Yes, lots of room for advancement

  441. Clinical Research Associate*

    AKA CRA, research coordinator, research assistant, study coordinator, study assistant, etc. I’m the hospital/research institute/university version of this, as opposed to the site monitor CRA who’s commented above. We can have a lot of roles but I do all of them, handling everything from grant applications to regulatory & compliance issues, IRB applications & updates, creating study documents and materials (including consent forms), recruiting, consenting and monitoring patients, editing manuscripts, getting supplies… Anything. I have 9 direct PIs and coordinate with a few others.

    Pacific NW

    <2 years professional experience, <2 years university experience as a student

    ~$41k

    I have a BA. A lot of people in these roles have an MS (or even higher) but there's a lot of variance. If you're interested in this kind of work, a graduate degree isn't necessarily a prereq. I started off with only my university research and dove straight in.

  442. Project Manager*

    – Project management and grant writing / grant application facilitation in academic science

    – Vancouver, Canada

    – 6.5 years of experience in current role
    – 12 years of overall work experience since terminal degree (PhD)

    -Salary: ~$65,000 (Canadian)

    1. Anon*

      Do you work at UBC/SFU/one of the other schools around here? What are your daily duties like, if you don’t mind my asking?

      1. Project Manager*

        No – I’m at a separate research institute, but we are affiliated with both UBC & SFU (our profs hold appointments there and our students are registered there).

        I wrote about the grant side of things as a guest post at the Research Whisperer blog last year: http://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/grant-writing/

        I’ve written some posts about the project management side of things on my personal blog: http://occamstypewriter.org/vwxynot/category/career/

        My contact info is up on both those sites if you have any specific questions :)

    2. Project Manager*

      Oh, I see others are listing benefits etc.

      – Currently at 22 days annual paid PTO, use-it-or-lose-it (starts at 20 days, after five years service you get an extra day per year, maxes out at 35 days after 20 years service)
      – 10 days annual paid sick days, which roll over
      – In Canada so basic health care is free at point of use. I also have an extended plan with decent dental, terrible vision care ($150 per year barely covers contact lens solution), decent extras (massage etc).
      – Good pension plan for un-unionised public sector (i.e. not great)
      – Awesome, sane, supportive boss, boss’s boss, and boss’s boss’s boss
      – Best colleagues EVAH
      – 2% COL raise per year, most years. No merit raises. No bonuses.
      – travel 1-2 times per year – enough that it’s still fun
      – overall extremely happy :)

  443. Senior Software Engineer*

    DC area, 15 years of experience, TS/SCI clearance, small company. I’m a team lead, do a lot of client / customer interaction, demo of our products, etc.

    I make $140,000. I’m female.

  444. Analyst I*

    Analyst I at a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. I spend a lot of time reconciling sales and inventory data, acting as a liaison between our company and our third parties and scheduling/reconciling audits and audit data. My job description does specify that I handle other needs as they arise, so I am also usually working on a number of side projects as well.

    Area: Outside Philadelphia, PA
    Experience: Two years at current company, three years previously worked in the industry
    Salary: 43,000 plus great benefits

  445. Project Coordinator*

    Job: Project Coordination, mostly Permit and Zoning services for large Cellular Companies. Multiple other smaller tasks, plus special projects as needed. Assist Project Managers with In-House awarded services related upgrades/ modifications on cell tower

    Salary: $24/hr, overtime is time and half. (Approx. $49,920.00)

    Benefits: None, Contractor, good work/life balance, awesome coworkers, and my supervisor on-site, and my off-site located mamager are both awesome. I thank God everyday for loving to come to work.

    Industry: Telecommunications

    Area: Florida, Large City, Mid-Level Cost of Living, NOT SFL.

    Experience: <2 in this industry, but 10+ overall experience in Project Work for Construction/ Engineering

    Education: Some College, maybe around 2 years on and off. I do hold a Certification for MS Project, plus experience in Drafting and other areas that aren't common for a Project Coordinator.

    Context, I'm Female, I negotiated, and also recently recieved a raise after 1 yr, which was a substanial rasie ($2), I am Early 30's. This industry tends to pay much better than previous industries I have worked in in the past, plus I have several less common skills that are pretty sought after in my industry.

  446. Admin*

    Location: Chicago

    Years of experience : I’d say about 3 years. It’s hard to say exactly because I did some part-time admin work in college, then about a year of admin work for two different firms after graduation. I’ve been at my current job for about a year and a half.

    Salary: about 45k, plus pretty good health insurance. Great work/life balance with amazing vacation benefits (several weeks, encouraged to take the full amount) and sick leave (basically unlimited). 401k, but no matching. Very generous bonuses (about one month’s salary).

    Additional information: I do mainly HR and admin work, working closely with the team at our main headquarters. Basically, I make sure the office runs smoothly! I have a BA in the humanities and a unique multicultural background that, combined with my admin experience, helped me get hired. I’m in my mid-20s and female.

  447. UK Biology Post-doc (acedemic)*

    Post-doctoral research fellow
    BS, PhD (Ivy), 4 years post-post-graduate
    London, UK biomedical research institute
    £35,000 (about $50,000)
    Semi-independent researcher, funded by PI/team leader

  448. Senior Staff Systems Engineer - Aerospace*

    your job: Fortune 100 company – work with senior officials from government to ensure technical correctness of $ multi-billion satellite systems. Work with subcontractors to ensure technical compliance. Make sure satellites last 20+ years in orbit with no maintenance issues and will always work. Many of these satellites protect human lives. Satellite reliability is critical as it is hard to fix them from the ground.
    your geographic area. California
    your approximate years of experience 33
    your salary $172,000 plus medical, pension, 401k.
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context. There’s a lot of tacit knowledge in this industry

    1. Senior Staff Systems Engineer - Aerospace*

      Whoops. Forgot to add that I’m female. I do receive 1-2 performance bonuses per year around 1 k each.

      1. Chris*

        Do you work with Cubesats at all / would you say that advancements in smaller satellite design create complications for their propulsion systems (chem & electric)? I remember having an interview for a Fortune 100 company where they mentioned that one of the bigger challenges was measuring the amount of propellant left for electric propulsion systems, as well as designing satellites that rely entirely on EP and not needing the chem prop. to get into the proper orbit.

  449. Certified Professional Coder (CPC)*

    Geographic Area: Louisville, Kentucky
    Industry: Health Insurance
    Years of Experience: 8 with a Bachelor’s degree and CPC certification
    Salary: 40K, Exempt
    401(k)- 120% match up to 6% of salary.
    Benefits day one of employment.
    3 weeks of vacation
    Flexible schedule including work at home

  450. Product Developer*

    Product Developer at Financial Institution

    My position has three major responsibilities:
    1. Governance. Responsible for insuring new or improved banking products that we want to bring to market will meet all internal standards and regulatory requirements. Chair investment committee and preside over pre-launch approval process.
    2. Internal consulting. Provide expertise to Product Managers when they encounter cross-functional and technology gaps. Also do a bit of business process engineering as necessary.
    3. Project and program management for cross-product, high risk projects like when we migrate major platforms or convert an acquired bank

    New Orleans, LA
    20 years experience (started as a bank teller)
    MBA in MIS, CTP (Certified Treasury Professional), PMP (Project Management Professional)
    $148,000 in 2013 includes salary + bonus. Good benefits, 401(k), generous PTO
    Female

  451. Research Scientist*

    Job: Research scientist at an industry-supported nonprofit research institution. I’m a researcher in a public health area.

    Geographic area: Washington, DC metro

    Years of experience: 5. I have a PhD in psychology, and these 5 years are post-PhD.

    Salary: $97,500

    1. Research Scientist*

      Also wanted to add that I’m a woman. And when I started my career in a similar role with the federal government (also in the DC metro area), I made $61,000. Which was a GS-11, step 1 salary at the time for those of you in the know about the federal government salary scale.

    2. Ash*

      I really want to know where you work! This is the type of position I am looking for right now! Would you be willing to chat off-site?

  452. Digital Initiatives Librarian*

    – I handle digital library services for state universities and colleges throughout the state. (Academic library support, basically). I have an MLIS and I’m a woman.
    – Southeast
    – 4+ years
    – $52,000
    (The job was advertised as $42k, I negotiated up to $45k, and have gotten a series of COLA raises as a state employee over the past 4+ years).

  453. Management Consultant*

    Title: Consultant at a large consulting firm
    Salary: $70,000 + yearly bonuses
    Benefits: 5 weeks vacation + holidays, paid parental leave, healthcare, fitness, retirement fund matching, etc.
    No overtime pay and I often work long hours
    Geographic area: DC/VA/MD
    Years experience: Just under 2, straight out of undergrad (liberal arts degree)
    Gender: Female

  454. Executive Assistant*

    Executive Assistant, RE Development in Massachusetts
    $62k
    I have about 8 years of experience as an admin, with 6 of them being in construction and real estate. My job is really never the same from one day to the next. Some days it’s very straightforward administrative and others I’m in a hard hat, up to my ankles in muck on a construction site (that’s actually my favorite part of the job!!).

    It’s pretty crazy how much the salary ranges varied when I was looking last year! Some companies had the top of their range in the low-40k’s and, boy oh boy, did I love the ones that stipulated their range in an initial phone interview, regardless of how high or low it was.

    Great idea by Alison to do this, especially for those of us with job titles where the salary range can be really, really hard to guess! :)

  455. Congressional Staffer*

    Job: Hill titles mean nothing, but I am a mid-level research/policy staffer
    Geographic area: Washington, DC
    Experience: 6 years – 3 on the Hill, 3 at a DC non-profit
    Salary: $74k plus benefits

    Congressional salaries/benefits/titles vary extremely from office to office, but they’re all publicly available (look on Legistorm if you’re interested). Also, Congress is exempt from many workplace laws including OSHA, so most of the “Is this legal?” questions on here don’t apply.

  456. Sr. Sales Support Analyst*

    -Team lead for sales support and order entry team for a large fortune 500 software company. Not an actual “manager,” no HR responsibilities or functions.
    -Chicago burbs
    -10 years out of college / FT administrative experience, 7 in this department / position
    -$53K year plus 2.5% bonus

  457. Anon*

    This probably isn’t helpful since I’m a student, but here’s my part time job:

    Graduate Research Assistant: I use statistical software to analyze data and manipulate datasets

    Southeast

    about 2-3 years of experience total

    24 year old female master’s student in a 2 year program

    $12 an hour, about 2k per semester, 2 semesters per year

  458. Adjunct Professor*

    Title: Adjunct Professor of Ancient Chocolate Teapots at a Small Liberal Arts College

    Area: Los Angeles Metro Area

    Duties: Prepare and teach 2 classes per semester. Including syllabus development, preparing 4 lectures per week, creating and grading assignments, mentoring undergraduates, writing LORs etc. This works out to be about 30ish hours per week of work (could be more if I let it, and I’d be a better teacher…but I have my *other* job I have to to do to to pay the bills!)

    Salary: $6800 per semester ($3400 per 3 credit class), this works out to $13,600 per year. (Before taxes, no benefits, no guarantee of continued employment from semester to semester) – obviously this isn’t my only job!

    Also I’m female…

    1. Adjunct Professor*

      Also with 5+ years teaching experience in Grad school
      One year experience post-grad.
      I have a Ph.D.

    2. Another adjunct*

      Since this is the only other adjunct teaching position I saw on here, I thought I’d add my info to make searching easier.

      Title: Adjunct lecturer at a state university
      Area: Baltimore metro area
      Duties: Prep and teach a laboratory course in physiology. This course has four lab sections so I’m teaching in the lab 12 hr per week and giving the lab lecture for 1 hr per week. I am also teaching the second half (7 weeks) of a physiology lecture-only course. That will be 2.5 hr of lecture time per week. So that’s 15.5 hr/week spent teaching. Adding prep time and office hours that’s around 30 hr/week.
      Credentials: I have a PhD in physiology and 4 years of postdoc research after that. But last semester was my first shot at teaching above the teaching assistant level.
      Salary: $8,700 for the semester. I’m also in the interview process for a full-time lecturer position which I’m told starts around $50,000/yearly contract. A lecturer contract is 8 months at this university, with the possibility of teaching extra courses over the summer.
      Last semester, I taught a 4-credit course with 3 hr of lecture and 3 hr of lab per week (only 1 lab section) at a private liberal arts college in the same area. I made $7,500 for that one and I’m told that was pretty generous. I’m female, too.

  459. BigLaw Associate Attorney*

    Job: Associate in Executive Compensation, Employee Benefits and ERISA Group
    Salary: $250,000
    Bonus: $34,000
    Benefits: Health, dental, vision, LTD, STD, etc.
    Industry: Law
    Area: New York
    Experience: 6 years
    Education: Top 5 Law School.
    Context: Almost all “Big Law” (i.e., large top law firm) associates in New York make the same based on class year.

  460. Communications Coordinator*

    Communications Coordinator
    Central Florida
    $45,000 (non-exempt, individual contributor)
    6 years with this company; came in at entry-level
    ok benefits / generous PTO (25 days per year)
    AA in a related field
    female

    I manage policies and outbound communications related to a specific process. Communications includes automation and fulfillment, so I do lots of development and testing with IT and vendors.

  461. Ruffingit*

    Alison,

    I was the commenter who suggested this. THANKS SO MUCH for doing it and so quickly too! I know it’s going to help a lot of us here be better able to negotiate salary or just understand what we should be looking for in the first place. You provide a great service to the working world at large with this site!

    2. RJ*

      I agree. I never really understood the advice to ask people in your network / field about salaries because it seemed so intrusive and personal. I also want to thank everyone who posted their information, even though it is really personal. This is an amazing community!

    3. I'll Play!*

      Also, pretty sure this post is going to blow the current “# of comments” record out of the water.

  462. Communications Manager*

    Job Description: Includes copy writing, press releases, graphic design, events planning, social media, marketing (email, print ads, direct mail), website maintenance (I do 100% of copyrwiting, coding, imaging, design, updates, SEO and analytics reporting), CRM workflow programming, form building, internal communications and training. I’m the only person in this role at my company.

    Area: Utah

    Experience: 5 years

    Salary: $47K – benefits include 2 weeks PTO and 100% employer paid medical and dental insurance. I started in this position almost 3 years ago at $38K and I expect about a 5% raise at my review in march.

    1. Communications Manager*

      Oh, and I’m paid hourly, which is awesome since I’m not good at setting my own work/life boundaries. When I go home, I don’t have to think about work or take work calls. Which is pretty rare in Marketing/PR.

  463. Grateful for my meager salary! (office manager at small nonprofit)*

    I have to say, while my salary is on the lower end of this community’s spectrum, I am feeling grateful for my 38K salary! I’d expect a lot of the jobs mentioned here to pay more given the (seemingly) high level of responsibility and assumed overtime.

    ————————————
    Job: Office Manager at a human rights nonprofit (10 employees)
    Geographic Area: Based in CA, but I work remotely in WA state
    Experience: 4 years
    Salary: $38,000
    Also: 100% employer-paid health insurance, 20 days vacation

    1. Goofy posture*

      No need to be embarassed by your salary. Those are great benefits – remote work, employer-funded health, 20 days vacation! It adds up to a lot of money. I don’t know what the cost of living is where you are, but that makes a huge difference too.

  464. Employment Specialist*

    ■ I am the employment specialist for a non-profit that works with visually impaired individuals. I am in charge of the employment department (which is easy as I am the only person here). I help adults locate jobs, apply for jobs, create cover letters and resumes as well as complete any training for the positions. I also network with local employers. I run various work readiness training programs with different scopes.

    During the summer I work with teenagers, placing them in community-based internships that we sponsor. I also hiring and supervise our team of job coaches during the summer.
    ■ Albany NY
    ■ 4 years out of college more or less working in non-profits since then.
    ■$25k
    ■ Umm…not much. 4 weeks of vacation, a floating holiday, 2 personal days and .75 sick days a month. Retirement is a pipe dream.

  465. Manager of Brand Marketing*

    Title: Manager of Brand Marketing
    Experience: 2 years
    Industry: Lifestyle/fashion
    Salary: $45,000
    Location: Southern California

  466. Post-doctoral Fellow*

    Job: I do medical research and development at a non-profit, university affiliated hospital.
    Salary: $46k-ish
    Benefits: Flexible work schedule, health insurance
    Geographic area: Chicago
    Years experience: Total in research – about 9, after my PhD – 1
    Me: 30 year old female

  467. Digital Communications Specialist*

    I do website content management, but involves programming (sometimes) and other IT projects.
    Salary: 75k, health insurance, pension, 401k and possibility of bonus
    Big Oil and Gas company in Houston, TX
    3 years in this position but 10 years on IT and Digital Marketing

    Webmaster at small non-profit 45k with health benefits and 401k, no bonus. Took this job due to layoff.

    Digital Marketing Coordinator for smaller oil ang gas company im Houston 50k with 401k and health insurance, no bonus, 5 years of experience

  468. HR Manager*

    $83/k
    Generous benefits
    Seattle- Commercial Seafood w/ ops Alaska
    15 years HR- Seafood in general 28.
    Not the traditional HR roles, I work very closely with operations as well.

  469. Content Specialist (Web)*

    Title: Content Specialist (Web)
    Duties: Develop, edit and publish content for site. Maintain and troubleshoot CMS. Coordinate team traffic (bug tracking). Work with Ads team to meet revenue goals.
    Education: MA
    Market: Pacific NW
    Experience: 8 years total/3 years specialized
    Level of awesomeness: Most profitable team in division
    Salary: $55,000

  470. Research Assistant*

    Job: I work for a professor in the Econ department of a small private university (my alma mater.) I do a lot of data analysis with statistical software and help put together reports/papers. I have sometimes helped with more admin-type tasks like putting together syllabi and lecture notes. I also was more or less a TA for a stats class my boss taught last spring.
    Area: SW Florida small town with mid-level COL
    Experience: 1.5 years
    Salary: $15-20/ hour depending on the project, but hours are quite variable and usually part-time. The job doesn’t include benefits and I am paid by outside money my boss fundraises through grants and donations, not the university budget. The school does not consider me a regular employee, although I legally work for them. I made around $15,000 in 2012 and $11,000 in 2013, but that includes babysitting and freelance stats work on top of my regular job. I really, really need a new job!
    Education: BA in Economics with minor in Math from the university where I currently work.
    Other: I’m female, age 24, 2.5 years out of undergrad. I don’t think my gender makes a difference, since my boss is female, as is the other research assistant who works for her.

    1. Research Assistant*

      Meant to say that my hours are usually *extremely* part time. I was excited to have more work than usual for my regulkar job recently, and it was still under 15 hours/ week.

  471. Youth Services Librarian*

    Public library system (county level) in metropolitan area, upper midwest. Less than one year experience, though I do have an MLS; currently making $42,250. Represented by a union.

  472. Healthcare Analyst (Female)*

    Analyst at a major university medical center in NYC (business role, not clinical). 3 years experience at current job. 5 years at previous job, different field but similar skill set. MBA.

    $94k

  473. Legal Office Manager*

    Legal Office Manager and Assistant to Principal

    Office manager-y things, including AP and AR, hiring and firing, management of support staff. Some legal secretary work.

    Geographic area: NYC

    Years of Experience: ~5 as Office Manager, but 8-9 in legal admin.

    Salary: $55k, including 2 weeks PTO, 5 sick days and $100 company paid health insurance.

    I was doing significantly more in my last position (booking travel, managing more people) for $12k less, though I was receiving significant bonuses. I am also female, some college, but no degree.

  474. Instructional designer*

    Official job title: Learning Technology Designer. I work with subject matter experts to design a learning curriculum (learner objectives, course content, assessment items and evaluations). It involves a lot of client relationship building, writing, project management and some multimedia building with a dash of learning management system administration.

    Location: midsized Midwestern city with a low COL

    Experience: 2 years in this role, 3 years total

    Education: BA in English, MS in instructional design

    Salary and benefits: 70K with the ability to telecommute, 14 vac days, paid holidays, and great health and medical benefits. Best of all: awesome coworkers and a great manager. I’m so grateful and happy to be here!

      2. Anonymous*

        I second Kim’s need to talk. (I’m the ID from above.)

        My BS is in English as well. I’ve considered an ID Master’s but none that I’ve explored seem relevant outside of academic course creation, like Moodle or Blackboard course type things.

        I really want one that focuses more on software skills like Flash, Captviate, etc. Did you get a lot of that out of your program? Or even if you didn’t, do you think the program was beneficial anyway?

        1. Instructional designer*

          I’m the ID from 1:59. Hope you see this! :)

          My masters’ program focused a lot on instructional design theory. My concentration was Online Instructional Development, so I got a nice blend of adult learning theory and actual e-learning development. I will say that opinions are split pretty 50/50 on whether or not you need an ID degree to actually BE an ID. I went into my program straight from undergrad (which seems like lunacy, looking back) so I NEEDED the credentials to break into the field. If you’ve already been working as an ID for ten years, I don’t know how much value you would get out of it. A lot of people in my program were either switching careers or needed the MS for a promotion.

          If you are looking to beef up software skills, you might be more value out of courses offered at community colleges (or similar). I’ve taken some Captivate courses as professional development that have been very helpful and there are tons of tutorials online (lynda.com is great).

          Benefits of my program: solid foundation in instructional theory, exposure to a lot of different facets of ID (I took classes in program evaluation and human performance technology, neither of which are things I really get to touch at work), and NETWORKING. I got my job through a chance meeting at an alumni conference.

          This was really long, but I hope it helps!

  475. Production Editor*

    Job: I manage trade book production from finished manuscript to bound book (scheduling, copyediting, proofreading, etc.) for a major US book publisher. In addition, because I’m awesome at it, I do A LOT of additional duties mostly related to basic data analysis and reporting for the director of my department.
    I live in NYC and have about 8 years of experience
    Salary: $50,000, plus a bonus (last year was $2,000)
    Pretty good benefits (401K with 2/3 match up to 6%–I put in 6, they put in 4–, pretty good health insurance for myself and my wife, lots of free books).
    I’m also attending grad school part time for a master’s in Predictive Analytics, and they reimburse tuition for me up to $5,250/year. Which is great, and I’m unsure whether I will stay in publishing when I finish my degree or not, but either way this is a questions I am VERY curious about because I’ll be moving from a traditionally low-paying industry (publishing) to a supposedly high-demand and high-paying industry (data science) and I don’t even have a baseline for what to ask for when I move into this new role/field.

  476. Staff Accountant*

    -accounts receivable, cash receipts, journal entries, account reconciliations at not for profit organization
    -Greater Boston area, Mass
    ◾about 2 years professional work experience
    ◾$40K

  477. Genetic Counselor*

    Job: Genetic Counselor (masters-level healthcare provider)
    Location: Southern California
    Years experience: 5, +more than the minimum education required to do my job
    Salary: $72K, employer contributes to medical, dental, and vision premiums, life insurance, 401k match, vacation, sick time, subsidized public transit, other perks (discounts, etc.). I have recently learned that the mean and median salaries in my location for someone with my experience is about $80K.
    Additional information: My field is predominantly women. I am a woman. My field is also very small, so I fear any other details might identify me. ;)

    1. TL*

      That’s fascinating! Can I ask you what your job is like? (I work with a lot of genetics stuff on the research end, so we’re always hearing about genetics counseling in a bioethics kind of way, but I’ve never known anyone who does it.)

  478. Claims Examiner*

    Insurance claims examiner
    $40,000, 5 weeks PTO
    Entry level position, no experience, recent college graduate
    Massachusetts
    Female

  479. Editor/document designer*

    I work at a Fortune 100 company as a Publications Technician. The title means that I actually handle a variety of job functions, instead of being specialized into one of the following: Technical Editor/Writer, Graphic Designer, Document Publisher (page layout and formatting) or Reprographics (printing and binding).

    Region: Company is global. I work in Alaska.
    Years Experience: 10
    Salary: about $60K, but we do project-based billing. Not guaranteed 40 hours per week, and I am paid hourly. So income varies.
    Benefits: Health/vision/dental (though I don’t use them), 401(k) with match, company stock purchase plan (solely employee-owned), STD (which is the only way I’ll get paid maternity leave)
    Holidays/PTO: I definitely took a cut here when I took this job. 7 paid holidays and a PTO bank (combined sick/personal leave) that starts at 17 days per year and maxes out at 27 after 15 years. The max here is less than I had at my previous job after being there 8 years.

  480. Sales and Marketing Assistant*

    Job Description: I provide marketing support for the sales department of a non-profit theater organization.

    Salary: $33,000
    Location: Ohio
    Experience: Hired after a six month internship. This is considered an entry-level position, I have been in this position almost two years.

  481. Research/Instruction Librarian*

    Academic library, small rural Midwestern liberal arts college.
    $44,000 with awesome retirement, so-so health insurance, 4 weeks of vaction + 2 weeks between fall and spring semesters.
    Very low cost of living area.
    I’m 40ish with 5 years experience in my field.
    I am also responsible for the Website and certain technologies. I am the reference librarian and teach all bibliographic instruction.

  482. Special Assistant*

    HR, Health and Safety, Scheduling, Meeting management, Diversity Coordinator, Archives, Computer/asset coordinator, financial reconciliation, Office Mommy, Wonder woman of everything that needs to be done, Holder of the bandaid and the lollypops!

    Location: Ontario – Toronto

    Approximate years of experience: 6 Years in the position but a second career from Hotel/Restaurant Upper Management

    Salary: 65K (salary range 60K to 75K)

    Context: Public Service

    1. Special Assistant*

      Benefits/Extra: Awesome pension plan, so-so health/vision/chiro/massage supplementary benefits, Canadian health care included, Standard 15 days vacation; one extra week after 8 years, and another one after 15, union position, tuition reimbursement, public scrutiny for expenses. 6 sick days paid in full, 120 paid at 70% of salary.

  483. Accounting Associate*

    I do accounts receivable, payroll, leave tracking, and basic HR work as part of an admin/finance team of 3 at a small nonprofit.

    Washington, DC

    2 years experience

    $40K

  484. Research Scientist*

    Job description: Researcher (biology) at a public university in AZ. I do primary research as well as manage projects, run a lab and manage grad/undergrad employees.

    Geographic area: AZ
    Experience: PhD (but I am in an MS level position) + 6 years
    Salary: $43,000
    I am a woman, but salaries are on a set scale so it doesn’t influence anything in my case.

  485. Management and Program Analyst (US federal government)*

    DC
    Been with my agency almost six years, been an analyst for almost 2.
    $62,467.

    I have a masters degree, which means that when they hired me they put me on a ladder to a grade 11. I’m looking to move up to a grade 12 soon, but I’ll likely need to change divisions to do that.

    And I’m female. Also, I’m 25, and I’m damn proud I make this much.

    2. Impressed Commenter*

      o.O

      Wow. If I can ask, were you working when you got your masters? Because working for 6 years and only 25 with a masters is mighty impressive!

    3. Dearnina84*

      I echo the other responses to your post…WOW! Would you mind shedding some light on what seems to be a confusing system of gs-levels? It’d be great if we could chat offline.

  486. Recruiter at a university*

    Title: Recruiting Specialist
    Duties: Full cycle recruiting for university staff positions– sourcing, screening, interviewing, reference checks, offers
    Education: BA
    Experience: 5 years in higher ed, <1 year in HR
    Location: Southeast metro area
    Salary: 43K (+ generous university benefits)

  487. Front-End Web Developer & Designer*

    * Primarily WordPress development, some Joomla. Involves mainly HTML, CSS, PHP. Always responsive development. Another developer at my company is responsible for jQuery/Javascript since that is one area I’m not well-versed in. I also do a lot of the design work, starting from scratch and mocking up websites based on the clients’ needs, goals, etc.
    * Pittsburgh, PA
    * 3 years experience
    * $44,720 salary

    1. Front-End Web Developer & Designer*

      * Benefits: suck. 2 weeks PTO, 1 week sick time, both of which we start off with 0 and accrue at 3.8 hrs/week. We do have insurance but I am covered through my husband’s plan (better coverage). Not eligible for 401k until one year of employment.
      * Education: Associate’s degree in “Web Design & Interactive Media” from a for-profit art school. 0/10 would not recommend.
      * I’ve been here 9 months, and was given a (small) raise after 3. My starting salary was around $43k I think?
      * I’m female, if that makes a difference.

  488. Sr. Manager - Marketing Program Management*

    I am a program manager for the go to market portion of new product/feature development for a web-based company.

    Salary: $70K
    Bonus: 13%
    Location: Los Angeles area
    Experience: 7 years with my company utilizing the same skills I use in this role (less than 1 year with the actual program manager title though).
    PTO: 22 days per year (starts at 17 days per year for new hires)
    Health Insurance: HSA/PPO plan with low premiums (deductibles/out of pocket max depends on which plan you choose, but are much lower than friends who have similar plans). Health, dental, vision are all covered, and the company contributes to the HSA.
    Sick time: Exempt employees have to make sure they are getting their work done; managing that is left to their managers. Non-exempt get 3 days per year (but are able to use PTO if they run out).
    Other benefits: A boss who is a dream to work for, flexibility to manage my own schedule, work from home when necessary (including when my kids are sick or out of school for some reason. Or when I just feel like it), leadership who recognizes high-performers, and the company is paying for me to get my project management certification (including the classes I need to fulfill the education requirement).
    Oh, and I’m female.

  489. Lawyer in big city in Ohio*

    $51,000 after 6 years of practice
    Also note I am a criminal prosecutor for the county government
    Waaay underpaid considering the work I do and the loans I took out for law school.

  490. Admin Coordinator/HR Generalist*

    Title: Administrative Coordinator

    Job duties: Mixed bag, including administrative support, office management, payroll/benefits/time & attendance duties, IT support & coordination, graphics, branding & marketing, recruiting, training, writing and recordkeeping, also sits on several company committees (health & safety, administrative, technical, accreditation)

    Area: Midwest USA

    Experience/Education: 3 years, Bachelor’s in Communications Technology

    Salary: $30K plus a week of sick, three weeks vacation, 70% company paid medical insurance and 100% company paid life/disability insurance

    Other pertinent details: Late 20’s woman, I work for a non-profit and I am aware my salary is low for the type/variety of work I do

  491. Arts Administrator/Theatre Producer*

    I work two jobs — my primary (full-time) job as a program manager for a performing arts organization, and my secondary job (which will hopefully eventually be the primary one) as the producing director of a small theatre company.

    My primary job pays $40K, my secondary job (part-time) pays between $8K and $15K, depending on the projects we’re working on each year.

    Female, early 30s.

    Location: Calgary, Canada

    Experience: I’m 5 years post-grad school (MFA in Theatre Producing); 1.5 years years in my current full-time position; 4 years with the theatre company (first as a project-specific contractor, then on staff); mixed into all of that, I also freelance in the performing arts community, and spent my first 2 years post-grad school exclusively freelancing.

    Holidays/PTO: 2 weeks vacation, no defined sick leave — it’s relatively unlimited. Flex time in lieu of overtime, and incredibly flexible office hours.

    Benefits: Not many, aside from the flex time. We don’t get much of anything in the way of other monetary contributions (insurance, RRSP contributions, etc). My husband freelances, so we’ve purchased our own health insurance since we don’t have anything through his work (fortunately, it’s only about $130/mo, and the premiums are tax deductible).

  492. Content Analyst*

    The last title of various titles. My managers didn’t quite know how to describe what I did, but they were pleased with the results .
    Company was a library publisher of reference books, indexes and databases. I was involved in the conversion of our proprietary format to common formats and approving the daily loads of data to our web product and transfers of data to our customers.
    Experience: 30 years. Started at entry level as indexer. Currently not working.
    Salary: $65,000 (ended with a 4 year company wide wage freeze)
    Benefits: 4 weeks vacation, 5 weeks after 20 years (use or lose, sort of), 401k: max contribution 15%, match to 8%. Medical insurance, company paid 75% at end. 10 sick days per year accumulating.
    Company size: 200-300 until the layoffs started.
    Location: Bronx, NY
    Education: M Ed, MLS. Both were relevant to the positions.

  493. Administrative Assistant*

    Title: Admin Assistant – plus accounts receivable, invoicing, research

    Area: Toronto, Canada

    Years of experience: 1 here – but have an mostly unrelated MA (don’t listen when people tell you if you learn/speak Chinese you’re guaranteed a job….)

    Salary: $43,000 plus great benefits, and an amazing and supportive office culture.

  494. Tech writer*

    Doing this just for the sake of comparison, because other people with my role have posted.

    Job: Technical writer for a software company. Mostly writing user and technical guides.

    Geographic area: Eastern Europe

    Education: bachelor’s in Tourism and master’s in Communication (both unrelated to what I do right now).

    Experience: 4 in technical writing, 4 in related fields (web content and copy editing). I’m 30.

    Salary: ~$16000 (after tax; I have no idea what I make before tax, but taxes are higher here than in the US). It’s a good salary for my experience, age, and geographical area.

    Benefits: 21 days of PTO per year (mandated by law), health insurance (means I can go to a private clinic for free; state hospitals are free, but sucky). Used to get meal vouchers and catered breakfast, but those were cut a few weeks back.

    Other pertinent stuff: Cost of living is probably much lower than in the US/W Europe. Rent for a studio (in the most expensive city in the country) is ~$300, for a 3 bedroom apartment maybe $700 (not downtown, but in decent areas). Food in supermarkets is about the same price as W Europe, eating (and especially drinking!) out is less expensive.

  495. Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Specialist*

    Description: Provide Quality oversight to a commercial pharmaceutical analytical chemistry lab
    Location: Midwest
    Experience: 3 years of experience in position, 11 years previous lab experience in the industry (mostly at current employer)
    Salary: $70,500
    Average benefits for the industry which are above average compared to other manufacturing industries

    Awesome idea, too bad it is unlikely that I will find someone else in a similar position here.

    1. Quality Assurance Officer*

      I was starting to think the same thing… and also that I need to make the jump sideways to GMP/GLP…

      Description: Provide Quality oversight for a portion of an Environmental chemistry lab network–I support one large lab (~120 people) and 2 smaller labs (30 people between them).
      Location: Alberta, Canada
      Experience: 3.5 years in the QA department, 1.5 years in the lab as an analyst, and 4 years as a senior admin, all with the same company, plus a BSc.
      Salary: $51,000 plus overtime at 1.5x; I would have earned about $57K last year had I not been out on maternity leave at the start of the year. I am making roughly double my starting salary with the company.
      I get decent benefits, although vision care isn’t the greatest. A lot of extended benefits, 4 weeks vacation, 8 sick days, and 11 paid holidays.

  496. Production Manager (Web)*

    Job Description:
    My job title is very misleading as really what I am is the managing editor for a website. I build the editorial calendar, manage freelancers, edit articles and publish them in HTML. I also do a little project management, budgeting and marketing copywriting for clients.

    Location:
    Seattle, WA

    Experience:
    8 years

    Salary:
    $52,000

    After spending several months browsing job ads with listed salary ranges, I’ve decided I’m somewhere between $15k-30k underpaid. Salaries for my level of experience seem to be closer to $75,000 or $80,000/year, but I work for an unprofitable start-up that is loathe to paying market rate for anything unless forced to (by counteroffering).

    Gender: Female

    1. Content Specialist (Web)*

      My job is very similar to yours, but weighted more to production over content. I work in corporate and am about to negotiate for a $10K+ raise (which I’m sure I’ll get). I found out the hard way that (some?) startups would rather lose high performers than budge an inch on salary. COL in Seattle is out of control.

  497. Civil Engineer*

    $66k
    Consulting firm in a medium-sized city in upper Midwest
    Female
    10 years experience
    Bachelor’s degree
    Registered Professional Engineer

  498. Communications Associate*

    Job: Just above entry level communications role at a smaller-side-of-middle sized nonprofit in the progressive political space. I do a daily email blast, PR, web, blog editing, etc. I’m on a team of 3, under a VP, plus a part-time intern (who we pay!) and I’ve been here for less then one year.
    Geographic Area: NYC
    Years of Experience: Just under 2 years of full time work
    Salary: $36k

    I don’t pay any of my health/dental/vision insurance premiums, and we have an HRA funded by the organization that covers some of the copays and such. But the insurance itself is only okay – our CFO just left, and we’re all hoping the new person will get us something better next year. Pretty generous sick and vacation leave from my POV. We get the week from Christmas to New Years off, with an expectation that you’re available for emergencies if they happen, but that doesn’t use vacation time.

    1. Communications Associate*

      Oh, and one other item for benefits – when I hit the one year mark, they’ll start contributing 9% of my salary to my 403(b). That’s not a match, just a straight-up contribution alongside whatever I contribute. That’s HUGE. I’m 24, so most of my peers aren’t making any retirement contributions at all, and compound interest is going to do magical things for me.

      1. LucyVP*

        9% is AWESOME!

        I currently get a 2.5% match, but was just told that they are not guaranteeing it going forward!

        1. Communications Associate*

          I am so excited to hit the one year mark (May 15th!) and start getting that benefit. It’s HUGE. Especially since I’m so early in my career – if other places later on give me not as great retirement benefits, I’ll have a decent start at saving for retirement anyway.

  499. Admin Asst in WI*

    Title: Administrative Assistant
    Real Title: Executive Assistant/Secretary/Receptionist/File Clerk/ etc.
    Company Size: 11 employees
    Company field: Real Estate
    Status: Full-time, non-exempt
    Education: BA-English; MLIS
    Experience: Almost a year at this company, no admin experience before this
    Salary; $15/hr starting wage, no prospect of raise because I’m female (boss gave raises to all the men but none of the women). Higher than normal starting salary because my boss couldn’t, ahem, find anyone else that would put up with him (I was bit desperate for a job).
    Benefits: Employer pays 60% of moderately good health insurance. 10 PTO days, holidays declared by owner (i.e. not many). No retirement, sick days, or overtime pay.
    Note: Salary given above does not take into account taxes or the 40% of health insurance costs taken out of my paycheck.

    1. What?*

      Your boss gave the men all raises but not the women? What the heck?

      If there was ever a reason to call the Dept of Labor or EEOC, that would be it.

      1. Anonymous*

        Wouldn’t help. Boss is VERY powerful politically.

        I’m technically not supposed to know all the men got raises and the women didn’t but at the time, there were only two women at the company – me and the person who ran payroll. We commiserated together.

        2. Mike B. (@epenthesis)*

          People who are VERY powerful politically are VERY vulnerable to this kind of scrutiny, probably more so than ordinary private citizens–your boss’s opponents and the media would be only too happy to exploit the fact that blatant sex discrimination is happening on his watch. Have you been following the Christie scandals? He’s a powerful man too, but he’s not going to get away with as much as jaywalking for the rest of his term; he can’t afford the hit to his reputation.

          Go to DOL and EEOC. If they start poking around, the easiest and most effective way for your boss to remedy the situation would be simply to give those raises (and retroactively to when the men got theirs). Paying women less than men is not only not a great use of one’s political clout (how much is he saving, a few thousand a year?), it’s not even likely to be effective.

          All of this assumes, of course, that there’s no reasonable rationale for giving raises in this pattern (eg, you and the other woman aren’t both on PIPs for documented poor performance).

  500. Senior Art Director*

    Area: NYC
    Experience: 20 years
    Salary: $100K, no benefits

    I’m a contract worker with zero benefits. I provide my own health care (yay ACA) and don’t get paid days off of any kind.

  501. Standards compliance reviewer*

    …for a private, non-profit standards-setting & professional organization. (Anonymized version of my actual job title. I evaluate stuff, help applicants through the process, and do technical writing.)

    Location: DC
    BA + 5 years experience (3 in this position)
    $46K and great benefits

    I’m a woman, and so are many of my co-workers even though it’s a male-dominated field overall.

  502. Program Coordinator*

    Salary: $26,624/yr
    Geographic Area: Pacific Northwest, Portland Oregon
    Experience: 2-4 yrs
    Duties: I have a mix of administrative assistant, program management, fundraising, and marketing duties (i.e., scheduling travel, registering event attendees, sending out fundraising appeals, posting announcements).
    Other info: Only 32 hours a week. Small non-profit (3 employees). Just graduated with Master’s Degree. Only second ‘adult’ job.

  503. Director of Contracts Management*

    Handling negotiation of customer and vendor contracts for a mid-size (~500 employees) software company.

    Located: Boston
    Years of Experience ~15
    Salary: $130K + stock options, decent benefits

    I have an undergrad degree from a top school and a law degree from a mid school.

  504. Recruiting Manager*

    Manage Recruiting function for medium-sized business ~1200 employees. Manage 2-7 recruiters
    In Ontario, Canada
    10 years experience recruiting, 2 years in this management role, 4 years in operations management roles
    $54,000 per year
    My company tends to pay on the low end of the salary scale

  505. Exec Asst / Office Manager*

    Cleveland, Ohio
    High School English Teacher with BS Degree to Legal Assistant to Executive Legal Assistant
    Currently have 15 years total administrative experience and am a Corporate Executive Assistant / Office Manager
    $50k (includes annual bonus)

  506. Marketing Communications Manager*

    Just started this job four weeks ago (thanks AAM!) but so far, the responsibilities include every single aspect of communications for the business. Email marketing, social media, internal process documentation and improvement, and hopefully branding and identity work. In a few months when I get more familiar with the industry (screenprinting), I’ll have more autonomy to plan and execute campaigns – for the moment, I need my boss to sign off on a lot, so it’s slow going.
    Area: Pittsburgh suburbs
    Experience: 10 years out of undergrad, but I took a year and a half off to get an MA
    Salary: $52k, possibly some kind of bonus (I haven’t been here long enough yet to know what the annual bonus cycles are)
    Perks: 5-mile commute and free parking; 401k match after a year; a week of vacation in the first year, plus four personal days (then two weeks thereafter); reports directly to the company president; the stuff we make is really neat.

  507. Collections Representative*

    Your Job: Collections Representative/Federal Government GS 8 Step 3. I administer tax laws in relation to collecting revenue for delinquent taxes. In doing this I also set up payment plans, take financials, issue levies and liens, educate individuals/small business/self employed on their tax responsiblities and consequences of not following the tax laws.
    Geographic Area: Denver Metro Area
    Experience: 5+ years
    Salary: $49,671 This amount is subject to whichever party is in control in Congress. This includes the 1% COLA increase for 2014.
    Benefits: I pay approximately 30% for my health insurance. TSP & Retirement: I am not up to date on as I cannot afford to partake in it.
    I am female and age 55.

  508. Not Me*

    Can I throw out a request? Does anyone know what an ISO auditor makes, one working for a registrar and doing registration and surveillance audits? I’m just really curious so wondering if someone reading maybe works for a registrar and knows?

  509. HR Manager*

    HR Manager for renewable fuels company in the Midwest
    $62,000 per year
    Discretionary annual bonus ($3k last year)
    Average health/dental, only 10 PTO days per year (combined sick and vacation), up to 3% 401k match.
    4 years of experience

  510. Project Director (non profit)*

    Senior Project Director

    Oversee grants and programs for a state wide non profit

    Salary: $66,000

    Benefits: Health, dental, vision, 401K match, small tuition reimbursement, 20 vacation days, 9 sick days

    Location: Chicago

    Education: one class away from Master’s degree

    Experience: over 10 years in non-profit

  511. Graphic and Web Designer*

    I am the in-house Graphic and Web Designer for a small company (50 employees). I am in charge of creating new materials for advertising (print and web) and corporate materials (print and web). I do some minor coding for web design, but am not a programmer. I also provide feedback to any ad agency partners to ensure our materials stay consistent with our brand standards. I work with printers and web developers as well to execute the final design. I find it’s really important to stay up to date on the latest programs, trends, and technology. You cannot get stagnant/comfortable and stay competitive!

    Salary: $45,000/yr
    Benefits: Health Insurance, 2.5 weeks vacation, matching 401k, top-of-the-line resources and equipment provided
    Hours: 40 – 50 per week, some nights and weekends occasionally to meet a deadline
    City: greater Atlanta area
    Education: BA Graphic Design
    Years in field: 5
    Career path: hope to become Creative Director in the next couple of years and grow into this role as the company expands.

    Unfortunately, I do not think this salary is typical for this position in the city. I interviewed for several positions that required more hours (closer to 60+ week) that also required a college degree and several years experience and those positions were in the $28-$35k range for a mid-level position.

  512. Building Substitute Teacher*

    Title: Building Substitute Teacher/Coverage Coordinator
    Duties: Substitute for teachers and front desk, coordinate coverage for absent staff, train substitute teachers, develop materials for standardized lesson plans, feedback forms, handbooks, etc.
    Education: BA from a top liberal arts college
    Experience: 3.5 years teaching
    Geographic area: Albany/Saratoga
    Salary: $26,000, health, dental, 401k
    Moral: If you’re going to major in theater, double major

    Before being laid off, I worked in a private school in Massachusetts and was paid $36,800.

    Other skills include proficiency in Mandarin, extensive experience directing plays, non-profit management, customer service, editing and travel writing. I’ve also been asked to give talks at conferences here and abroad.

  513. Associate Brand Manager*

    Associate Brand Manager for a consumer packaged goods company. I share responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations of a $230 million product portfolio.

    Located in western PA.

    3 years of experience at my current level. MBA before that, with six years of consulting experience prior to that. I also have two BBA degrees. No undergrad debt, but currently about $70k in student loan debt from my MBA.

    Base salary is $100,450. Target bonus is 15%, adjusted up or down based on the company’s financial performance. Crappy healthcare plan, but 3 weeks of vacation, 8 sick days and 10 company holidays help make up for that.

    I’m a woman in my early 30s.

    1. AVP*

      You don’t work for a company known for chocolate with a, um, theme park attached to it do you? That would be my dream, is all I’m saying’.

      1. Associate Brand Manager*

        LOL, no. I do work in food, but not candy. Though I did interview with that particular company when I was looking for my current position. I heard some pretty negative things about their location, though – ie, that theme park is the only thing to do for miles and miles…

        1. Laufey*

          It is. Like a Mako reactor outside of Midgard, there is nothing else out there. Even as a tourist it was depressing. I couldn’t imagine living there full-time.

  514. temp buyer/liaison/inventory analyst*

    20 an hour
    Midsouth USA
    manufacturing
    I research and solve inventory issues ,make small Mro purchases and liaise between the plant floor and the purchasing and engineering dept. At least for the next two days then i am back in the market.Male 36 BBA

  515. Help Desk Technician Level 2*

    Help Desk Tech Level 2 (aka Senior Help Desk tech)
    – You call me, I fix software errors, replace hardware and give you a new blackberry every time you ‘accidentally’ drop it in water.
    Major City in Canada
    6.5 years of experience
    48k /year
    I’ve worked for 3 different companies and have been fortunate to get a title bump and pay increase to go along with each new job.
    I was also hired before the crash of 2008 so my pay has been on the higher side as I started with an American company and have negotiated up from there.

    Now I work for Government (4th company) and am part of a union. I could not make my salary now based on my job role outside of the union/gov’t environment. Not complaining, I just don’t want to throw the data off based on my higher salary (~60k).

    1. Help Desk Technician Level 2*

      Also I am a woman. Because my role is more customer facing/customer service I haven’t experienced discrimination in hiring in the past.
      People I support on the other hand sometimes can be more judgemental but that comes with the role. One day I will wear a Tshirt that says “I AM the IT guy” to work.

        1. Help Desk Technician Level 2*

          Think Geek used to have a shirt that said it, but I detest the generic ‘baby doll’ shirts as I have a long torso. Contemplating screening it on a shirt myself.

  516. Development Associate & Event Coordinator*

    Coastal California (aka very expensive cost of living)

    $40k/year exempt +health benefits, life insurance, 403b match

    I have a dual role with administrative projects in the development department (annual campaign primarily)and also oversee 100+ events (small & large) at our museum. Events include large fundraising events, volunteer appreciation events, small private parties, etc.

    I currently supervise 1 full time entry level employee and occasionally supervise other part-time staff on a project basis.

    I have 13 years non-profit development experience and 8 years event experience.

    I am fully aware that I am grossly underpaid – even for non-profit work.

    1. Development Associate & Event Coordinator*

      Ack! I forgot how old I am.

      I have 15 years non-profit experience and 10 years event experience.

      and I have been in my current role for 6 years.

  517. CEMgr*

    Role: Senior Engineering Program Manager
    Geographic Area: San Francisco Bay Area, USA
    Years of Experience: 30
    Salary: $145k base, stock variable, averaging $70k over past 3 years for typical annual compensation of $215k
    Female

  518. Senior Project Manager*

    Sr. Project Manager–not IT, but someone who does a deep dive into messy problem areas/topics for the agency and does a holistic redesign and implementation
    NE Local Government Agency
    15 if you count my whole career
    $90K

    1. former consultant*

      Hi! I formerly held a position that sounds just like this. Sometimes I miss it, but mostly I miss the money (my current pay is about 60% of this).

      Former title: Associate and Project Manager. Job description is very similar to above, but I worked for an independent consulting firm and did deep dives into many agencies’ messy problems. I was with this company for five years, until 2011. I had nine years of project management experience in another industry prior to taking this position.

      Location: Southern California

      Ending pay: $95,000 plus pretty decent bonuses plus mediocre benefits

      1. Senior Project Manager*

        I love it and the money is nice, but secondary to finding the niche I like. It’s great to work at bringing order out of chaos. I also could be happy cleaning people’s closets…

  519. Policy Analyst-Education*

    I was hired to analyze policies that are proposed by the School Board of a public school district that serves about 80,000 students. I actually spend most of my time fielding requests made under public records laws, which is not the main duty I was hired for. A classic example of title not matching job duties!

    Area: Midwest

    Experience: 6 years in this job, 14 total as a public servant, my actual training is in accounting though!

    $72,000/year plus benefits

    I work for a government entity. First, our salaries are public, by law. But I still find the question crass. Second, comparing me to analysts in the private sector is an eye opener – the pay is definately different going from private to public. I haven’t found analyst positions that pay over $50k in the private sector. Although there are other pros and cons beyond money. For example, my job came with a residency requirement – I have to live in my school district as a condition of employment.

  520. HR Generalist*

    Title: HR Generalist
    Location: NYC
    Industry: Advertising
    Years Experience: 5
    Salary: $75k
    Decent benefits, Company matched 401k, Summer Friday Program, 3 weeks vacation

  521. Youth Program Director*

    Job Title: Director of Youth and Family Ministry
    Description: youth program director- lead up budget and volunteer for my department
    Company: local church
    Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul
    Education: Masters (required in this position)
    Salary: $35,000
    Experience: 12 years in field, 1 in this position

    There is no room to negotiate salary at church jobs in this denomination, as the salary is set before position is posted. However, you usually don’t find out salary until offer is made. No raises in the last 5 years or bonuses. Benefits are very minimal for health care and 401K, although generous for sick leave and vacation. Big perks include working in a field of your passion and flexibility in hours/working from home.

  522. Proposal Writer*

    -Proposal writer, sitting at a computer all day, editing and coordinating text to prepare bids for a large corporation
    -Small city in the midwest
    -4 years in the field
    -Started at $48, 400, now a bit more than $50K, non-exempt, 401K, decent amount of PTO
    -Hate the corporate environment and planning a career switch, but the money and benefits are great in the area for this type of job

  523. Director of Program Development*

    Title: Director of Program Development
    Supervise team that facilitates design of new programs, writes grant and contract proposals, and grants management for a non-profit
    Area: Washington, DC
    Years Experience: 15+
    Salary: $110,000
    Plus 5% toward 401k, 85% toward PPO (full coverage for HMO), dental, vision, gym, transportation subsidy, 5 weeks leave and 12 sick days, professional development allowance

  524. Human Resources Director*

    Human Resources Director at privately owned restaurant with 14 locations in CA
    $45/hour – about $96K/year with OT
    no retirement
    crappy health benefits but LOTS of perqs (think free food, working from home most days, free cell phone, paid mileage & expenses)
    have a BS, speak Spanish and am a BLACK woman in my late 30’s with 15+ years HR experience

  525. Architectural Designer / Project Manager*

    I work for a small engineering firm in WI. I got lucky – I have quite a bit responsibility for my level of experience. I’m not a licensed architect..yet. I have been here for a year and was hire a few months after finishing graduate school. I work 40 hours a week for $17/hr. I find that I get more responsibility/experience than many of my peers at other firms and I make less money. But I suppose that’s the trade off with a small firm.

  526. Program Specialist*

    A totally nondescript title for what is basically a high-level administrative assistant in the state department of education. I provide technical and other assistance to teachers and administrators in school districts and charter schools regarding various federally-mandated compliance monitoring programs, maintain and troubleshoot the website for said programs, coordinate a team of contractors working on said programs, maintain documentation for said programs, write and edit technical assistance manuals for my programs and the department as a whole, schedule and coordinate training and on-site monitoring visits, and all the other stuff a normal admin would do (travel, correspondence, copying, etc.).
    Geographic area: Utah
    Years of Experience: About 5, when subtracting all the time I was laid off and job searching over the years. I’ve been in this position for 2.5 years.
    Salary: Gross is $34,000, non-exempt hourly ($16.39/hour).
    Sex: Female

    The State does give really good benefits (my medical insurance costs me $40 a month as a single) as well as sick and annual leave (separated) that will roll over, and there’s the pension (which I have to work for 1.5 more years to be vested in). But there’s no way to earn a merit or longevity increase (eliminated in the recession and not restored), and the legislature has only authorized 1% cost-of-living increases the last two years which means a whopping $.16 an hour raise. Whoop-de-do. The public “right to know” website estimates my total compensation at just under $50,000, which is incredibly overblown and ridiculous. I WISH.

  527. Executive Director*

    Title: Executive Director
    Description: ED for non profit organization in healthcare field.
    Experience: 20 years, BA, MEd., MA, PhD candidate.
    Salary $105k. Organization pays entire amount of health and dental insurance. Contributes 4% of salary to retirement fund with no required match. No set vacation or sick leave.
    Location: Midwest

  528. Library Assistant*

    I work at an academic library. I work mostly in inter-library loan thought I have several other responsibilities.

    Santa Cruz, CA (I’m never sure if this counts as the Bay Area, though I do live in the South Bay

    I’ve worked here for about a year and a half. Before being hired I only had part time and internship experience.

    I have a BA in English and plan on attending grad school for my MLIS in a couple of years

    $40,000
    Good benefits package, pretty good vacation and separate sick leave.

    Nice to see so many Library people on AAM. We should have a Facebook group or something to connect and network :)

    Oh I’m a man, btw.

  529. Associate Attorney*

    Associate Attorney (insurance)
    Philadelphia
    4 years of experience, plus 6 months of internships during law school
    $80,000 + bonuses ($4K last year)
    I work at a medium-sized firm, and I’m female.

  530. Sr. Clinical Research Specialist*

    I do data management for oncology clinical trials.
    Minneapolis, MN
    8 years
    $57,000/yr + performance bonus
    My company is a non-profit. I have friends who do the similar work at for-profit pharma companies that make $10-15k/yr more.

  531. Assistant Professor*

    Job: Assistant Professor of a professional discipline at a school that offers primarily bachelor’s and masters’ degrees
    Area: Greater NYC
    Time in: 5 years at this job, 10 years in this field total (10 years of professional experience pre-academic life)
    Salary: $80,000/year (NOT the norm for my field-being in the NY area makes a huge difference)
    Other: I have the option to teach summer and overload courses for extra money. Our retirement match is great (10% after you’ve been here a few years), and free tuition for kids/spouse. I lived the adjunct life before this gig and I definitely appreciate how lucky I am in how I am paid, even though we have some definite institutional problems.

  532. Junior Developer*

    Work: Mostly working on a single webapp. Work in both front and back end regularly. Javascript/jQuery/CSS in front, Java for server backend, PostgreSQL for DB. Typically responsible for implementing smaller subsections of functionality in the app, or refactoring existing implementations and extending their functionality. Got to do a few “big” things so far (couple thousand lines of code), but usually with a decent amount of guidance from the team lead. Also do some Android development. Testing/Issue tracking/Documentation/Support

    Company: Private, ~50 employees, Auto Industry

    Region: Southeast US

    Experience: 1.5

    Salary: 45k, Medical/Dental Insurance, 401k

  533. Museum Collections Manager*

    Location: Montana
    7 years experience + MA in my field
    $29000 + a pretty great health/retirement/PTO benefit package
    And I mean collections as in artifacts, not collections as in money.

  534. Airline Passenger Service Agent*

    Job- assisting pax all over the airport- check in, boarding, baggage claim, international arrivals, lounge, etc
    Job2- starbucks barista 2-5 opening shifts per week

    area- nova/dc
    education- b.a. in 2008

    salary:
    Airline is $12 hour, 23 days PTO (10 vacation, 10 movable holidays, 3 personal) 10 sicks days that we are strongly discourage to use and penalized if we use them. Here I am entry level, I’ve been there 2 years. flight benefits with discounted (not free) standby flights anywhere in the world on many different airlines.
    This job has lots of overtime but also the long-term risk of being eliminated in favor of contractors/ hours cut do to lower demand in the flight schedule.

    starbucks is $8.50 an hour, even with SIX-SEVEN years of experience from other coffee shops, no PTO and no sick time, must find someone to cover if sick. Free lb of coffee every week and lots of free drinks, and great people

  535. HRIS Administrator*

    HRIS Administrator:glorified data entry operator/analyst

    large regional healthcare

    Baltimore Metro area

    10 years admin/data entry experience

    Salary $49k

  536. Project Manager (consulting structural engineer)*

    $73k
    this would be my full time salary, though I work part time, we get paid for hours over 40 per week.
    Year end bonus is around 5%
    single discipline consulting firm in a big city in Midwest
    Female
    10 years experience
    Master’s degree
    Registered Professional Engineer in 3 states

  537. Sr. Clinical Research Specialist*

    Do over – I hit submit too soon.

    I do data management for oncology clinical trials.
    Minneapolis, MN
    8 years
    $57,000/yr + performance bonus
    My company is a non-profit. I have friends who do the similar work at for-profit pharma companies that make $10-15k/yr more but their benefits aren’t as good. We have very inexpensive health insurance with very good coverage, flexible work hours, work from home (in my department, some departments don’t allow it). Vacation time for new employees starts at 3 weeks paid time off that you can start taking immediately. I currently accrue almost 6 weeks vacation time/yr now.

    I’m a female in a very female dominated field.

  538. Marketing Specialist*

    Marketing and Communications Specialist
    Geographic Area: central Virginia
    Years of Experience: 6
    Salary: $53k + bonus + OT + health insurance + 12% retirement contribution

  539. Engineer I (Mechanical)*

    Title Engineer I
    It’s an entry level position, however I was acting as project manager (managing cost/scope/schedule, creating tasks for coworkers I had access to, project presentations at the client location) for 14 months on a big project which finished up about a month ago. There’s been talk of putting me into project management roles, but I’ll be starting maternity leave within the next couple weeks so I’m currently working on whatever things my managers have left on their back burners for too long.

    Location Minneapolis/St. Paul

    Experience 1.5 years (first job after graduating)

    Salary $53,300

    Benefits 12 days PTO/yr, 401k match (6% to my 8%), 9 paid holidays, super secret bonuses for valued employees

    Other I’m a mid-20’s female with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and strong interest in the fracture mechanics side of metallurgy.

  540. Lawyer*

    $65,000 annually. Possible year-end bonus.

    Small firm (less than 10 lawyers) in Dallas, TX. Personal injury, plaintiff side.

    I’m a woman in my late 20s. Have been practicing a little over 2 years, been at my current job for 3 months. This is my third job out of law school. I know that’s kinda job-hoppy but I definitely plan on staying at current job for a long long time.

    Best job ever: 10 holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas etc.) PLUS 24 PTO days (combined vacation/sick time) and they’re cool about it if you need to take more.

    As it is, I work less than 40 hours per week, which is the expectation. This is highly unusual for lawyer jobs!

    Really reasonable snow-day policy. Company-paid maternity leave! Best of all, CASUAL DRESS. No this is bona-fide casual, I’m talking shorts and flip-flops.

  541. SimonTheGrey, Adjunct*

    Main position: Adjunct communications instructor, Iowa
    Course load: 5 courses during academic year (3 fall, 2 spring)
    Per course: $2160
    Years of experience: 4
    Likelihood of F/T: No
    Benefits: None

    2nd position: On-campus tutor
    Hours: 24/week, in two departments.
    Breakdown: $18/hr as Writing Specialist, $16/hr as general tutor.
    Years of experience: 3 as general tutor, 1 as specialist
    Likelihood of F/T: No
    Benefits: 401K

    3rd position: Online tutor
    Hours: standby this semester; usually 9-12
    Pay: $11/hr
    Years of experience: 3
    Likelihood of F/T: No
    Benefits: Zip

    About me: Highest education is MA; I run a small business; have 8 years previous retail experience with 2 years as a manager position; various contract/temp work; warehouse work experience. I live in subsidized housing. I have no debt.

  542. tcookson*

    Administrative Assistant at a public university

    Smallish university town in the south

    8 years in current job, one other admin job (3 years) previously

    Started at $19,575; two promotions and a few cost of living raises to current salary of $26, 683

    Need to finish my degree (which I’m working on) to be eligible to apply for higher-level work (even a higher-level admin job)

  543. Field Tech/Consultant*

    Experience: 8 years in the industry
    Education: Masters in my field, including two industry certifications
    Geographic Area: Dallas/Fort Worth
    Salary: $50k (exempt) + Benefits

  544. Kim*

    your job – Statewide Training Specialist – 900 employee social service agency and I am the sole full time employee responsible to maintaining training records, administering a learning management system, professional development trainings, leadership and supervisory trainings. I also manage one part time employee.

    your geographic area – midwest

    your approximate years of experience – 8 years total – 3 in non-profit adult education and 5 as a teacher

    your salary $33,ooo

  545. HR Specialist (female)*

    Job: HR Specialist C&B in large corporation
    Area: EUROPE (Scandinavia)
    Experience: 2 years
    Salary: €56k

  546. Statistical Modeler*

    Job: build risk analysis models
    Salary: $87.5k
    Area: DC metro area
    Education: Master’s in Statistics
    Work experience: 3 years
    Benefits: Health/Dental/Vision
    401K matching up to 3%

  547. Senior Research Analyst*

    I do television analytics for a major media company in Atlanta.
    5 years with prior company (also a major media company, but local advertising), 1.5 with this one.
    Salary: $57,000 with full benefits.
    I also have a masters degree in communications, and I’m a woman.

  548. Training & Development Coordinator*

    ◾I work in the HR department for a medium sized municipal government
    ◾Central Texas (South of Austin)
    ◾6+ years post Masters in Adult Education: 4 years working for a college, 1.2 years at a private company and 1.6 years in government
    ◾$52,600 a year. They used to pay for our health insurance but are no longer able to do so.
    ◾Nothing about small municipal government salaries are competitive. They spend a large amount of time worrying about what other cities are doing/paying vs the rest of the world in the same line of work. I know when I was looking for a training job I wasn’t looking for jobs within cities, but rather just training in general. I could care less what a city 250 miles away pays their trainer.

  549. Zoo Keeper?*

    I’m a biologist working in animal care in a zoo/aquarium (my actual title is really specific). I do animal care work (cleaning, feeding, training, enrichment, etc) and also all the care and maintenance on exhibit and off-exhibit spaces, which includes horticulture/landscaping/aquascaping depending on the exhibit. Pretty much, I clean up after animals, prepare their food, and fix things as needed. I also some administrative things, things like co-ordinating volunteers and ordering food and supplies for the animals my team works wit

    Salary: $20/hr in a F/T + OT role, so usually $45k/year

    Benefits: extended health/dental (decent if you’re single, less so if you need it to cover your kids apparently), RRSP match (I contribute 6%, they match it), 3 weeks vacation, 10 sick days, extra days off by banking overtime or holidays worked (someone has to be there every day!)

    Location: large Canadian city

    Employer: non-profit (and we’re not unionized)

    Experience: 5 years in my current department (started at $13/hr, went from being most junior to one of the most senior on my team in that time), 3-4 years of other relevant experience, mostly in public education using the animals I now care for

    Me: female, B.Sc, early 30s

  550. Data Solutions Architect*

    I work on a Business Intelligence team in the Seattle area. I design and implement BI solutions for a health-care employer, using SQL Server and SSIS packages. Two years experience in this job, but 13 years IT experience overall, as a programmer.

    $112,000 annually is my salary.

    1. Data Solutions Architect*

      Also….I’m a woman and in my early 50’s. IT is a second career for me; I was originally a medical biller and did a couple years of community college after my divorce. I don’t have any kind of degree at all, not even an AA.

      Benefits are good….I get about 22 days of PTO a year, and it accrues weekly so I always have a little time in the pot since I use my PTO wisely. Healthcare is mostly included and there is a healthy, comfortable culture here so I am happy.

  551. Public Library Director*

    -Manage a small library in an urban setting in northern NJ
    -4.5 years experience, first year as director
    -60k, full benefits, 35 hr week, flexible hours, 4 weeks vacation
    -This is the low end of the salary range for library directors in the area

  552. New Grad Computer Engineering*

    Computer Engg student graduating in April from a popular Canadian Univ
    Offer from well known IT firm in California (SF)
    $110K salary
    plus stock, relocation allowance, sign-on bonus, etc

  553. Jr Business Analyst/ETL Developper*

    Job Description:
    Business Analyst part:
    – Analyze APIs and summarize the information needed to develop data integration routines and sending information to the API
    – Complete partial process flowchart so ETL routines take all business cases into account

    ETL Developper:
    – Create ETL jobs in the client’s chosen software suite (Talend)
    – Review mapping information to ensure it conforms to both source and destination requirements
    – Create QA structure, including Peer Reviews
    – Peer review

    Geographic Area:
    Montreal, Quebec

    Years of experience:
    1 year

    Salary:
    50k + meds/dental insurance (basic healthcare covered by free, public healthcare system)
    3 weeks vacation (pretty standard in the field)
    10 PTO days for illnesses (colds, etc.)
    Training fund

    Context:
    The initial scope of the job was to train me as a conceptor and eventually move me to a business analysts team. The evolution of the development center (a new initiative for the consulting firm) hasn’t gone according to plan.

    Although the VP who hired me told me my salary was the proper market rate, I’ve been told by recruiters (including those at my present job), that 40-45k would be more in line with the current market. Negotiating for an early salary review is possible, even for a junior.

    Most companies want more experience, so positions are scarce for a junior, and the lower starting salary might be a result of this lack of open jobs.

  554. Director, Research and Development*

    My title is a bit inflated, but I oversee all new developments in a fresh produce company.

    Region: Central CA
    Years Experience: 4, 3 in this position
    Salary: about $72K
    Benefits: Health/vision/dental paid by employer (I don’t use these benefits, so I am paid 60% of what they would pay for me), 2 weeks vacation, 5 PTO, 401(k) with 4% match, no maternity leave

  555. Anonymous*

    HR Consultant – more on HRIS than on HR
    Metro Southeast
    7 years experience
    $51,000
    PHR and Certified Payroll Professional

  556. Float Pharmacist*

    Geographic Area: New England
    Years of Experience: 2 years
    Salary: $128K exempt, 40+ hrs/week

    I work for a retail chain pharmacy, & have a PharmD.

    1. I'll Play!*

      If I ever get done with school (two more years!), I think my husband might go back for his PharmD.

  557. Chargeback Investigator*

    Job Description:
    Read and review late-stage credit card disputes on behalf of the business being disputed against, respond appropriately, direct-key funds to various card issuers.

    I have a BA in an absolutely unrelated field (religion).

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD

    Experience:
    2 years in this position, 4 years in the payment card industry

    Salary:
    $14.49/hr – works out to approximately $30,000 a year plus benefits.

  559. Program Support/Communications Specialist*

    I got a job at a federal agency in the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area right out of college. I started as a contractor in a temporary position filling in for a secretary as she was on a “detail” with another group in the organization. They liked what I had to offer so I became a full-time contractor at the government site working as a communications specialist- newsletters, webpage, presentations, strategic planning, process improvement, etc (I received a BA in PR/Journalism). Switched over to the federal side of things doing the same job when I started my Master’s. Since I started, I jumped two “grade scale” levels- one when I was half way through my degree and another (as of Monday) after completing it.
    Years of experience: 3 (I just finished my Master’s while working here too)
    Salary: $53,884/year…no bonuses (right now because of budget cuts…and we were furloughed in October)
    Quality of Worklife is great! I get to work extra hours and have every other Friday off and telework on an as-needed basis or when the weather is bad. Aside from the commute, it’s a great job!

  560. Administrative Assistant*

    Geographic area: Midwest US
    Years of experience: In the workforce under various titles, working up to this position for ~15 years
    Salary: $45,000 + benefits

  561. Marketing Communications Specialist*

    Job: Marketing Communications Specialist – I’m basically the head writer for our blog, I’m the writer, editor and project lead of our print magazine, I do press releases, tradeshow and event planning and more.

    Arizona/Southwest
    3-ish years experience
    36,000
    This includes two small raises, and I’d take into account that I’m underpaid at that level. I came into the company entry-level at 30k.

  562. Anon*

    Job Title: PR Strategist at a small communications agency
    (I handle client content creation, media relations, public relations, events, social media, and all day-to-day communications – including providing updates on projects handled by our graphic design and SEO departments)

    Geographic Area: Midwest

    Approximate Years of Experience: Going on 6 years

    Salary: $38,500

    Other details: I’m female! I think that matters, but you may disagree…

  563. Public Relations Strategist*

    Job Title: PR Strategist at a small communications agency
    (I handle client content creation, media relations, public relations, events, social media, and all day-to-day communications – including providing updates on projects handled by our graphic design and SEO departments)

    Geographic Area: Midwest

    Approximate Years of Experience: Going on 6 years

    Salary: $38,500

    Other details: I’m female! I think that matters, but you may disagree…

  564. tax manager*

    Southern England

    £42000 (so approx $67000), annual bonus of around another £2000, plus they pay a 7% contribution to my pension fund.

    15 years experience

    I work in a firm of less than 50 people. If I worked for the Big 4, my salary would be 1.5 times to double that. However, in my current job, 90% of the time I get to arrive shortly before 9 and leave around 5.45.

  565. User Experience Designer*

    Job: UX Designer, at a small agency where I do a little bit of a lot of things but mainly wireframes, information architecture and a little bit of usability testing, my focus has been on design for mobile applications.

    Location: Seattle

    Years of experience: 3

    Salary: $62,500, plus variable yearly bonus
    benefits are average for a small company, decent healthcare coverage, 15 days combined vacation/sick time and not many paid holidays, lowish 401k match.

    I’m female, have 3 years in industry, also a master’s degree in this field and I’m feeling a bit underpaid right now. I’ve been at the same job all 3 years and was hired at the low end of typical entry-level salary for my industry and location. I’ve gotten several modest raises since then, but if I leave I’m looking to get $75,000 – $80,00o.

    1. Seattle resident*

      I know of one Seattle-area company that pays Sr. UX Designers $90-100k. $60-70k feels right for entry-level, you should try for a senior position. Good luck!

  566. Accountant*

    Tax Accountant, passed CPA exam
    Just started my second year
    mid-sized city in the south
    $55,000 salary, decent benefits, 3 weeks vacation + 2 weeks comp time
    I work 40 hours a week 6 months of the year, and 50-70 hours a week the other 6 months, with mandatory weekends during 5 of those months.
    Female

          1. Accountant*

            I’m salaried, so I don’t get any overtime pay, and we don’t typically get bonuses. The comp time is additional vacation time earned based on amount of overtime worked. So if I work a lot during busy season, I basically get 5 weeks of vacation a year, in addition to holiday and sick time.

            1. Public Accountant*

              I like this! I am salaried and get straight time over time, but by the end of busy season it would be nice to trade some of that in for PTO.

  567. Not a fish*

    My signature block says I am a “Contract Administrator” for a pipeline company in Calgary Canada. I work as a temp at $16/hr (including vacation pay) with only gov’t mandated benefits. My supervisor is currently trying to figure out how to get me a raise as she says I am underpaid for my duties (which were unknown at time of hiring – the job grew arround me). For similar admin-like jobs in Calgary, I have made $38,000 – $42,000 a year.

    1. Not a fish*

      I should add that I am a female with a B.Ed and teacher certification (but that job market is tight right now). My current duties include vendor management (including monitoring qualifications), database management and cocreation with IT, dealing with invoices before payment, admin support when the AA is not around and basically nipping at heels for paperwork to get done. If I was to negotiate for this job, I would expext around $40,000

      As for COLA, I own a 2 bedroom condo (70’s built) worth $118,000 whereas a newly built one would gpo fopr $200,000 (but mine has the view of tiny mountains and a southern exposure, so I love it)

  568. Bookkeeper/Office Manager/Assistant to Owner*

    Bookkeeper/Office Manager/Assistant to Owner
    $40,000. That used to be with benefits but for various reasons, partially relating to the ACA canceling the company’s plan, that is no longer the case so I pay for health insurance out of pocket. (I could get them to match 50%, but I am planning on leaving so I don’t want to make a huge deal out of it only to turn in my two weeks shortly thereafter. This would be different if I was either planning on staying or if this was a company with an HR department, but it’s a small company with only three people in the office. Politically I don’t want to push it.)

    Previously:

    Office Manager/In-House Production Coordinator for a film production house
    $24,000 + project based bonuses (i.e. if I was doing production coordination for a commercial that the company was producing and I was in the budget as working 5 days on it I would get $200/day for a total of $1,000 bonus. Actually it was more complicated than that, but that is basically the end result. THE MOST CONFUSING SYSTEM.) No benefits.

    When I was freelancing as a production coordinator for films my day rate ranged from $150 – $225. My day rate as an office coordinator for film companies was $125.

    1. Bookkeeper/Office Manager/Assistant to Owner*

      Oh and NYC for all of these. And female. And I don’t even know how to quantify my job experience since my current job is very different from the film jobs I had. But a few years basically.

  569. Digital Account Coordinator*

    $35,000 (no benefits)

    Toronto

    Graduated with Hons BA in 2012, have been in this job for 6 months.

    I work for a small company in the marketing and sales dept. I put together email and banner marketing campaigns. This includes pitching mock-ups to clients, liaising between the client and our designer, providing some strategy advice when needed, and reporting results. I also do content management for our websites, produce content for different communication pieces, and work on non-client projects. Occasionally I represent the company at fairs and give presentations to various groups.

  570. Museum Educator*

    St. Louis
    Master’s (MA) degree
    3.5 years experience (4 in May)
    $32,120 plus benefits
    Female

  571. Restaurant Manager*

    This is totally irrelevant to any of you, because I am Australian, but I guess some of you might be interested in how we compare.

    I run a fast food restaurant, which means I’m responsible for all of the results of the store, hiring and firing, profitability (to an extent), etc.

    I recently got promoted, but have two years’ experience in total.

    Salary: $50 000

  572. Temporary Receptionist*

    Temporary job and not permanent, but might be helpful to someone. This is from my last job:

    Job Title: Temporary Receptionist. Answering phones plus heavy filing, data entry, etc.
    Area: Southern California
    Years of Experience: about 4 (2+ as receptionist/admin)
    Degree: Associate
    Salary: $14/hr., temporary, no benefits. This was on the higher end.

    Man, where are the well-paying administrative jobs? I’m feeling both hopeful and let down by some of the numbers here.

    1. (Other) Receptionist*

      Finance & law–medium to large size firms. Don’t bother with anything under 15 people, unless they’ve got a fancy address. I’ve seen receptionist positions hire for up to $55k + benefits at investment banks in the Bay Area.

      Also, don’t look on Craigslist–most won’t post the jobs publicly. Hook yourself up with a high end staffing agency that caters to these types of places. Most will also have a temp side, so you can still work while you’re interviewing for permanent positions.

  573. WorkerBee*

    English Teacher
    Moscow, Russia
    65000 RUB per month…about $1850 USD.

    I get paid a good amount by Russian standards, and make significantly more than the local teachers, even if they have way more experience. Have been teaching less than six months. By the end of the year, I expect to have saved close to $8000.

  574. Geographic Information Systems Programmer*

    My job: Geospatial systems design and integration for a public sector organization serving ~1M residents with ~5k employees. Sole GIS programmer/developer in the organization. Requires programming in python, javascript/html, and java on a windows platform, but also a large number of internal and external coordination projects.

    Area: Missouri
    Experience: ~10 years
    Salary: $59k
    I have basically reached the point in my career where I can keynote regional conferences and serve on the board for national conferences. This year I chair my first major national conference.

    1. Geographic Information Systems Programmer*

      Forgot to add. I’m male and a minority. No bonuses or retirement matching. No merit raises nor cost of living raises. There is a 75% pension after 30 years. Partially paid individual health insurance.

  575. Web developer*

    Location: Eastern Europe

    Job: officially, my title is PHP developer, but I also do a lot of frontend stuff as well (CSS, JS, HTML).

    Education: bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

    Experience: around 7 years (all in the field).

    Salary: ~$23k (after tax). It’s considered a rather good salary for my profession and experience.

    Benefits:
    – 21 days PTO/year (mandated by law)
    – health insurance at a private clinic chosen by the company
    – membership fees to some fitness studios are refundable
    – 15% off at a few well-known restaurants in my city
    – various professional trainings – I’m including this here, because a lot of companies boast about on-the-job trainings, but don’t actually offer anything

    This may seem very little, but it’s actually considered an “astronomical” sum by most people in my country (especially those not working IT).

    Rent for a studio apartment is about 200 euro/month in my city.
    Prices for food, are roughly the same as in most Western European countries. I think electronics are a bit more expensive, though.

  576. Instructional Designer*

    Instructional Designer (creates training content)

    Location: midwest
    13 years experience in this role, with company for 15 years
    92K
    Have M.S. in Instructional Technology
    Other: female, black, bonuses of approx 10-15% annually, 29 vacation days per year, 9 paid holidays, company pension and generous match to 401K

  577. Supermarket Assistant*

    My hourly wage (£7, US $12) means a yearly wage of £11,000 or roughly US $18,000.

  578. Payroll Administrator*

    Payroll administrator: One person payroll department reporting to VP of Finance, rather than to HR. 3 US companies, 1 Canadian company, employees total only about 500.

    Female, 20 years experience.
    Salary: $73,000,
    Location: Southern California

  579. Project Manager, Operations*

    Title: Project Manager, Operations
    Industry: Software
    Duties/Skills: Manage team of 7 through team and organization projects; manage hardware in remote data centers; co-ordinate with other internal teams on resource management for their projects
    Experience: 2.5 years in the role, 18 years total in a variety of technology roles
    Area: Boston
    Salary: $118K
    Benefits: health (dental+vision) with flex spending, PTO accrual

    I tend to think that I might be overpaid for my role, because I moved within my company from a business analyst role into project management without any salary change. Will be interesting to see what happens when I have to start searching again.

    1. Project Manager, Operations*

      Oh and to be clear, I am not a personnel manager, I only have assumptive authority.

  580. Corporate Attorney*

    Title: Senior Associate
    Experience: 5 years
    Last year’s salary: $170,000 + $30,000 bonus
    This year’s salary: $182,000 + unknown bonus
    City: Atlanta

    I’m a woman. And I have awesome benefits.

  581. Administrative Assistant, Public University*

    Midwestern suburb
    $23, 700
    9 years experience, just started at this particular job

  582. Student Affairs Program Coordinator at a large public university (female)*

    Salary: $48k
    Starting salary: $44k
    Years experience: 5 (2 when I entered the job)
    Area: Midatlantic, tween-sized town
    Education: Masters in Social Work
    Benefits: 22 days vacation, 8 holidays, tuition reimbursement, great medical/dental benefits, continuing education stipend, employer-matching retirement
    Added perk: I had a $4,000 moving allowance when I was hired.

    Previous jobs:
    Title: Community Educator at a health non-profit
    Years exp when hired: 1
    Salary: $34k

    Title: Program Specialist at a non-profit helping children find mentors
    Years exp when hired: 0 (right out of Masters program)
    Salary: $30k

  583. Marketing Coordinator*

    Marketing coordinator in healthcare field. Midlevel non-management focused on brand and relationship enhancement with affiliate counterparts.
    Location: Central Ohio
    Years experience: 1.5, immediately after college graduation
    Salary: $38k
    Excellent health coverage, HSA and profit sharing, plenty of PTO time

  584. Financial Accountant, Sydney*

    75K AUD + 9.25% pension contribution.

    I also have compliance and management accounting responsibilities, and I supervise a junior member of the Finance team. In a larger company I wouldn’t have those extra responsibilities but I would be paid more. Funny old world, isn’t it?

    I’m female. It’s my first permanent job in my field after training in Big 4 audit for 3.5 years.

  585. Graphic Designer*

    Location: Montreal, Quebec

    Gender: Female

    Job: Graphic Designer (communications, marketing, for non-profit).

    Education: BA in Journalism, Diploma in Illustration & Design

    Experience: 2 years in my field. Permanent full-time.

    Salary: $39K

    Benefits:
    – 10 paid vacation days
    – 12 paid sick days
    – Pension plan
    – Gym membership
    – Health & dental insurance (basic coverage)

  586. Adult Foster Care Provider*

    Job Title: Adult Foster Care Provider
    Company: county and a social services agency
    2 adults with disabilities live in our home. We provide life skills training, all room and board, med distribution, accounting and paperwork for the clients and general care.
    Annual Income (together from the county, waivered services, and from the social service agency we contract with): $72,000
    However, we pay for food and housing (estimate $500 extra groceries a month and $50 extra utilities). Other miscellaneous business expenses as well, so a total yearly profit of $64,800.

    Excellent work at home job. Little room for travel and must own home large enough for each client to have their own room.

  587. Production Manager (Web)*

    I work at an online lead delivery company. My work includes managing a team of two, Salesforce Administration, and managing some of the content on our website.
    Location: Puget Sound Area, WA
    Years of Experience: 7.5 at the company, 3 in this position
    Salary: $71k

    The salary was set at $70k when I managed about 5 people. I now manage a smaller group but my pay has remained at roughly $70k. Decent benefits.

  588. Executive Assistant 1*

    Title: Executive Assistant 1

    Financial Services Industry in Chicago- full range of support for multiple executives

    Geography: Chicago

    Approx Years of Experience: 11 Years experience total, mostly administrative support, 4 at current job

    Salary: approx. $52,000 (expressed as an hourly rate since I’m non-exempt) with benefits and additional bonus (target 8%)

    Education: BS, currently pursuing MBA

    Male

  589. Marketing Program Manager*

    (for a website, manages vendor parters primarily)
    Pacific NW
    5+ years experience (2+ in this position)
    $64,000/year salaried, no bonus structure

  590. Project Manager (Publishing)*

    $73k
    Location: San Francisco
    Years of Experience: ~7
    Female, 29
    Perks: 37.5/hour work week, 2 weeks vacation, 1 week sick time, nobody here takes their job too seriously

    This thread makes it look like I’m right in the middle of the industry standard, which is cool! It’s also funny, because it seems as though “Project Manager” could mean just about anything. In my case, I manage a team of 3 producers (they each make about 60k).

  591. Account Executive PR*

    What: I’m work for a consulting firm that focuses on PR and fund raising for non-profit organization
    Where: South (TN)
    Experience: 3 years full-time
    Salary: $47,000
    Others: 2 weeks vacation, plus closed between Christmas and New Years, bare bones benefits package, no 401K, mileage reimbursement, cell phone provided

  592. Archivist*

    State government. Work is processing/accessioning/collections management.
    Deep South state capital city.
    18 months, post-Master’s experience, ~1-2 years PT experience while in school
    $32,400
    Salary is completely non-negotiable; fixed for my job level and can only be raised by a vote of the legislature. Excellent amount of PTO, comp time for over 40 hrs/week, and 10-15 holidays a year depending on how the calendar falls.

    1. Archivist*

      To be clear, I have an MLS-equivalent degree. And I’m male, which puts me in the minority in the profession.

  593. Program Director (Nonprofit)*

    Managed 3 staff, 10 volunteers, grant-funded program
    3+ years experience, obtained MPA while working in position
    $34,000/year salaried

  594. Reference Archivist and Records Manager*

    Job: Reference Archivist and Records Manager
    Area: NYC
    Experience: grad school + 3 years
    Salary: on paper, $92,000 [this is base pay ($61,000) + cost of living allowance (a % of base pay)]; take home is more like $71,000 after taxes, pension, insurance, etc.

    I landed at an organization that pays really, really well – I don’t think this salary is typical of archives or records management jobs, especially at my level (I’m a 28 year old female).

  595. Assistant Retail Manager*

    Assistant Store Manager of leading Retail Pharmacy
    been here 8years.
    50,000 a year,
    4 weeks vacation, profit sharing, health insurance premiums about 200/month
    45 hours minimum, babysitting employees, customers, etc hate it but pays the bills

  596. Quality Manager*

    *Quality Manager (4 year Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours) – working for a large privately owned construction company on a $160m motorway project.
    *Auckland, New Zealand
    *7 years full-time experience plus several part-time engineering jobs while studying
    *$83k, plus full private use of a vehicle, health insurance for my family, life insurance, contributions to two retirement funds and a partially-funded share allocation
    *I am female, so statistically may be paid a little less than colleagues! My normal working hours are 6:45am to 5:30pm, M-F… with occasional work/phone calls etc outside of these hours.

    1. Quality Manager*

      I should also be clear, in NZ we have 4 weeks annual leave (government mandated), plus public holidays. I get 5 sick days per year, which roll over to a maximum of 15 days.

    3. Quality Manager*

      I am in the Food Manufacturing Industry. Quality Manager of two plants in the Louisville, KY area. It is a privately owned mid-size company. I am in charge of the food safety and quality of what we produce. They are G.F.S.I certified plants and I am H.A.C.C.P certified, Internal Auditing Certified, and have a B.S degree with 3 years experience as a QM, but have 9 years experience in a quality assurance lab. $68,000 yr, no bonuses, decent benefits and two weeks paid vacation. I am female and younger than all the managers where I work. I truly believe that plays a role in my salary and I did negotiate.

  597. Urban Planner/Urban Designer*

    45k/year for a very small consulting firm. i’m just getting started as a project manager for my own projects. some i’m about 30% as a project manager and 70% as support staff for other project managers in the office. bachelors degree in urban planning/masters degree in landscape architecture. medium-size midatlantic city. i’m female. i’ve been here going on 3 years.

    i had 2 years of planning experience, two years of design experience and 1 year at a trade publication.

    i think the salary is in the very bottom range of what is considered fair for the industry. But this firm is known locally for low pay.

    Our benefits are ok. vacation is stingy but if i manage my time well, i can go home by 5 most days.

    Its all about billable hours here and we are required to have 40 billable hours plus at least 3 non-billable marketing or office task hours. Its manageable if you dont spend tons of time on AAM and if you eat at your desk.

    I dont have any of my professional licenses. I’m halfway through the board exams for one. I have gotten a small raise for each exam I passed so far and I expect a real raise when I can put some letters at the end of my name. I’m also planning to ask for a raise in about 6 months as some of the projects i’m managing get further along. My time as a “manager” is billed to clients at nearly double what my time as “support staff” is. So I think if my projects are going along on budget, i can make a solid case for a really good raise.

    also i just had a baby earlier this year and i thought my employer treated me very fairly during and after the pregnancy. I was able to keep working towards a management role although nothing came to fruition until after my maternity leave. Also I suspect that everyone cut me some serious slack in the first few months after maternity leave. I was literally working as hard as humanly possible and i wasn’t that productive. I’m back up to speed now and its only now that the fog of sleeplessness is starting to lift that I can even recognize that i had a slightly lighter workload in the past 6 months. I dont know if they did it subconsciously or on purpose but they gained a ton of loyalty from me. I had no idea how difficult pregnancy and parenthood can be.

    Finally- we have a 401k but no matching. they contribute based on some top-secret formula at the end of the year if the firm has profits.

    1. Emma*

      I work in public health but am very interested in urban planning and design (active design, specifically). It’s my pipe dream to go for an MPH/MURP combo degree.

      1. urban planner/urban designer*

        I actually really enjoy the work. I’d like to work for a bigger firm and be able to spend a little more time doing research and writing. On the other hand, i could just stay here for a while and keep moving up and make my own opportunities. Public health is a big deal for us right now. With a background in public health, you would have no problem getting into planning depending on where you live or are willing to move to. Sometimes I think I would be well served by taking some classes in public health.

        1. Emma*

          I was told by a buddy of mine that urban planning is quite the long game (e.g., we can’t expect the 10-years of tremendous infrastructure change that occurred in NYC under Mayor Mike and Commissioner Sadik-Khan to happen everywhere). Granted, public health is a long game too. What kind of planning experience did you have previously and what did you like and dislike about it?

      2. Dearnina84*

        I’m in public health too and thinking of pursuing an MPH. It would be nice to connect with someone with a similar background. How far have you gotten with your decision?

  598. DIVISION MANAGER*

    Division Manager/Natural Gas Pipeline Construction Co
    Oversee construction projects handled by the division in regards to employees, resources, budgets, etc.
    Geographic Area: Houston Tx
    Years of experience: 37 give or take. Started at the bottom and worked my way up. NO COLLEGE DEGREE
    Salary: $167,000 plus extras. Such as: Christmas Bonus of $10,000, company bought and provided F250 truck with auto insurance and all gasoline (even for personal use) and toll fees paid by the company, fully company paid health insurance benefits, 401k match, very liberal vacation policy. Company credit card for entertainment and expenses for client meals.

  599. Architect (Licensed, M.Arch)*

    I’m a Project Architect/Manager for a midsize firm in Portland, OR. (For buildings, not computers. I had to pass 9 exams to be able to legally call myself an architect.) I’ve got 11 years of experience.

    Anyway, here goes:

    Salary is 65k per year. My job often requires overtime, sometimes 80 hours weeks. The company I’m at right now is really good about trying to limit overtime though.

    My bonus this year was 2k, but I had only been at this job for 60 days and was still in my probationary period, which doesn’t usually make you eligible for a bonus. Bonuses at my level are usually between 4-10k.

    I have a good Vision, Dental and Medical benefits package that is completely paid for by the company.

    My company sponsors a 401k plan with 3% matching.

    My PTO right now, as a newbie, is 2 weeks vacation and 1 week sick leave, but that will go up as I am here longer.

    This was a great idea!

  600. Scientist, New Zealand*

    Assistant Research Fellow
    – molecular biologist/geneticist, 100% research no teaching
    – two years postdoctoral experience
    – $54K NZD
    – Benefits: 5 weeks paid leave, we have socialised medicine so don’t have to worry about insurance, cost of living is slightly higher than the US
    – Female, caucasian, have PhD

  601. Finance Administrator*

    Title: Finance Administrator

    Accounts Payable and Receivable, office supply management, petty cash management, travel per diem management, general administrative support in the aviation industry

    Location: Houston, Texas

    Years of Experience: 16 years administrative support, 6 related to Finance in general, first time with hands-on AP and AR (other than bigger picture budgeting and planning)

    Salary: $32,000 with health insurance (dental, vision, life) as well as 5 sick days and 5 vacation days for the first year.

    Education: A.A.S. in Business Administration (concentration in Management Information Systems)

    Female

  603. Analyst - Marketing*

    Analyst
    Chicago
    Mid sized advertising firm. There are only two analyst at the company, me and my boss. I do SQL, and then pump the data into Tableau, a data visualization software.
    Bachelor’s (currently in night school for masters in analytics)
    3 years of experience
    58k

  604. Grants Manager*

    -I work as the grants manager for a nonprofit that has an annual budget between $1 and $1.5 million. I write grant applications, grant acknowledgements, grant reports, and research prospective grants.
    -St. Louis, MO
    -approximately 1 year of experience
    -$37,500, with a $2,500 bump after six months (I just started at the beginning of the month)
    -My college education is in high school history education, but I do have one year of experience working as a prospect researcher for another nonprofit in the area as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

  605. Research Assistant*

    Job: Basic science research assistant that test-tubes, maths, and writes
    Location: US location where cows are more plentiful than people
    Years of Experience: BS, MS, 1 year
    Salary: $12/hour
    Other: I never thought I would ever be struggling to pay the bills. I’m feeling pretty underpaid, underutilized, and under-appreciated. There’s a over-arching plan that gets me out of here in 2 years so it’s not all bleak prospects but still, I’m pretty unhappy.

    Listen up, random internet folk, as I get off my chest the secret that cannot be said aloud lest it get back to my superiors (it’s a tiny town), I F*CKING HATE MY JOB.

    2. Clinical Research Associate*

      Bah! That is a bum deal, I’m sorry. Hopefully you’ll be moving on to something a lot better.

  607. Senior Editor, Print & Digital Publishing*

    $72K
    NYC
    12 years of experience in educational/licensed publishing.
    At current nonprofit job for 8 years, so I should be at the Exec Editor level but: nonprofit.
    Female

    I just recently got that raise, up from $60k, because someone left and I took a big chunk of her job.

    1. Senior Editor, Print & Digital Publishing*

      Forgot to add to the above:

      Small yearly bonus based on company performance (usually the equivalent of 1 extra paycheck), health, dental, vision insurance that’s pretty comprehensive and a decent split (25/75). 26 PTO days (!) and generous maternity leave policies.

  608. Editorial Manager*

    Title: Editorial manager. I work as an editor in the financial industry. I edit and publish global, high profile financial analysis and research. Our reports go on our website, over newswires, and in a weekly publication. I also manage a 2 editors and 1-2 interns, depending on the time of year.
    Experience: 4 years, plus several internships before I was hired full time.
    Salary: $70,000
    Benefits: heath care, three weeks vacation, company 401k matching, flexibility to work from home.
    Location: NYC
    Education: Bachelor’s degree
    M/F: Female

  609. R&D and Manufacturing Engineer (Female)*

    Geographic Area: CA
    Years of Experience: 1 (but considered 5 because of the Ph.D.)
    Salary: $100k + ~10k bonus

  610. Alumni Relations Officer*

    Alumni Relations Officer at a “Doxbridge” College (UK)
    Events, communications, publications and relationship management. Don’t manage any staff, but manage my own workload and budgets for events. I also have to attend and manage almost all of the 20+ events we have per year, so there is a lot of evening and weekend work.

    3.5 Years of Experience in Development/Alumni Relations. Previously worked a year in a different sector entirely.

    £26,000 (low end of the scale), but I get time off in lieu after events, 30 days holiday per year an excellent pension scheme, free gym/pool membership and a free lunch every day. There’s also a lavish training budget and a university wide career development programme which we’re encouraged to take part in.

    So not terribly well paid, but interesting, perk laden and a lot of fun.

  611. Accounting Supervisor*

    Salary: Roughly 80K
    Years of Experience: Specifically in accounting: ~6 years
    Education: Bachelors & CPA
    Corporate accounting, 1 direct report
    Bonus eligible at 10% of base salary, company always bonuses every year
    Geographic location: Suburbs of Chicago (north)

  612. Retail divisional manager*

    Salary: 65 k
    Bonus: 5 to 10k
    Experience: 25 years plus
    Education: MBA, but after years in the industry
    Pension, 401 k, generous
    PTO…generous

    Retail is notoriously underpaid. However, I work for the military exchange system which is competitive, salary wise. If you are willing to relocate, ( world wide), your opportunities are limitless. Plus, you have the satisfaction of serving those who serve our country.

  613. Assistant Director*

    Job: government relations/lobbying at a small non-profit advocacy organization
    Location: DC
    Experience: 3 years of only partially relevant experience (and a lucky break)
    Salary: $46,000 + benefits + this inflated job title (the lowest position in our org is “assistant director”)
    Other: It’s a 9-5 in Washington, DC which is basically unheard of.
    I’m female.

  614. Kara - Business Development Consultant*

    I’m a consultant at a CPA firm. I do the marketing for the firm, as well as work with our clients who own businesses to reduce inefficiencies in their companies, coach them on business plan writing, analyze their marketing plans (if they have one) and help them make necessary revisions based on the ROI of their current marketing medias, and then provide them with management/HR consulting to improve their employee relations.
    Austin, TX
    2 years – Bachelors of Science in Business w/ HRM concentration
    22.50/hr

  615. Communications Director*

    Company: Non-profit (on the larger side)
    Job: Work on communications across multiple projects, produce webinars, work with IT staff to build websites, write content for sites, design and layout of publications, email marketing, supervise one admin
    Geographic: Boston area
    Experience: 8 years at the company, nearly 3 in current role (I started out as an admin making 31k)
    Current Salary: 63k + 8% company contribution to 401k (whether I contribute or not), no bonuses or significant raises
    Other info: I got my M.S. in PR while working full-time which helped with the salary bump along with changing projects within the company and several rounds of negotiation over the years.

  616. Paralegal*

    Northern Europe

    Equivalent to USD 70 000 gross per year plus benefits. (Pension, luncheon vouchers, discounts in certain shops, health insurance)

  618. Faculty Librarian (Cataloger) at a Private University*

    Area: Mountain West

    Years of Experience: 1 year in this job, 6 years of professional experience at another university, 4 years of related paraprofessional experience before that

    Salary: $62,000

    Other Info: My institution is known for paying high starting salaries, so my salary is probably not comparable to many others with similar responsibilities. For example, my last position at a public university in New England paid $42,000, although that position was professional staff, not faculty. Also, I’m female and I have an MLS.

    For more information on librarian salaries, I’d suggest consulting the ARL Annual Salary Survey, which should be available at most university libraries.

  619. corporate lawyer*

    Salary + bonus: about $73k, ~$1k bonus
    Location: northern, rural state with COL approximately 20% above national average (sorry, rural states are small, I don’t want to be too specific).
    Benefits: 3 weeks vacation, professional development budget, 10% 0f salary profit share + 3% 401(k) contribution, health care and other typical white-collar benefits.
    Experience: 1.5 years plus 2 years of paid business law internships during law school.
    Female.

    Most of my classmates went into BigLaw. I moved here for family reasons. I look at the non-declining balance on my law school loans and feel sad sometimes, but I genuinely like my coworkers and my job, understand that my salary is what the market can support (the highest-paid partner at my firm has an hourly rate that is less than a first year NYC Biglaw associate ), and feel that my firm generally tries to be fair to associates. I also feel that, slow progress on loan payments aside, my quality of life is much better than what I would have in a large city. The loan payments will get a lot more traction as soon as I’m done buying stuff to furnish my new house. I don’t think I could have bought property in one of the big cities a year and a half out of school.

  620. Communications & Marketing Coordinator*

    Job: I work for small department within a large university. My job involves a little bit of everything – marketing, graphic design, social media, content creation, small amount of web work, etc. There’s a lot of room for flexibility, and I can choose to spend more time on projects that peak my interest.
    Salary: $38.5K
    Area: Southwest
    Education: BA in Communication, minor in Marketing
    Work experience: 1 year (+ a TON of internship experience)
    Benefits: Health/Dental/Vision, 4.5 weeks Vacation + Paid Holidays & 12 sick days, great tuition reimbursement (95%), many opportunities for professional development within the university

  621. Senior Project Editor*

    Job description: Content-editing curricula at an educational publisher; some writing of teacher and student materials (including some poetry and short stories)
    Location: Denver/Boulder area
    Experience: 8 years; I essentially started out as an editorial assistant/copy editor.
    $52,000 + up to 3% bonus
    Fairly decent benefits–401k w/ 50% match up to 6%; 3 weeks vacation + 5 days PTO; flex hours and ability to work from home as needed (though that’s largely due to my boss; not an official company policy)
    Female, early 30’s

    1. Senior Project Editor*

      Correction: my bonus got bumped up: I can get up to 5% depending largely on the company’s performance (my own MBO’s count for 20% of that 5%).

  622. Paraplanner/Financial Advisor Assistant*

    Female, age 27
    Missouri
    8 years in this role, 3.5 with this practice
    $35k exempt
    Pooled 401(k) with basically a 4% match
    $1k medical reimbursement, but no health insurance – that might be going away this year if the Affordable Healthcare Act erased tax deductions for the business
    I negotiated 3 weeks of paid vacation, but two weeks is typical
    Small business – expected to wear several hats

    Series 7 & 66 licensed, Missouri Life Accident & Health licensed, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation. I write financial plans, support several advisors, and sell lots of insurance (no comission).

    1. Paraplanner/Financial Advisor Assistant*

      Also – no college & I’m a high school drop out. I’ve just always been a hard worker, and it’s always paid off!

      If you get the assistant job, the lowly job, the filing and coffee making job, PWN IT. Give them a reason to be confident in you, and they’ll start promoting you. It’s totally doable :)

  623. Marketing Coordinator*

    Job: Marketing Coordinator. I am the graphic designer and copywriter for brochures, HTML email newsletters, signage and direct mail campaigns and coordinate with other departments or vendors on trade shows, events, public relations, and digital marketing needs
    Geographic Area: South Florida
    Experience: 3.5 years (1.5 years here, 2 at previous position)
    Salary: $42,000
    Benefits: Paid vacation (10 days), sick leave (6 days) and personal days (2), 401K (with matching), health, dental and vision insurance
    Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing

  624. Instructional Designer/Analyst*

    Title: Instructional Designer (that’s the generic version)
    Location: metro Seattle, WA
    General duties: Conduct analysis to diagnose employee performance issues (department-level and higher, not individual employees) and develop solutions. If training is part of the solution, design it and hand it off to the developers to complete.
    Experience: 1 year after a career change; previous career was IT
    Education: master’s in this specific field
    Salary: $70,000/year

    We have pay grades and I was hired at the top of mine.

  625. Real Estate Assistant/Admin*

    Title is kind of awkward, but I do anything for the agent I work for including marketing materials, measuring rooms for clients, social media, stopping by her house to let the dogs out, etc. Duties are varied!

    Salary: $14.70/hour — I am PART-TIME
    Experience: Not much in real estate specifically, I have 7 years of variable experience in marketing, editing, customer service, and admin work
    Location: Suburbs of Chicago
    Education: Masters degree in totally unrelated field (never did anything with it)

    Part-time by choice and even though I don’t make a lot and don’t have benefits, I love my job and my boss! It’s a really fun job, with flexibility and lots of different hats. :)

  626. IT Business Analyst*

    Location: Austin, TX (before that, NYC, same level of salary)

    Type of work: business analysis = software requirements definition and documentation, investigating business problems and proposing software solutions, doing knowledge transfer for software developers.

    Years of experience: 15

    Salary: 120K as full time with standard benefits in my past job, 145K as an independent consultant (for the last year, since I left my last job). In my next contract I may be looking at 135K though.

    Additional info: Education = Technical degree + MBA in a foreign country but top university. Salary did not go down when I moved from NYC to Austin.

  627. Advisor, International Non-profit in MCH*

    Manage international network of advocates, researchers, program folks in controversial field. Balance public health and human rights based perspectives. Mid-sized, mission driven non profit with remarkably sustainable funding.

    Southeast, some international travel

    12 in field; masters degrees in social work and public health; <2 wks at this dream job (thanks to lots of lurking here!)

    $70,000 (thanks to 7 years at a well-paid research org); 15 days vacation, 12 days sick, 13 paid holidays, 4 hrs a month (non-accruing) petty leave (which is awesome in the winter with small kids!), and real, actual paid time off when the office closes for snow. Technically, 37.5 hour work week, but I imagine my role will end up being more like 40ish, maybe 45 at busy times.

  628. Program Coordinator*

    Program coordinator for state agency in South Carolina.
    Review applications requesting financial assistance for low income families. No previous experience. I was a temporary employee and got lucky when someone quit for more money at a non-profit organization. I was previously a paralegal so that helped a lot since I am able to comprehend federal & state guidelines
    Salary is $35,000/year with benefits. I’m female. Actually in our department there is one male among 7 females & our boss is female. I wonder how much he makes…

  629. Administrative Assistant*

    Administrative Assistant
    Albany, NY
    $52k yearly, plus med/dental benefits
    10+ years experience

  630. Human Resources Assistant*

    Role: Assistant to the Vice President and Specialist in the HR Department
    Location: Maryland
    Years of experience: Five years (Started as a part-time college job then became full-time after college)
    Salary: 30k

  631. Nonprofit Staff Attorney*

    I’m a staff attorney at a small nonprofit focused on public policy advocacy. I have a highly varied job that includes drafting legislation and regulations; lobbying; performing economic and program analysis; meeting with community leaders who implement the programs we work on; answering legal questions from program implementers, government officials, and others; giving presentations; and writing program reports, summaries, flyers, and other promotional/informational material.

    I work in the Albuquerque, NM metro area. My job requires short trips around New Mexico and Arizona, as well as occasional travel to conferences out of the area.

    I have about 1.5 years of post-law school experience, with brief work history in a different field before law school. My position all but requires a law degree and bar admission.

    I make $45,000 per year. My job will also pay for insurance for me (but not my family), and if I don’t use it, I can be reimbursed tax-free for the cost of keeping me on my partner’s insurance. There is a 403(b) plan but no matching. There are no other formal benefits, but my job has highly flexible hours and unlimited leave. My boss takes long vacations (1-2 weeks) and encourages employees to do the same. I regularly work from home or work non-business hours, e.g. home at 3, go to the gym, take a break, and get back to work at 6 or 7.

    I am female.

  632. Small Business Owner*

    Industry: Mainly research & development in education and public health. We support client product development with research, user testing, and related services.

    Years experience: 15+ in this field, 7+ as owner of this business

    Salary: varies – employees get paid first, so between $70k & $100k depending on how a good year the business has.

    Benefits: 3 weeks vacation, 10 holidays, dental/vision.

    Perks: lots of flexibility!

  633. Energy Reduction Data Analytics*

    Salary: $67,000 + 10% Bonus
    Experience: 2 Years (This Role) + 4 Years (In Finance)
    Location: Boston
    Benefits: 4 Weeks PTO, 6% 401k Match, (Shitty) Health Insurance
    Education: Bachelors in Economics

  634. GIS Analyst*

    Everything GIS at local government, from editing data to managing the enterprise-wide program to project management.

    Chicago metro area.

    ~15 years experience

    $78,000/year plus great benefits like pension, low-cost health insurance, and 12 sick + 19 vacation/floating holidays/year.

    1. Leslie Yep*

      My brother is very interested in government GIS work. Anything you can share about the outlook for the field, most important stuff for an entry level person to have, any advice for someone looking to enter the field? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

      2. Brett*

        Get a geography degree, so you have the geographic fundamentals behind GIS. Take some computer science classes. Learn python, learn web development (especially javascript/html).

        That skill set -will- get you hired and will line you up for senior positions as a coordinator or developer within a few years.

      3. Brett*

        To add to this.
        Plan on getting a Master’s degree sooner rather than later. GIS is a heavily educated field because of its strong roots in academic geography. Whatever school they are at, try to land an Esri User Conference Student Assistantship (http://www.esri.com/careers/students/user-conference-student-assistants)
        These open up a ton of networking opportunities. Networking is very important like all fields, but really easy in geography. As a graduate student, I was able to connect with prominent researchers at conferences like AAG as well as industry execs at the Esri User Conference. Even had a chance to chat with Jack Dangermond a couple of times.

  635. Program Analyst (Internal Audit)*

    your job: Program Analyst for a Federal Agency. I review allegations of waste fraud and abuse in grants/contracts. It’s similar to internal audit, except I don’t have the accounting education to qualify for the auditor title.

    your geographic area: DC Metro (work in MD, live in VA)

    your approximate years of experience: 7 (3 in this position)

    your salary: I’m on the GS pay scale, and just got my bump to the 13, so with our 1% raise (yay!), I’m just shy of $90k with the standard government benefits and occasional bonuses/time off awards.

    Also I’m a 28 year old female.

    1. Dearnina84*

      Program Analyst, the info you’ve offered up is helpful to my current job search. Can we chat behind the scenes?

  636. Project/Product/Program Manager or Business Analyst*

    * I solve business problems – usually by implementing or creating software, but also inclusive of ensuring that people and process are aligned with the technology I implement. I’ve had the titles of project manager, product manager, program manager and business analyst at various times in my career even though the work hasn’t been that different in terms of day to day tasks. A typical project/program usually involves 10-50 stakeholders and can take 1-2 years. I’m responsible for ensuring that all the moving parts come together to produce something that actually works and meets our budget and business needs.
    * Austin, TX (but I’ve also worked in Houston and S. California)
    * 18 years total, 17 years doing this (1 year I was a computer programmer).
    * Salary exempt – $109k base salary. I also get up to a 10% bonus if I achieve quarterly objectives.
    * Our 401k matches up to $1k/year and I have “OK” health insurance. I also have RSU’s and stock options provided I stay for the vesting period. We get 20 days of PTO/year, 3 floating days, plus some sick time and volunteer time. There are a few “startup” perks like free coffee, soft drinks, juice and assorted snacks. We also get breakfast on Friday mornings. There are some other perks along the lines of discounts at local stores (that I never use).
    * I am a woman.

  637. Admin Assistant*

    Admin Assistant in Investment Finance
    Chicago
    6 years of work experience (not in Finance)
    $55k + $10k annual bonus (bonus not guaranteed)

  638. Anonymous Jaded Engineer*

    Job: Process Engineer with PE Licence for a design firm
    Location: Somewhere in the Beautiful Pacific Northwest
    Experience: 6.0 years
    Salary: $85k + Straight OT (cleared $90k this year, OT load had been much higher in previous years, but that is atypical), goose egg bonus, 401k match is 50% of the first 8% I think, 22 days PTO. Will likely be getting sig raise in 1.5 months.
    Degrees: Two. One is chemical engineering bachelors.
    Travel: 0% to 100% depending upon assignment, travel assignments usually contain significant salary/per diem bump.
    Industries: I’ve worked downstream Oil and Gas, upstream oil and gas, Semiconductor, Biotech, and consumer products. LOVE the company, hate the client, looking to move.

  639. HR Director*

    – HR Director for a growing tech company with ~150 employees. Currently 1 direct report. This is still very much a hands-on position given the small size of the department. Responsible for leading and executing HR initiatives.
    – Northern Colorado
    – 8 years HR experience, PHR, BA
    – $82K plus average benefits package

  640. Expert in a consulting company*

    Salary: $200k with $50-100K bonus depending on year and performance
    Benefits: Health, dental, life, disability
    Other perks: flexibility to work from home
    Negatives: long hours, sometimes weekends.
    Area: East Coast
    Experience: 10 years
    Education: Ivy MBA

    Our job descriptions are fairly unique for the company and industry. I am quite senior and well-paid in my area; there are experts in other areas that are better compensated but travel much more.

  641. marketing communications writer*

    Specializing in health care; writing for multiple audiences
    $68K, although last employer paid a bit more; benefits good – we even get a pension still
    Pacific NW
    20+ years in industry

  642. Adjunct Professor*

    I’m an adjunct professor; currently I work online but I’ve also taught face-to-face classes. I teach writing (composition and business writing).

    I live in the Pacific Northwest.

    I have a Master’s.

    I’ve been adjuncting for 5 years; 7 if you count being a TA in grad school.

    I’m female, but luckily, I guess, the adjuncting gigs have been very clear that pay is $X across the board.

    I make about $1600 per nine week class. On paper this usually works out to $25/hour, but given how much prep work goes into teaching, it’s usually more like $15/hour.

    I’m never guaranteed classes; in 2012, I made about $12,000 dollars and I suspect 2013 will be less.

  643. Manager of Operations*

    Company: A large Health Authority in British Columbia, Canada
    Title: Manager of operations
    City: Vancouver, BC
    Experience: 10+ years
    Education/training: Masters degree
    Salary: $95,000
    Benefits: pension, extended health (dental, physio/OT/chiro/massage, vision, drugs); also, BC is one of the few provinces that has an explicit healthcare premium ($138/month for a family of 3 or more) – this is covered as well, although this is only a minor benefit since I would have the same healthcare coverage even if I was unemployed (the premium is not charged to low income families).

  644. Sous Chef*

    Washington, DC
    Cultural Center
    $10mil annual volume, 5 F&B outlets
    Experience: 10 years
    Education: BA (liberal arts) & AAS (Culinary Arts)
    Salary: $62K
    Full Benefits & Three Weeks Vacation

  645. Staff Accountant*

    Hospitality industry
    BS in Accounting
    Woman

    Geographic Area: Bay Area, CA
    Years of Experience: 3
    Salary: $53k + very generous benefits

  646. Database Developer*

    Database Developer
    Midwest, but doesn’t really matter, the company is international and you can telecommute from pretty much anywhere.
    62K + Internet/Phone. I also can expense health (and dental) insurance costs up to a certain amount (enough to insure my entire family for free).
    Male
    B.A. English Literature
    2 years with this company about 10 in Reporting Analysis

    I used to write reports, now I help maintain software that kicks out a flat report to end users so they can write their own. I miss writing reports.

  647. Permissions*

    your job: seek permission to use text or art in publications for a nonprofit company. Kind of like a paralegal for copyright law
    your geographic area: NJ
    your approximate years of experience: 3
    your salary: $62,0000 + yearly profit sharing + yearly raises + tuition reimbursement + great healthcare and time off

  649. Project manager (for infrastructure construction)*

    your job: Managing the procurement, design and construction of minor and major government infrastructure, such as water treatment plants, pump stations, roads. Project values between 500K to $30M
    your geographic area: Australia
    your approximate years of experience: 20
    your salary: 100K (AUD)
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: Mandated 4 weeks annual leave, 10 days sick leave, long service leave, employer paid mandatory 9.25%superannuation on top of salary. Govt provided medicare – but income levy requires lifelong private health insurance as well.

  650. Clinical Research Coordinator*

    Geographic Area: Central TX
    Years of Experience: 5
    Salary: $45,000

    My 5 years experience includes time as an entry level research assistant and 2 employers– a medical school (previous) and a private company (current). My starting salary at the university job was $26,000 in an area with a higher cost of living than where I am currently. However, that job had fantastic health benefits, tuition compensation, more vacation/sick time, and a much better work/life balance than my current position.

  651. Grant Director*

    $48,000
    8 years of experience
    MA degree
    I’m in charge of bringing in the majority of the funds (grants, government contracts, etc) for a mid-sized nonprofit and leading a small staff.
    Few benefits. In fact, the health insurance is so bad that I’m on a single payer plan with another insurer.
    Woman
    Colorado

  652. Communications Coordinator*

    – Location: Chicago-ish

    – Position: Lowest “rung” on the communications team at a higher ed institution; newsletter/web content/event management/social media

    – Years experience: 5 now, all earned in this position; when hired had 3+ years admin background, plus a BA in English (have since earned an MA in English)

    – Salary: $53,300 pre-tax+benefits (health care, 403b+matching)

    1. Communications Coordinator*

      Oh, and the institution is a Big Ten. 3 weeks vacation, paid holidays, 10 or 15 sick days (never even get close to using them all so I don’t remember), and 403b is 5% contribution on their part after 1 year, plus matching of my contribution up to 5%, tuition discount.

  653. Lawyer*

    Position: 8th year associate with large suburban law firm
    Salary: $152k + bonus averaging $12k
    Increases: Usually 1-2% per year
    Location: Northern NJ (NYC suburb)
    Benefits: health & dental (w/employee contribution),401k (no match), 15 days vacation (culture is to take no more than 10), maternity is better than FMLA but below peer firms, no origination for associates (peer firms are 10%)
    Hours: average 60ish/week; once or twice per year will have a drop everything situation with full weekends and a series of very late nights in the office
    Female: no effect on salary (lock step), clear effect on client development

  654. Personal Assistant*

    Job: Personal Assistant (Executive Secretary). super major oil Co.
    Area: Houston TX
    Experience: 9 years here, 15 years another company.
    Salary: $77k, non-exempt, OT at 1.5x, pension, 401k company matching, health insurance. I was hired at a significant increase from my previous company since I completed a liberal arts degree between the 2 jobs.
    Other: Female. Also, it is impossible to break out of an admin role here which is frustrating.

  655. medical writer/editor*

    medical writer/editor
    part-time, 80k
    self-employed
    BA, in grad school now working on MA
    experience: a few years

  656. Research Engineer*

    Title: Research Engineer
    Gender/Age: late 30s woman
    Company: large (primarily) consumer electronics company
    Geographic Area: Massachusetts
    Years of Experience: 13.5 (started one year out from college)
    Salary: $78k
    Education: BS and BA (but only the BS is relevant to my job)
    Benefits: Good health insurance including vision and dental, 2% 401k match, pension plan(!), 4 weeks vacation (which is the max possible after 10 years, start with 2 weeks) + 11 paid holidays, annual bonus based on company performance (~6% of salary in a good year), no specified amount of sick time but people are encouraged to stay home and not infect colleagues

  657. Accounts Receivable*

    ** Mostly AR that includes collections and credit data. I also do weekly payroll reporting for 125+ employees in 3 states.
    ** Midwest
    ** 20 years give or take
    ** 42,000 + bonuses (about 5k) paid holiday, PTO, medical, dental, vision, life, 401(k)
    ** High school drop-out
    ** 40’s Female

  658. Omne*

    Auditing manager for a Midwest state tax department
    Experience- 24 years
    Salary ~$120K with very good benefits and pension plan.
    No bonuses unfortunately.

  659. Residency Program Coordinator*

    I work for a large private university/teaching hospital in the midwest as the program coordinator for a specific division’s residency program. Data entry, event planning, entry-level admin duties with lots of spreadsheets. ;)

    –Missouri
    –7 years admin experience, 4 years with this employer, 4 mo. at current position
    –first (and previous to this) position in Uni setting, started at $28k. Am now at $36k a year with AWESOME benefits including free undergrad tuition and half grad tuition paid for, 403b matching that can’t be beat and great health/vision/dental
    –I don’t have a degree but will be done with my BS in December (fo’ free!) and am planning to get my MA in Human Resources Management after that

  660. Research Fellow (but really Lab/Field Technician)*

    I work at a state university in Western Ma working in environmental Engineering for a program that tests water for a state agency.

    10 years at this job.

    starting salary $25K (2-3/wk) no benefits.
    current salary $35,100 (full-time) benefited, with several option of health insurance, my choice. Dental 3 weeks vacation (can carry over), 7 days personal time (must be used in 1 calendar year). Flexible scheduling (big perk for me)

    My job is grant funded, renewed every 3 years with no built in raises. I got a raise when I went from PT to FT 6 or 7 years ago (FT starting salary $32k) . I have received a couple raises when the university base pay has increased :/

    1. Research Fellow (but really Lab/Field Technician)*

      I just wanted to add in that my position is non-union and that I have a BA in an unrelated field (communication). I know that I am the cheapest person in my lab.

  661. Director of Finance*

    Job: Director of Finance, primarily responsible for planning, forecasting, and financial systems (4 staff + 2 interns)
    Company: Aerospace manufacturing
    Years of experience: 18
    Salary: $160k base + equity
    Education: MBA, MSEE, BSEE

  662. Learning & Development Specialist*

    Description: responsible for coordinating training activities and related tasks such as liaising with vendors and facilitating courses for my division (around 9,000 employees internationally), various talent management (e.g. career paths, graduate programs, assessment centers) and organizational development projects (e.g. employee survey). Wearer of many hats.
    Industry: technology/manufacturing
    Location: Germany
    Experience: 3 years
    Education: master’s in organizational psychology
    Compensation: about 50,000€ before taxes, 6 weeks PTO, flex-time
    Gender: female
    Age: 29

  663. Front-end Web Developer*

    Mostly CSS/HTML/JS; some Java-based templating

    $72,000/yr
    6 years experience
    Mid-sized Web company with okay benefits
    VT
    B.A. in Computer Science
    Female

    6 months ago:
    Same title, but add in 80% of work in PHP and MySQL administration
    $43,000
    Small Web company
    Not great benefits
    NY

  664. Senior Programmer at Video Game Studio*

    $80000 equiv
    Small Swedish city
    Senior Programmer at large video game studio
    10 years experience
    Male
    Bachelor of Engineering plus some postgraduate

  665. Church Admin Assistant*

    Office work, primarily create print publications like the Sunday bulletin, update website, other general office work too.
    $32,000 N. Carolina.
    10.5 years
    Good benefits – most of my health insurance paid, 3 weeks vacation a year (this year fourth week in lieu of raise), extra paid holidays.
    Sick leave, currently at 22 hours.

  666. Policy and communications associate*

    Policy advocacy, communications, and fundraising for a mid-size non-profit.
    MSW and 6 years experience including internships (2 nonprofessional years in addition to that)
    $60k, health, ~8% 403(b) contribution (that’s 401k for nonprofits), up to 10% bonus each good budget year, chiro/acupuncture, dental, life, vision.
    Northern California
    Benefits and salary are unusual for our area.

  667. Program Manager*

    – I work for a University providing admin and research support to a Professor.
    – NYC
    – 4 years
    – $66,000 + $5,000 for courses I assist with (I do 2/year) + unlimited sick days + 23 vacation days (!), this excludes official holidays + excellent benefits, tuition exemption after 2 years, 401k match after 2 years
    – I work 50-60 hours/week

  668. Development Operations Manager*

    Work is in the field of Fundraising Operations/Advancement Services, Nonprofit Sector.

    Chicagoland area; $60,000/yr exempt. Decent but standard benefits. Professional memberships paid for. Very large organization (1000+ employees).

    M.S. + CFRE Certification, 8 years experience. Supervises development assistant(s). Expert in The Raiser’s Edge.

  669. Email Marketing Manager*

    Job: Manage email marketing campaigns for a retail brand (scheduling, automations, QA, reporting, light coding – we have designers, developers, and copywriters, so I get to focus on nerdy email things).
    NYC
    7 years of experience
    Salary: 70k +10% performance bonus; standard benefits and weird startup-y perks
    BA in Public Relations/Journalism

    My background started in more general marketing roles (copywriting/print pieces), but I’ve been doing email exclusively for about 5 years, using the same email platform (super rare specialization..). Since this field is relatively newish, and most companies don’t have people dedicated specifically to email, it’s definitely a very niche field. I get contacted by recruiters on Linkedin every day.

    2. Email Campaign Marketing Manager*

      This is almost identically me, except I work in a very large Midwestern city for an international company. Same duties, pay, bonus, experience, background, education and recruiting contacts! I am female.

      I’ have a pretty good idea what email platform you use…would love to chat offline to compare notes.

  670. Associate Admin. Specialist*

    Aka. Project director of a research study at a large university

    $36,000

    Midwest

    Female with less than 1 year experience

  671. Office Manager (ish)*

    Title: Officially “Office Manager”, but I work for a small wholesaler that also has a retail store. My title roughly translates into “person who can use excel”. I run our e-commerce, website, co-ordinate freight, and do admin stuff.
    Where: Medium-sized city in Canada
    Experience: 4 years part time while doing my BSc (unrelated), one year full time
    Salary: $15/hour, about 30K. Above minimum wage but still sort of low-ish here since the cost of living here is high. 1-2 bedroom apartments start around $1100.

  672. Online Fundraising Manager*

    My employer is a large (500 employee) nonprofit.

    Location: DC
    Years of Experience: 5
    Salary: $55k
    Benefits: Health/dental/vision/life insurance, 3 weeks paid vacation, tuition reimbursement, fitness program reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid sabbatical after 5 years

  674. GIS Technician*

    Salary: $36,800 (Local Government, IT)
    Database and server management, map creation, web mapping, provide technical assistance and software installation, etc.
    Years of GIS Experience: 4 including internship
    Education: MA in Geography
    Location: Southern VA
    11 Paid holidays, monthly accrual of sick and vacation time, FMLA after a year, bereavement days, medical, eye, dental, mandatory 5% retirement contribution

  675. Program Associate, i.e. Nonprofit Admin*

    Basic admin with some project coordination and data analysis
    Washington, DC
    3 years this role, 7 previous in similar roles. BA and MA
    $41k plus benefits

  676. Public Library Director*

    Director of a small town public library
    Area: Midwest
    Experience: 25 years
    Salary: $36K

  677. Librarian*

    Location: DC
    Years of experience: 3 (and a master’s degree, and pre-professional experience)
    Salary: 51k, 10-month work year

    I am a woman. I have since learned that I could easily have negotiated for a higher salary when I was hired at my current workplace.

  678. Data Dan*

    Title: Data Analyst (for Fortune 500 co.)
    Region: Mid-Atlantic
    Experience: None specific to this role, but have Master’s degree in science.
    Salary: 70,000 w/ annual bonus and decent benefits package.

  679. Marketing Communications Coordinator*

    Location: Sydney, Australia
    Years of Experience: Four years
    Salary: $65k pre tax

    I pay very little tax as I work for a not for profit organisation and we have “salary packaging/salary sacrifice” options here in Australia for charitable workers. That means on top of the $18k tax free threshold available to all Australians, an additional $16k of my income is tax-free, and I package an additional $4k into “venue/accommodation/entertainment” costs which is also tax-free. This means that my $65k at a NFP is worth about $73k in a corporate environment. :)

    Plus what a previous commenter has said about Australian benefits – 4 weeks paid leave, 10 days sick leave, long-service leave for ten years service, government-funded health care, etc etc.

    1. Marketing Communications Coordinator*

      Actual job description: website and social media management. Program communications. Government submissions. Media releases. Annual reports. Overall corporate communications, reporting to a National Marketing Manager.

      Also – I’m female, and have only ever worked in NFP organisations.

      My organisation also does free ‘family leave’ between Xmas and NY and we don’t get that time deducted from our annual leave balances. My manager also allows time in lieu for extreme overtime – i.e. when I recently worked a project that required me staying back till 8pm for a whole week, I got a day off the following week.

      I plan on moving on to my next role soon-ish, and am aiming to get into a government or higher education comms role with more benefits like extra superannuation (401k) contributions, extended paid maternity leave etc.

    2. Media & Channel Planning Coordinator*

      Interesting. I have less experience, but a similar marketing focused role. I didn’t know about the tax rules for NFP – I should definitely keep that in mind if ever applying in that industry.

      Location: Melbourne, Australia
      Years of Experience: 3 in media industry (TV commercials), 3 months in current role/industry (marketing – retail industry)
      Salary: $55k plus super, bringing my package up to just over 60 k.
      All the same benefits you get, plus 5% off at many major retail outlets my retail company is grouped with, and 20% off at my retailer.
      My role is essentially entry level, but we aren’t hiring people straight out of uni – most have a couple of years experience at something related to our field.

      I’m female.

      Actual job description:
      To assist the advertising operations manager with the planning and implementation of advertising and media. To coordinate our forward planning calendar. To assist with local area marketing. To lead integration across all marketing teams.

  681. Public Services Librarian*

    I operate the circulation/reference desk at a small county library. My primary duty is to convince library users to check out more items than they originally brought to the desk. I also make displays, maintain the public access computers, and teach computer classes. I supervise 2 – 3 part-time staff plus volunteers and community service workers.

    Geographic area: Central Virginia

    Years experience: 2

    Salary: $24,5000 + Benefits, Non-Exempt

    This is a low salary for a position preferring a MLIS. Many openings wanting a bachelor’s degree start at this pay level. My supervisory duties are limited to assigning tasks. Reviews and discipline are handled by the director. There are 7 staff at this library. I have required reading outside of work for which I do not get paid.

    1. Public Services Librarian*

      I am a woman. This salary is exactly in the middle of the advertised hiring range.

  682. Office/Marketing Manager*

    Office and marketing manager for a construction general contractor. I do general administrative things, but also take care of writing proposals, graphic design, etc.

    Oregon
    8 years experience
    $49,000/year
    I also usually receive a 1 to 1.5 month’s salary bonus. We have a fully funded retirement plan (paid by the company), 95% of my benefits are also paid by the company (I pay $10/month)

  683. Properties Master*

    Job: Props Master at a regional non-profit theater
    Geographic Area: Urban, Mid-Atlantic (aka not NYC)
    Years of Experience: 0. One year of apprenticeship with a different theater + approx. 2 years of overhire work (translation: gigs) + a BA in theater.
    Salary: $18,000 / season + medical benefits, Exempt
    (The theater season runs from Fall to Summer. Many theaters lay off all or part of their production staff as soon as their last show opens and re-hire them a few weeks before their first show of the next season opens.)

    And if all goes well, I’ll be at a new job in 2 weeks and only Make Art for fun-sies.

  684. Anon*

    Research Analyst at a public interest consulting firm in New England, $90K. Basically, I do a mix of quantitative analysis and project consulting for mostly government clients.

    Additional compensation includes 401(k) matching and bonuses. My salary is higher than that of my peers at this company, largely because I had some unique opportunities and skills developed in my last position.

    <1 year here, 4 years experience in related jobs, have a Master's degree.

  685. Administrative Director*

    Seattle, WA
    125k annually, in this role 10 years
    BA (psychology, SPHR)

    Responsible for everything that spends money in our company, but I don’t actually pay the bills — the finance person does that. Another person actually manages the people who do the work that makes the money.

    I hire/fire, do annual compensation surveys, benefits programs — all the typical HR stuff. I’m also a key member of management and (with my peers) try to make our owner’s vision a reality. I manage a staff of four support personnel, including two IT people, the EA, and an Editor.

    Salary is in addition to random (hopefully quarterly) bonuses based on performance, and a good benefits package that includes a 100% 401(k) match, 10.5 holidays/ year, and sick leave.

    I was an Admin and EA for almost 15 years before moving into the Director role, and have been growing along with the company. We were 7 people when I started, and now we are 20 permanent staff and 35 temporary employees.

  686. Marketing Coordinator*

    I basically do the proposals, project sheets, email blasts, update the website, etc. Plus, a trillion admin responsibilities because I’m the lowest on the pay scale.
    your geographic area: NYC
    your approximate years of experience: directly 1; indirectly 2 additional
    your salary: $30,000 (I know I’m underpaid but I needed more direct experience on my resume)
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: we have no health benefits, 401K, etc, but we do get 2 weeks paid vacation and federal holidays off.

  687. Energy Analyst*

    your job – Analyst/Account Mgr Energy Industry
    your geographic area – NYC
    your approximate years of experience – 13 years, 4 years related to this industry
    your salary – $69K + $3K-$5K bonus per annum, 100% vested 401K, only downside is long hours some days and stress.

  688. Compliance Consultant*

    Title: Compliance Consultant
    Duties: Oversee policy and procedure development process, project management of compliance based projects, and new regulatory initiatives consulting in a division of the company – not at the corporate level.
    Industry: Financial Services
    Location: Minneapolis, MN
    Salary: $63,000 + bonus (target = 12% of salary)
    Benefits: 28 PTO days, 401k match is first 6%, plus decent benefits
    Experience: 8 months in this position, 8 years as a Compliance Consultant/Operational Risk Consultant – 15 years at this company. No post secondary education.

  689. Associate Director (Education non-profit)*

    Title: Associate Director at education company
    Location: New York City
    Salary: $69,000
    Years experience: 10 approx … 10 years in the broad field of education but in a variety of roles

    Job descrip:
    1. Programmatic (Design and oversight of an academic program for high school students; provide PD to teachers; design curric; secure funding; oversee program evaluation)
    2. Events (I plan and manage 5-8 events per year with 50-100 attendees)
    3. Administrative (for a small department, I oversee the budget, contract with consultants, order office supplies, help with travel bookings, do shipments, etc.)

    1. Associate Director (Education non-profit)*

      Oh, I forgot to mention:

      Benefits are insanely good. HUGE 403b contribution from employer + decent health insurance + 20 days vacay

  690. Artist Studio Manager*

    Title: Studio Manager
    Description: Liaise with and make sense of the world for blue-chip late-career gentle giant artist. Two-person office with a couple of regular weekly freelancers.
    Location: NYC
    Industry: Fine Arts Administration and all around helper monkey with a sprinkling of Personal Assistant, IT, Physical Plant, and occasionally even Security
    Years Experience: 7 in this job, 7 at previous admin job for nonprofit art gallery
    Salary: $68k (no 401k , bonus last year was $500.)

    Education: BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) Sculpture, Art History concentration
    Female

    Benefits:
    – Full medical insurance, dental and vision covered by employer
    – About 3 weeks PTO although could negotiate more if needed (No difficulties in scheduling the PTO; big issue at last job)
    – Get to see / touch / work with an insane number of fabulous works of art, many of which I studied while at art school
    – Most significant benefit is that the job is “full time” at 4 days a week!! I have three days off every week. This is huge.

  691. Writer/Editor*

    Job Title: Writer/Editor
    Geoloc: San Francisco, city of
    Industry: Higher education
    Salary: $50K

    Medical, dental, vision, 401K. No bonuses; raises frozen indef.

    In SF it is impossible for one person to live on this income without roommates and/or moonlighting at a second job. Typical living arrangements feature small groups of couples getting together to rent a drafty house and then argue over who gets to park in the driveway.

    1. anon*

      I live alone on about that income in SF. I live in a tiny studio in the Tenderloin with no hope of leaving on this income, and I don’t have a car.

    2. SacCity*

      Oh but that view! Seriously kid, with that salary you could own a home in Sacramento and take Amtrak to your job. I will never be able to understand the choice to live in a big city in a tiny place. My dreams involve ranches in Redding…sigh. Note to self: buy lotto ticket tonight.

  692. Office/Administrative Assistant*

    Office/Administrative Assistant
    MA
    Recent grad with retail/editing experience
    $14.25/hr ~ $29,640

  693. Retail Hell*

    Position: Store Manager at a corporate owned small box retail general store
    Location: Western New York (small town, 1 hour either way to a bigger city)
    Experience: About 15 months total in retail, only 3 months as manager. Formerly worked as the Assistant Store Manager for about 10 months, quit for about a month, was lured back with a promise of more hourly pay, then promoted to SM.
    Before all that, I have a BS in Education and worked in schools as a substitute teacher and did home health care with elderly and developmentally disabled kids, only graduated from college 3 years ago.
    Salary: Just under 30k. Was told that the salary was “structured” when I tried to negotiate (based on store volume), basically “you get what you get, take it or leave it”, even though the industry and area pay is much higher for that position (I got ripped off, totally taken advantage of for being “new” in retail, obviously). What are you gonna do when you have no job, student loans, car payments, rent, etc…?
    At the time I didn’t realize I would be spending way more than the 40 hours you get paid for in the store (which in my mind, brings the hourly pay down to less than what I made as an assistant, almost min. wage), overtime obviously doesn’t exist, you are worked to the bone because the company is structured to where the managers do 90% of the work and the other hourly employees are not held accountable for much of anything besides showing up. I make the schedule, handle all cash procedures, train, hire, fire, customer service, stock shelves, receive product…you name it.
    I just became eligible for benefits which seem like a good deal except that I have nothing to compare them to since I’ve never been offered them by an employer before. I learned a lot from their retail manager training program but it was company specific, so I’m not sure how I will ever move up and out of this position.
    Is the take-home pay worth the stress in the end? Not on your life.
    (I’m a 24 year old female.)

  694. Nurse Practitioner*

    Job: Nurse Practitioner in a federal (VA) hospital (Admit and care of pt’s admitted to the hospital)
    Location: Midwest/Great Lakes
    Salary:105k
    Benefits: 403(b) w/ 6% matching, 5weeks vacation, 2.5 weeks sick leave, 13 holidays. I am exempt and considered non-essential. I work M-F and usually put in 45-50 hrs/week
    Years of experience: 20yrs total as a nurse, 10 of those as an NP
    Education: 4yrs BSN + 2 for MSN ( entirely paid for by the VA)

  695. Administrative Assistant/ Office Manager/ Jill of all trades (government)*

    Location: SF Bay Area
    Experience and education: 5 years in admin, few years in other jobs, BA in economics from a foreign university, bilingual
    Salary: $61,000 at step E
    Benefits: great medical and dental insurance (not free but small deduction for it), free vision insurance, 12 holidays a year, about 13 days paid vacation per year (rolls over), sick time (rolls over), deferred compensation (no matching), retirement fund (this is changing though…), tuition reimbursement, etc.

  696. Java Web Developer*

    Job description: full development cycle (analysis, design, code, test, deployment, support) of web based applications for a large insurance company. J2EE, Hibernate, Spring, Maven, jQuery, Portlets.
    Area: México City
    Years of experience: 14
    Salary: US$20,627/year (after taxes)

  697. Certified Veterinary Technician*

    Certified Veterinary Technician at an Emergency Animal Hospital
    Arizona
    17 years experience, certified for 10 years
    Babysit Veterinarians, counsel pet owners, provide nursing care to patients, watch animals suffer or die, help save the lives that we can, work long fast paced hours 2nd or 3rd shift, and come home with barely enough energy to feed myself.
    $33,000-ish per year but I get paid hourly
    75% pet care discount, accrued paid vacation, 3 sick days per year, CE allowance, but a painful high deductible health insurance

    1. EM*

      Interesting! I considered going back to school for a CVT, but felt I couldn’t justify the expense when I’d be lucky to make $30,000/annually after the program.

  698. Civil Servant (EO grade)*

    Location: England
    Years experience: <6 months
    Salary: £25k (approx $40k)
    Extras: 41.5 days paid leave, good flexi-time, 37 hour week. Excellent pension, good job security, interest free loans for public transport season ticket and/or bicycle purchase.
    Sex: Female

    1. Civil Servant (EO grade)*

      Looking at some of the other comments I should maybe add that sick leave is separate to annual leave and there is no specific limit on sick leave, but a doctor’s note is required after 7 consecutive days of absence.

      Also, no benefits package for healthcare (uncommon here as we have National Health Service which is free at point of access), but employer does provide free on-site dentist, flu jabs, annual “wellness checks”, eye tests and glasses, and discount access to on-site gym and swimming pool.

  700. Adam Hayes*

    High school English teacher in affluent suburb
    Twin Cities, Minnesota
    5 years
    $46,000
    I pay nothing nor is anything deducted for health insurance (single, no kids), employer matches retirement (5.5%)

  701. Communications Officer*

    I’m the communications officer for a nonprofit association. The job consists of half communications work — event planning, design work, social media, PR — and half administrative — organising finances, processing invoices, ordering office suppplies, coordinating schedules, etc.
    Geographic area: western Europe
    Years of Experience: 1 (this is my first position post-university)
    Salary: $27,000, + 2 weeks PTO, excluding national holidays, and random perks (subscription for public transport, meal vouchers, etc.)

    I have a BA and MA in a related field, though this isn’t uncommon for the area (higher education is very affordable so the majority of people have their masters). As previously mentioned by other readers, the taxes are much higher than they would be had I stayed in the US, but it’s balanced out by other elements, such as universal health coverage (which is very good) and cheap higher ed.

    1. Communications Officer*

      I’m the op. The benefits are 4 weeks pto (20 days). Typo! This sounds like a crazy high amount, but it’s the minimum set by the state for the type of contract I have.

  702. Academic Librarian/ Curator Midwest*

    Masters Degree MLIS
    78,000
    20 years experience- 1 year in this position, 15 years prior, 5 years public
    Department manager
    Female
    Archives / Special Collection

  703. Receptionist*

    Receptionist for a small (>10 people) medical company.
    Large city, Canada.
    Two years; previously, retail.
    $30,000 CDN/year
    Six days sick time, no benefits, no “official” PTO.

  704. Librarian*

    Title: Reference Librarian
    Description: Working at a specialized, non-profit library, spend half of my time on the reference desk, and the other half producing web content and training our patrons. No supervisory responsibilities.
    Salary: $60,000
    Experience: 3 years
    Degrees: BA, MLIS
    Area: British Columbia, Canada
    Benefits: Defined benefit pension plan; good extended health and dental benefits
    Gender: Woman

    Starting salary at this same library out of grad school was $55,000. I don’t anticipate my salary going much higher than this, due to extensive funding cuts.

  705. IT Specialist*

    Title: IT Specialist
    Gender/Age: Male, early 30s
    Industry: Agriculture
    Experience: 10 years, 7 in IT for Public School System
    Geographic Area: Pacific NW
    Salary: 50,000, non-exempt, possible occasional bonuses
    Benefits: Medical/dental (premiums covered for me, not for family), 401K with 100% match for 1st 2%, 50% to 4%, plus profit share. Currently 2 weeks of vacation, max out at 4, currently week of sick leave, max out at 3. Generally a few extra vacation days at Christmas, 7 paid holidays
    Education: BS Computer Science

    Job Details:
    Support via phone/email/in person, all IT related hardware/software of the business and branch offices, with some travel generally not father that 3 hours from office.

    Specific to me, also develop and maintain web front ends in HTML/CSS/JavaScript, design and manage backend databases in MSSQL, generate reports and queries on as as needed basis. Design and maintain any in house software systems.

  706. HR Director*

    HR Director – Executive team member in my small tech company, member of Sr. HR staff in parent company. Manage a small team and oversee all HR functions.

    12 years experience

    New York City

    $135k base, $10k bonus + equity
    Benefits 80% company paid (family)
    401k with match
    unlimited vacation days

    When I type it all out here, it sounds pretty good. However my salary in NYC puts me solidly in the middle-class bracket for supporting a family of 3.

  707. HR Help Desk Rep*

    Phone monkey at a large telecom. I answer everything from “My paycheck didn’t show up” to “How do I terminate someone in our system.”
    Seattle
    4 years
    $40k
    I’m actually hourly, but that is the average

  708. Portfolio Executive*

    Job Description: Negotiate and manage contracts for pricing and non-price terms with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of healthcare facilities.

    Location: Dallas, TX

    Salary: $82,500 + 15% Target Bonus

    Benefits: 401K match (to 7%), 18 days PTO, Health/Dental/Vision (switched to HDHP this year, boo), Flex-time, telecommute 1 day/week, family friendly (at least in my management chain, I can’t speak for all parts of my company)

    Experience: 10 years into career, 4 with current company, 1 in current role

    Previous Job: Senior Analyst (Same company)

    Job Description: Support portfolio executive with data analysis related to contracts in portfolio, budget/forecast, etc.

    Salary: $70,000 + 5% Target Bonus

    1. Portfolio Executive*

      Adding in my demographics for analysis:

      35, Female, MBA, BA (unrelated – in Music)

  709. Program Coordinator*

    I work at a national trade association, helping coordinate dissemination of news and programming to regional branches across the country.
    Geographic Area: Washington, DC
    Years of Experience: 1.5 (fairly new graduate)
    Salary: $43k
    Other: good benefits and good upward mobility and free, infinite soda and cocoa (I’m only pretending to be an adult ;-))

  710. Anon Accountant*

    Senior Staff Accountant. I do corporate, partnership, individual tax returns, payroll reports, audits for non-profits, construction industry, and bookkeeping.
    Geographic Area: south of Pittsburgh, PA
    Years of Experience: employed 5 months (new company bought out old company) and 6 years experience total.

    Salary: $19.50/hour. We are all paid hourly but have overtime so that can make salary vary. Our benefits are fully paid- no employee portion of health insurance as the company fully pays the full premiums.

  711. NotTelling*

    Commercial real estate analyst
    $75k/year with % based annual bonus
    6 years experience
    Large southern city

  712. Logistics Manager*

    Manage product support, depot support, obsolescence, tech docs, training, and tech support for aerospace systems; perform failure analysis and influence supportability in product design.

    Geographic area: Non-metro Northeast
    Years of experience: 3 months with the “official” title, 3 years handling these responsibilities with a “next rung down” title, 20 years in tech writing/support leading into it, 25 years professional experience altogether
    Extras/other: MBA in operations & supply chain management from Top-50 school
    Salary: $77K

    Contributing factors–I hired in where I am now as a tech writer, at the appropriate(ish) salary then and have moved up the ladder significantly but the salary hasn’t kept pace. The company paid for about 1/3 of my degree altogether. We’re due for this year’s annual review in March and I will be quite interested to see the effect of the official title conferrence on my salary. I get merit raises each year as an “exceeds expectations” performer but haven’t had a salary adjustment in at least five years. I’m now at the very bottom of the salary band for the new title and am hoping that that is adjusted. We’ll see. I’m fortunate to love what I do and who I work with/for, so the salary is important but not a deal-breaker (yet–when student loans come due, it will be).

    1. Logistics Manager*

      I forgot benefits–tuition reimbursement ($7500/year), 4.5% 401(k) match, 4-year vesting employee stock purchase program up to 5% of salary (!!), health/dental/vision insurance (cheap for singles, not so much for families), flex spending, corporate gym, on-site cafeteria–it’s a damn fine package.

    2. Logistics Manager*

      Normally my reading comprehension and retention scores are high…but not tonight.

      Gender: female
      Age: 45

      Further details on compensation–3 weeks vacation to start, 4 at 10 years, 5 at 15 years, paid sick, 7 paid holidays + 2 floaters, 3 days personal business time. 99% of us are exempt, so no overtime, and we sometimes put in some very long weeks.

    3. Laura*

      What do you consider to be an appropriate entry level tech writer salary? Let’s say 0-2 years experience and at 5 years experience – is there any real difference?

  713. Material Scientist/Engineer*

    Location: Southern Tier, New York State
    Salary: $86k, 5% Target bonus
    Benefits: 10 vacation days, 11 paid holidays, sick leave as needed, up to 7% 401K match, decent benefits at roughly $200/month for me and my spouse
    Experience: 2 years in industry, PhD (4.5 years)

    Perks: International travel to Asia, encouraged to travel to conferences, both domestic and abroad.

  714. Librarian (Academic)*

    – Academic librarian at a mid size undergraduate university. Responsibilities include subject liaison, reference, information literacy instruction, collections, project work.
    – large Canadian city (pop. ~1 million)
    – ~4 yrs experience, as well as 5 yrs teaching/lecturing experience
    – 70k, plus pension/benefits/generous vacation/association representation
    – B.Ed. plus MLIS
    – Female

  715. Land Administration Manager*

    Title: Land Administration Manager
    Land/title work for energy company; manage 5-member team

    Location: CO

    Years of Experience: 10 (+3 in unrelated field)

    Salary: $112,000 (plus 25% bonus structure)

    Other: Great insurance; 5 sick days, 10 paid holidays & 4 weeks vacation; 401k matching; company stock grant

    Female

  716. Public Library Department Manager*

    Title: Reference Services Manager

    Duties: I oversee the Reference Department of a medium sized urban public library. I supervise a staff of 9 Reference Librarians, 3 Computer Center Assistants, and 10 substitute employees.

    Experience: 8 years as a librarian, 4 years as a manager, 2.5 years in my current position

    Geographic area: NE Ohio

    Salary: $36k

    Gender: female

  717. Database Manager - Nonprofit*

    Manage database and gift processes within development department. Starting at 37K with a likely bump of a few thousand soon.

    3 years industry experience, great benefits including health and dental premiums paid 100% by employer and 3 weeks vacation to start.

  718. Senior Analyst*

    I work in a niche field of management consulting, advising on executive compensation issues.

    Geographic are: Pacific NW
    Experience: 2.5 years
    Salary: $63K, started at $50K

    Target bonus of 7.5% of salary, 4 weeks PTO, decent health/dental/vision insurance, modest pension + 401K match

  719. Executive Director*

    Executive Director at a historical society. The organization collects and preserves history of a city, does educational programs and lectures for the community, presents exhibits, and hosts a large research collection. I manage 5 paid part-time staff and many volunteers, handle membership and donation records, serve on many board committees that handle things like fundraising, gift shop, budgeting, etc., and represent the organization at several community committees. I am the only full-time, exempt employee and work typically 50-60 hours per week.

    Located in the Midwest.
    About 2 years of experience. Have a bachelor’s degree and am in the middle of a masters program.
    Female. 23 years old.
    $27,040.
    Benefits are 10 days sick leave, 10 days vacation, and 9 paid holidays.

  720. Marketing Consultant*

    $58,000/annually, no bonuses or incentives

    I live in a large Southern city and work for a Fortune 500 healthcare company. I’ve been with the company for two years. Prior to that, I worked in marketing for a healthcare system and in an ad/pr agency. I started out making less than $30,000 (that was six years ago). My benefits are pretty sad, but they do have a decent 401k match. I also have the ability to work from home as much as I like. I also get to travel a good amount. I’m 31 and female.

    1. Marketing Consultant*

      I forgot to add that I have a BA in advertising/PR from a fairly prestigious university in the Midwest, but no MBA or MA – it’s not worth it in my field, in my experience.

  721. Environmental Planner/Project Manager*

    I am currently unemployed, but when I’m working, I manage environmental planning and permitting for large and small projects for government agencies (and sometimes private industry). Requires skills in budgeting, scheduling, team management, technical and legal review of deliverables, client management, public outreach, and knowledge of federal and state regulations. Can be 60+ hour weeks and a fair amount of travel to project sites and client/public meetings.
    Geographic area: major coastal city
    Years of experience: 15
    Salary: $100K (the range for my field & experience is about $85-120K, and most private consulting firms have a bonus program that could provide up to $5K/year)

    Most employers in this field are government agencies, big engineering firms, or small boutique firms that specialize in certain industries (like solar planning) or subject areas (like wetlands or air quality analysis). I have worked for a large firm and for government; in my experience, firm work is more rewarding, but government work is far less stressful. ;-)

    1. Environmental Planner/Project Manager*

      Woops, and I have a JD, which definitely makes a difference in this field.

  722. Accounts Administrator*

    Position: Accounts Administrator in the IT department – access and identity management, information security, plus a tiny bit of telecom. Nothing to do with finance other than giving the finance people access to certain things in our databases.
    Geographic Region: Greater Boston Area
    Salary: $47,000 + match 10% of salary as contribution to 403b + 4 weeks vacation + unlimited free coffee (except for when the Keurig cup order is delayed). Raises are a joke, annual bonuses have ranged from $300 to $1500.
    Experience: 3 1/2 years full-time in field, 4 years part-time prior to that
    Education: BA in Psychology and Pre-medicine, taking coursework to prepare for grad programs in Computer Science

    1. Accounts Administrator*

      I mention the finance thing because whenever I say my job title people always think I handle financial accounts. They definitely did not pick an industry standard title for this position.

      1. Anonymous*

        It sounds like it’s within the scope of what a sysadmin might do, but I’m having trouble thinking of a more common title for your exact role. Any ideas, out of curiosity?

  723. Community Engagement Manager (Nonprofit)*

    Geographic Area: San Francisco
    Years of experience: 5
    Education: MPP
    Salary: $60,000
    Benefits: Not great. No 401(k), 10 days of PTO (sick and vacation combined for only 10 days), and we only got dental insurance as of January 1.

    I work for a small patient advocacy nonprofit. As anyone in the nonprofit world knows, my job description is pretty all-encompassing. I manage all of our grassroots volunteers, from fundraising to advocacy. I am the primary grassroots lobbyist for the organization, as well, and regularly travel to Sacramento and DC for advocacy activities. I also run the organization’s social media accounts.

    Benefits aren’t great. It’s a new-ish organization, though, so hopefully that will change soon. But we’re in a gorgeous location with million-dollar views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from our windows, so quality of life is pretty good! It also helps that I LOVE my job and for the first time in ages, actually look forward to work every day!

    I worked for a similar nonprofit organization in DC before coming here, in a similar role (volunteer management and grassroots lobbying), and my salary was $38,000.

  724. Faculty Research Assistant*

    Duties: I’m basically the technician who does the lab and field work for a scientist’s research study.
    Location: About 1.5-2 hrs south of Washington DC
    Salary: ~$34,000, w/ a 3% merit raise to go into effect April 1
    Experience: 1yr 3mo’s on the job + a B.S. degree
    Benefits: 3 days personal leave, 15 days sick leave, 14 days holiday leave, and 22 days annual leave (Sick and annual roll over, if unused. Can carry a max of 55 annual leave days per year). Health/dental/vision/mental health and Rx insurance partially subsidized. 403(b) contributed to at a rate of 7% of my salary.
    My info: Single, female, mid-20’s

    1. Faculty Research Assistant*

      Oh, yeah, we get tuition remission for up to 8 credits a semester, plus tuition remission for spouse and children.

      1. Research Fellow (but really Lab/Field Technician)*

        I have a similar position, and I can take classes tuition free, but as a result can only be accepted into a class if there is an open slot after all the paying students have first pick. I don’t know what the costs are for the tuition for classes.. but it’s a basic perk of working at our university.

  725. Application Developer*

    Job: Application Developer at a financial firm.
    Location: Southern California
    Base Salary: $130K
    Bonuses: Variable, has been around $20K the past few years (I’m in the financial industry, we always get bonuses every year)
    Benefits: 22 paid vacation days a year, and 15% of salary contributed yearly to our retirement account
    Years of experience: 16 at this company, 21 total since I graduated college
    Education: 4-year IT BS degree
    Gender: Female

  726. operations/project manager*

    Location: dc metro
    Salary: 75,500 with bonus (usually $1,000- $3,000)
    Benefits: 3 weeks vacation; decent health and dental; 3% into 401k; 10-15% into profit sharing (varies)

    Job: I work as a contractor for federal government. My work is variable and hard to describe. It REALLY varies. Sometimes I work as sort of special assistant to our director. I do some operations work which is basically making sure shit gets done. It might include developing and writing procedures or general problem solving for almost anything. People come to me with problems all day. I also manage some small projects and I can do some technical/scientific writing.

    Experience: I worked in Health care with a certification (no degree) for years. I went back to school as an adult for a degree in Biology. I fell into my current job by accident. I think all my success stems from: being able to write well on a deadline; “getting” and getting along with people ( especially assholes); being willing to troubleshoot problems and fix systems when others just want to complain.

  727. Production Artist*

    Production Artist for a printer – entry level
    I have a Bachelors Degree
    Geographic Area: Northeast Ohio
    Years of Experience: 11 years (9 somewhere else)
    Salary: 43k plus overtime

    Started over last year when I got let go and was unemployed for months. Trying to just keep afloat for now, and recover from unemployment. Had to start at entry level. Benefits are okay: ie, I haven’t had to use them so I don’t really know how good they are. They have 401k match, but can’t afford to take advantage of it. 2weeks vacation plus sick time. They are pretty laid back here… at least my position. Trying to keep status quo and figure out what my next move is. I would rather move on to something more lucrative at this point in my life.

  728. Associate Attorney*

    Job: Associate Attorney at a small (15 attorney) plaintiff-side firm
    Area: Washington DC
    Experience: less than a year, with about a year’s worth of relevant experience during law school
    Salary:~$80,000 + bonus (last year rounded out to about $10k). Health care is fully covered for me.

    I’m female, and 28.

  729. Development Manager*

    Job: grant research, writing, and reporting (primarily government, approx. $1.5 million per year); responsible for working with administrative team to record, process, and thank individual and in kind donations; website upkeep; social media management and email newsletters; client database management
    Geographic Area: Mid-Atlantic
    Experience: 2.5 years
    Salary: $45,000; benefits; employer-match 401k
    Context: social services nonprofit with 30 staff; all staff are paid fairly high for the field; I’m in the 20% highest paid on staff; predecessor was paid closer to $50k

  730. Youth Services Librarian*

    My job includes programs for ages 0-18, collection development for the children’s and young adult collection, some supervisory duties (2 teens and a part-time summer associate), outreach, marketing, grant-writing, and I work at both the children’s and general information desk. I am also the official toilet plunger.
    Geographic Area – southern WI, town of 10,000, service pop. 24,000
    Experience: 5 1/2 years full-time after I got my MLS. Lots of previous part-time jobs and internships in libraries.
    $34K (before taxes etc.) I got a raise this year and I’m only 5K below the beginning salary for this position according to our city’s salary plan. Yay me. However, when I started five years ago I was earning about $25K, so I am not complaining! I get health and dental but no vision and when I hit 5 years some additional vacation time, so I have three weeks now! On the whole I think I’m doing pretty well.

  731. Construction Manager*

    My last job was a facilities construction manager for an aircraft manufacturer in the pacific northwest and it paid about $80k with excellent benefits and paid overtime. I have a BS in Construction Management and maybe 15 years experience in a variety of related work for a few sizeable CM firms. I miss it and was sorry to move, but for now I design and build houses for myself and essentially make nothing while I sponge off my husband. He is a VP of Construction in CO for a multi-family developer. His overall salary/ bonus package is in the $300-350k range plus equity partnership in his projects. He has some college, but no degree, over 25 years in the industry. Kids- go into the trades!

  732. Kat*

    Mid-Atlantic Region
    Occupation: Administrative Assistant, large non-profit
    Education: BA
    Years of Experience: 2.5
    Salary: $35K
    Benefits: good health plans with HSA option, vision, dental, generous PTO, long term care insurance, life insurance, generous retirement contributions, transit benefits, on-site gym (for free use), countless discounts at a bunch of local places and events (everything from takeout to theatre tickets), paid parental leave
    Gender: Female

  733. Teleconference Operator*

    Teleconference operator – most probably know, but I’m the person answering the line when you call in for a conference call, announcing the call (opening, QA, polling questions, closing, etc) and a host of back end stuff. I also have some client focused duties that net a (very) small quarterly bonus (roughly $100 after taxes)

    Midwest

    14 years

    $20.96/hr + OT (with OT I clear about 50k/yr)

    Decent benefits – healthcare took a turn for the worse but still ok; 5 weeks of vacation + a week of sick.

    I’m a woman in my mid-30s with a bachelors. I went back to school in my late twenties, graduated about 7 years ago now and still here. Partly inertia and partly a distinct fear that I’ll have to make a lot less starting out somewhere else, even if it is more career oriented than the customer service work I do now.

    1. random question*

      I’ve always wondered about this job! I spend a lot of work time on these calls. We all have our favorite operators. Are they interesting for an outsider to listen to or tedious? Do you have to pay attention to the content or are you multi-tasking on the back-end stuff during the call?

  734. Nonprofit program assistant*

    I work at two very small organizations that work with farmers and food producers, one non-profit and the other one of its independent consultants. Both job descriptions includes admin, communications, development and some technical assistance, and as of recently I get paid the same hourly rate for both ($17, up from $15 at one job). BA in environmental science. Female. Entered field through unpaid internship, which took a big chunk of potential earnings out.

    Geographic Area: Boston, MA
    Years of Experience: 2
    Salary: ~$30K (as both positions are paid hourly at around 40 hours total). 9 admin leave days and optional healthcare for one job, no benefits or guaranteed vacation days for the other.

  735. Gift Planning Associate*

    I work at a major, international non-profit on a 50 person team dedicated solely to deferred giving – wills, estates, life income gifts, etc. – as well as unusual outright gifts (real estate, tangible property). I support 6 field fundraisers on all “behind the scenes” aspects of raising and closing deferred gifts, including data entry, gift stewardship, coordinating legal documents, and anything else that needs doing. I’m also training to raise gifts – I closed my first 5k life income gift this year – and I field real estate inquiries.

    I work in the DC Metro area.

    I have 3 years’ experience (6 months in this role, and nearly 3 in a more junior role) but it wasn’t required for this job (though it helped, certainly, impress at the interview and raise the offered salary)

    $45,000/year plus standard medical/dental/vision/401(k)/transit/etc. This is a large nonprofit with about 4,000 employees worldwide and a known name in the field. I work for one of the strongest Gift Planning programs in the country.

    1. Gift Planning Associate*

      I should add: I’m paid hourly with a 35 hour workweek. Overtime is very rare at my level, almost exclusively in the months from October-mid-January and at close of fiscal year in June. In the six months I’ve been in this role, I’ve never exceeded 40 hours/week.

  736. Public School Teacher - Special Education*

    This is SO interesting! I love the diversity here, and we see what people really make in different areas of the country and world!

    And it is so much more accurate than bs salary websites. AAM – you have such a great website!!!!

  737. Joshua*

    I was just laid off but this is where I was

    Development Associate (25-30 hours per week)
    $19,000 per year
    No bonus, no insurance, no benefits at all
    I have just shy of 5 years in the industry.

  738. RE Paralegal*

    Real Estate Paralegal at a small law firm, 4 attorneys total
    Norfolk, Virginia
    $32,500
    Full health benefits and profit sharing after 3 years
    Brand new to the job, less than a year. Have a bachelors degree in Poli Sci and a Paralegal Cert from a community college

  739. Graduate Student*

    I work as a graduate student in a STEM field.

    Boston area
    First year (of a 5-year program) (2 years of part-time research in undergrad)
    Base salary: $32K
    Bonuses: $9K this year and $6K the next two years

    I’ve heard that we generally get a department-wide cost of living adjustment each year and a raise after passing qualifying exams in our second year. Annual leave is not specified, but depends on the convenience of research; most people take 2-3 weeks per year. Because I have an outside fellowship, I’ll also be paid for each class in which I assist. This is a high-ranked program, and I have the general sense (from interviewing at other, similarly positioned schools) that it’s generous in terms of pay and benefits.

  740. Associate Actuary*

    I am female.

    Job description: I program financial models and other domain-specific software for use by 60 other actuaries. I share these responsibilities with one other person. I also provide infrastructure support, training, documentation, and expertise on the company’s products and relevant regulations/actuarial guidelines.

    Location: California

    Experience: 7.5 years FTE + 1 year part time internship

    Other qualifications: Associate of the Society of Actuaries, Member of the Academy of Actuaries

    Education: BS, Applied Math/Actuarial Science

    Salary: $100k + 15-20% bonus depending on company performance

    Other compensation: 8% company contribution to retirement account, $8k benefit dollars to buy medical, dental, etc.

  741. Supply chain manager*

    I do supply chain planning at a Fortune 500 company
    Bay Area
    BA/MBA
    2 years at this job, 4 years in an unrelated role before MBA
    $118K +12% target bonus

  742. Controller (with CPA)*

    Area: Central Florida
    Company: Midsize, privately held
    Years of experience: 8.5
    Education level: Masters
    Certification: CPA
    Gender: Female
    Salary: $120,000/yr.

  743. Purchasing Agent*

    New England
    1.5 years experience
    $42K base but I’m non-exempt and regularly receive overtime. Small bonus. 401K, good medical benefits

  744. Retail Web Content Coordinator*

    your job: I work for a large retail company managing website content, coordinating with a variety of roles to manage product content, pricing, and promotion implementation in our CMS. Monitor site for any operation issues, work with our developer and hosting teams to resolve issues. User Acceptance Testing for various areas of expertise before code releases to production. Depending on where we are in a development cycle, this part can be an afterthought or it eats up my whole life.

    your geographic area: major midwest city

    your approximate years of experience: A little over a year and half in this position. About three prior years of general workforce experience – entry level job in unrelated field, temping for about a year and half each.

    your salary: 40660 (started at 40K, small raise after 1 year).

    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: I discovered ask a manager days before my interview and totally used the “I’m sure you have a range in mind for this role…” response when they asked me for my salary requirements. Good thing, too, or I would have really low balled myself!

  745. Retirement Plan Administrator*

    Job: Retirement Plan Administrator
    Location: South
    Job description: analyze employer census, determine eligibility, calculate contributions for retirement plans. Reconcile assets; verify compliance with IRS/DOL regs, annual reports
    Salary: $45k, 4% 401k match
    Education: BA Finance
    5.5 years experience, but at current job <1 year

  746. Animal Care*

    I do animal care at a nonprofit rescue. I clean cages, monitor medical problems, administer meds that the vet prescribes, conduct adoption counseling, do blood draws for FeLV/FIV tests, transport animals to adoption locations, etc.

    I’m located in the Southwest.

    I had 4 months of experience when I hired in, now I have almost a year and half. I had a couple of unrelated (liberal arts) degrees.

    I make $10/hr. From what I’ve researched, I could make $12-14 doing much of the same work as a vet assistant at a clinic, but rescue is where my heart is at.

  747. CPG Category Analyst*

    Job: Category Analyst (Consumer Packaged Goods)
    Area: Cincinnati, OH
    Experience: 6.5 years total
    Salary: $58,500 salary + 401K matching + health benefits

  748. Accounts Payable Manager*

    $70k & 20% Bonus (3 Weeks Vacation)
    Team of ~15
    New Manager. 10 years exp in accounting/finance roles. 5 years w/ current employer.
    Ohio. Fortune 500. Female ~30.
    Bachelors of Accounting – pursing MBA.

  749. Director of Marketing*

    Title: Director of Marketing at a non-profit. I am basically a one person marketing team – strategy, ad concepts, design, copywriting, editing…I do it all. And yes, I am exhausted haha.
    Area: lower mid-west, medium sized city
    ~7 years of professional experience
    Salary: 57k/year, health insurance paid 100% for me, half for my family, 4 weeks of vacation, flexible schedule, retirement plan.

    Pertinent info: I think I get paid more than a fair wage for the scope of this position (I think they could use 2 or 3 people under me if there was to be ever any hope of getting caught up). It’s a significant raise from my last job – god bless them, when it came time to talk salary I they asked me straight up what I wanted to make, I “highballed” them based on my research and what I made at my last position (significantly less) and they took my offer right away. I used a lot of tactics from this website!! :)

  750. Product Manager*

    Product Manager*
    Southeast US
    5 years experience
    $80,000 + ~10% bonus depending on company and personal performance.

    *I graduated college with a degree in engineering and I am a licensed PE (although that had no effect on my salary). The product I’m responsible for is a highly technical, applied product that requires engineering knowledge. I do a lot of project management, sales support, and product development.

  751. Postgraduate student*

    Arts/humanities PhD (funded by research council)
    Area: UK
    Salary: £14000

    (I know it’s not a job really, but I read the site religiously and wanted to join in!)

  753. Academic Librarian*

    Job: Reference and instruction librarian at large research university.
    Location: Urban Mid-Atlantic.
    Experience: Less than 2 years.
    Education: BA, MA, MLIS
    Salary: $53k.

  754. Program Officer at foundation*

    Program Officer at foundation in Midwest.
    Salary: 68,000
    Benefits: 401K (3% match)+health+2 weeks paid vacation+$5,000/year tuition reimbursement
    Experience: 8 years total nonprofit experience, 5 years working with grants.
    Education: Master’s degree in non-profit management.

  755. Deputy Campaign Manager*

    National issue campaign, manage staff in several states.

    Location: DC (large nonprofit)

    $96,000 ($8,000/mo., temp gig, no benefits)

    6 years experience. Bachelor’s degree in social science, professional degree (law) in progress.

    Female

    I hope these will be compiled into some kind of data set – would love to be able to analyze or search!

  756. Prospect Research Analyst (nonprofit fundraising)*

    Salary: $53k, exempt but little to no overtime
    Area: Washington, DC
    Experience: 1 year post-undergrad; ~4 years of extensive internship in development before that
    Degree: Bachelor’s in IR/history

    Fairly normal benefits package. I am making more than most people with my experience level would in this position; I’d say typical (based on interviews at other places/talking to other people) is $38-$45k for my age and experience.

    Immediately post-grad, for three different Development Assistant/Coordinator positions in DC I was offered $32k, $34k, and $39k.

    1. Prospect Research Analyst (nonprofit fundraising)*

      OP: just to describe my duties – I research potential donors for the gift officers (philanthropic giving, assets, bio background).

  757. Cash Office Clerk*

    The Job: I’m a cash office clerk in a retail store. I manage the cash flow, prepare the store deposit, file paperwork, print and separate store signs, research drawer overages and shortages, send proper paperwork to corporate auditing when a correction/adjustment needs to be made. That sort of thing.

    Geographic location: Indiana

    Experience: I have about seven years of experience in retail. Some positions I’ve had was cashier and customer service manager.

    Education: I have a AS in Elementary Education and am currently working toward a BS in Human Resource Development

    Salary: $8.00 p/h. No benefits unless you count my employee discount that I never use.

    Extra Tidbits: Thank goodness for college.

  758. Air Traffic Controller*

    Job: Air Traffic Controller at a level 8 facility
    Location: Vermont

    Job description: Communicate with planes and manage their flight paths, altitude, and position on ground. Make sure no planes crash into each other ;-)

    Experience: No prior experience; been working as an air traffic controller for almost 3 years.

    Salary: $80k–this includes locality pay (cost of living). 401k with up to 5% match. Health, dental, vision provided and covers about 80% of the premium. Pension included and is based on the average salary you made in your top 3 earning years.

    Education: Associate’s Degree in Air Traffic Management (which is not required, but is a good way to prepare yourself for the intensive testing and training once you are selected). After being selected, you spend 1-2 yrs training at a lower pay level until you become fully certified.

    Other info: Pay is all based on location and level of facility (12 is the highest, with air traffic and topographical area surrounding the airport increasing in sheer number of planes/difficulty, respectively). You must be 29 or younger to be selected, and mandatory retirement is age 55.

    1. Communications Manager*

      My dad did this for 30+ years and was just forced to retire a few months ago when he turned 56. He always pushed me to go into ATC (it’s the profession of my grandfather too), but I never did because of how much he complained about the job. Then I turned 30 and, oh well. I thought my dad was crazy before he retired…now he just doesn’t know what to do with himself and still has 20 more working years in him. Though, the sheer amount of crazy and specialized hobbies the man has may keep him busy, if they don’t bankrupt him first. This is such a highly stressful position. Good luck!

      1. Air Traffic Controller*

        Yeah, I get the “isnt that an extremely stressful job?” question a lot. For me, no. I find it challenging and highly rewarding. Probably the most stressful part of it is staff politics, but you can find that at any job. Now, if I transfer to a higher level facility, I may change my tune :)

  759. Human Resources Specialist*

    $30/hr, 40 hr per week

    I have a JD, I’m licensed as an attorney, but not in the state I’m working in. My job right now is pretty much a cross between a paralegal and a human resources generalist, but my title is HR Compliance Specialist. I have 5 years HR experience and SPHR certification, but no experience as a lawyer.

    I work at a nonprofit, but I’m technically an employee at a staffing agency. I’ve been on assignment at the nonprofit for almost a year. I get health insurance but no other benefits. I’m in San Francisco.

  760. Research Officer*

    Salary: $62k/year
    Years of experience: 4
    Education: Masters degree (MPH)

    My job is a mixture of project management and research design and data collection in conflict-affected settings

    3 weeks paid vacation + 1 week floating holidays and personal days
    sick days accrue at 1.25/month
    401k match up to 6%

  761. Social Media Coordinator*

    Job: Social Media Coordinator
    Geographic Area: Wisconsin
    Years of Experience: 4
    Degree: BA in English
    Salary: $53k
    Benefits: 3 weeks accrued PTO, flexible start times, 401k match, profit share bonus, medical, dental, vision, flex spending (not sure of term as I don’t use it), ability to work from home when needed.

    Role is probably the same as a specialist, perhaps even a manager, though I have no direct reports. I’m in the trenches talking to people online, but also doing strategy, writing web content, creating campaigns, and other things I can’t even think of right now. I also do community management.

      1. Social Media Coordinator*

        AND completely neglected to add that this is a small company and my position was new 2 years ago.

  762. SeniorTechnical Writer/Editor*

    Job description: Edit training materials and other documentation for a tech company

    Location: Central Texas

    Years of experience: 18 in IT, plus 5 as an energy journalist

    Salary: Contractor at $35/hr, no vacay or benefits, works out to about $70K w OT. Flexible work hours.

    Other info: Master’s degree in English, various tech certs, female

  763. GIS Analyst*

    Job: GIS Analyst in local government
    Where: Mid-sized city in outer reaches of the Bay Area
    Experience: ~13 yrs. Spent the first 6 years in the consulting world, then moved into government
    Salary: ~ $82K
    Benefits: CalPers, health/dental/vision insurance, just passed into the 3 wks vacation per year, sick time, 11 paid holidays, 2 floating holidays, the ability to purchase an additional 40 hours of vacation per year
    Gender: female
    Education: BA in completely unrelated field

    I fell into the GIS world and ended up loving it. My position is in the IT department of our city. I should be concentrating on developing tools to be used by the City staff and managing our SQL databases but due to the cuts that have occurred in the last few years I find that a majority of my time is now spent on maintaining data for other departments who used to have staff for that.

  764. Analyst*

    Job: I’m an entry level analyst at a consulting firm. I do statistical analysis, research, and occasionally help with writing reports.
    Geographic area: Southern California
    Experience: B.A. and masters degree (see below). <1 year experience when I started, ~2 now.
    Salary: ~75k + ~10%bonus

    Other: My masters degree didn't seem to affect my starting salary (all incoming analysts make about the same amount) but it affects whether or not I can be promoted to management.

    I'm female.

    1. Anon*

      Do you know if it would be possible to get the position you have with only a BA or BS in math and some experience with statistical analysis software?

  765. Web Editor*

    Web Editor – better title would be Online Editorial Director
    Los Angeles, CA
    Private university
    Experience: Masters Degree
    Years of experience: 3.5
    Salary: $31/hr, about $60k annually

    Benefits: Health/dental/vision, generous 401k, holidays, 10 days of paid vacation (depends on how long you’ve worked here; I just started)

    I quit a lower-paying traditional journalism job for a major network that offered no paid holidays and had me on a night and weekend schedule for three years. This is a step up.

    1. Web Editor*

      More info:

      I’m a female, mid-20s; attended grad school PT while working my previous job, which was my first straight out of college. Freelance and do web design on the side for extra income; web skills definitely helped get me interviews.

  766. Anon*

    All these job descriptions are making me think of the Avenue Q song…”what do you do with a BA in English?”

    I guess the answer is everything.

  767. Office Assistant*

    Title: Office Assistant (although I also do customer service, marketing, and web updates/maintenance)

    Area: Western Canada

    Experience: 4 years in office work, 7 years total

    Wage: $14.50/hr (aprx $28,000/yr)

    Education: BA and Master’s (in a different field)

    Other info: Partially paid company benefits

  768. immigrant*

    First 2 are Canada (western) last two are America (NY then VA)

    Video store clerk,
    Alberta
    2 years, (Highschool student), 7/h no prior experience got to watch movies all day

    Community Support Worker (care for developmentally dissabled adults)
    Alberta
    no prior experience no education beyond highschool. started at 13.75/h one doollar raise every year until 15.75/h , retirement plan and health plan partieally payed by my employer 3 weeks paid vacation. (VERY stressful job)

    And then I moved to America

    Assistant manager at a self serve frozen yogurt store
    ny
    8.50/h, no benefits but a very relaxing job

    Dollar tree employee
    7.25/h
    no benefits (not very relaxing)

  769. Anon If You Don't Play Detective*

    Title: Senior Project Manager, Employee Benefits
    Industry: Insurance/consulting/risk management
    Duties: 75% internal, trying to create structure and implement processes at a family firm full of cowboys. 25% external, consulting on regulatory compliance and employee communications.
    Area: Cleveland
    Years of Experience: 11 total, 1 at this employer
    Education: Bachelor of Business Administration
    Compensation: $87,000, 10% bonus (potentially, less this year), annual review pending. Passable but not outstanding benefits.

    And I’m female.

  770. Assistant Strategist (Advertising)*

    – Manage all aspects of advertising campaigns in digital and traditional media planning. Work with vendors and clients to negotiate rates, decide platforms for ads, track and traffic ads, and do billing.
    – Entry-level, but due to downsizing the role has increased in responsibilities.
    – NYC
    – 1 year of experience (with 2 bachelors degrees, and 1 master’s in advertising)
    – 2-3 years of related experience in marketing, public relations
    $36,000 a year (with healthcare, dental, 10 days vacation and 5 summer fridays)
    – Woman

    1. Assistant Strategist (Advertising)*

      Also meant to say: I’m currently looking for another job. $36K (before taxes) is not much to live on in NYC. Not to mention late hours (9am to later than 7pm most nights).

  771. Grad student researcher in biology*

    (Not sure if you wanted this data since it’s a stipend)
    Stipend is $32,500, regardless of experience
    Covers health insurance, tuition, and fees
    Bay Area

    1. Assistant Strategist (Advertising)*

      This is really helpful to know!

      When I was a advertising grad student in the Southeast, my stipend was around $15K per year, and it also included free tuition. No health insurance or fees though.

  772. Web Technician*

    I’m the web and graphics person at my company. I do print and email marketing the most, but update our website’s content. My degree was in Web Design, but I do little HTML/CSS, which stinks for me.

    North-East Ohio
    1.5 years experience
    I work for a small company under 20 employees.
    Started at 14/hr and now I’m around 18/hr. I think I make around ~35k before taxes, health insurance. I feel like my salary is high/good for what I do, mainly because the turnover in my position is so high that they pay us well to try to keep us.

  773. Operations Research Analyst*

    Title: Operations Research Analyst, could also be known as Data Analyst or Data Scientist

    Employer: Federal government
    Salary: $53,380 (GS-9 step 1) (Federal gov’t)
    Benefits: you can find those out online through OPM
    Geographical area: Los Angeles, CA
    Education: B.S. in Math
    Years of experience: this is my first professional and full-time job and I didn’t have any internships in college; less than 2 years on the job so far.

    My employer/office is not used to having Operations Research Analysts in the office, they’re still figuring us out.

  774. Nonprofit peon*

    I have two part-time positions at two different nonprofits. I had one year of full-time experience at a nonprofit before these positions, along with internship and volunteer experience.

    Education and Outreach Specialist
    It’s at a very small nonprofit, so ends up including fundraising, volunteer coordination, coordinating various programs, communications and basically whatever else needs to be done.
    $11.50 an hour, 20 hours a week

    Outreach Coordinator
    Misleading name because really it’s just phone fundraising.
    $10 an hour, 28 hours a week

    So I work 48 hours a week between the two jobs and make a total of $25,400. I get some PTO with each job but no health coverage.

  775. Anon*

    Job: Editorial researcher for a national consumer magazine
    Where: small NE town (company based in NYC though)
    Experience: about 3 years
    Salary: $33,000
    Benefits: standard health, vision, dental, 401(k), pretty good PTO–18 days
    Gender: female
    Education: BA in communications

  776. Sr. Compliance Analyst (Healthcare)*

    -I work as a Sr. Compliance Analyst at a multi-hospital system.
    -I am located in a suburb of Chicago.
    -I have 5 years of relevant experience. (I also have 3 years of experience as a practicing attorney.)
    -My salary is $76,000 + bonus (which can range from $10K-20K).

    I have a JD, which I apply to my compliance duties (i.e., analyzing healthcare laws and regulations, drafting policies). I’m female.

  777. Very Small Agency Owner*

    Title: CEO
    Description: I run a very small marketing agency – it’s just me plus two staff.
    Location: major Canadian city
    Years’ experience: about 7 in total, 2 running the business
    Salary: Depends on the year, but last year I grossed about $60k, and this year it’s likely to be closer to $80-90k.
    Education: Advanced degree
    Benefits: my spouse carries a Cadillac benefits package, so I don’t need them.
    Best thing about my job: I love it. I LOVE being the boss. I LOVE working with clients. I am hella good at what I do and I feel like I’m creating and building something. I have great staff. Also, I get to flex my time however I want; I have two little kids and it’s incredible to know that I will never have to ‘take a sick day’ to be home with them if they’re sick, and I’ll never run out of vacation days. I work from home, so no commute. It’s also very fulfilling to go after new business knowing that I benefit directly from my work. The money ain’t bad, either.
    The best thing about it, though, is that I get to be the kind of boss I’d want to have.

  778. Corporate Relations Coordinator*

    Job: Fundraiser working specifically with corporate partners. I also manage government grants and relations with state and federal legislators.
    Area: Minneapolis
    Experience: 5 years, 2.5 specifically in development/fundraising
    Salary: $41,000
    Benefits: decent benefits; 30 days PTO (office only closed 2 days a year); after 3 years, they match 4% of retirement contributions.

  779. Chief of Staff, Dean's Office*

    Area: Northeast US
    Experience: 11 years in higher education
    Salary: $102, 000
    Education: Master’s degree
    Other info: state university

  780. Veterinary Technician*

    Geographic area: Florida
    12+ years experience
    $15/hr

    This was my last job. If you want to feel better about your salary, my current salary is $0. I moved northwards at the end of October for family reasons and am still job hunting.

    Just for kicks, I have to mention my job prior to this one:
    Graphic Designer for NFL franchise
    6 years experience
    $42,500
    Kicked to the curb with 100+ employees after Super Bowl
    Upside: I have a Super Bowl ring :-)

  781. Senior Consultant*

    Title is vague. I work for a small IT consulting firm that provides software services for small to medium sized businesses. I’m usually the only person on a project and do everything from requirements gathering, software configuration/coding, and testing, while there is a project manager that checks in from time to time.
    Location: Los Angeles, CA
    Years of experience: 13
    Salary: $106,000, bonuses are dependent on how much of my work time was billable, health benefits ok but not super, 15 vacation days, no sick days. I am female.
    Intangible benefits: flexible schedule, work from home, no travel

  782. Veterinary Technician*

    Oh, and I’m female, 45, and have a B.A. and a M.A. in Russian. You can see why I’m having trouble finding work, probably. Packaging all this in a cohesive manner is tricky!

  783. Project Manager*

    Area: major city in Ontario
    Years experience: 11 (9.5 as a consultant, 1.5 as a PM)
    Industry: Food
    salary: $85k + 3 weeks/yr vacation. No sick days. Basic medical/dental paid by employer, retirement contribution matching up to 4% of annual pay. I’m also on a bonus plan but I don’t have faith that I’ll ever see it as it depends on too many factors outside my control.
    Education: bachelors of applied science
    Other: female, licensed professional engineer

  785. Electrical Engineer*

    Electrical Engineer at a federal agency which shall remain nameless. In reality I do a mix of actual engineering, policy work, and analyst-type research (as in, qualitative, but not something you need an engineer for).

    Salary: 106,000 (GS-14)
    Area: Washington, DC
    Experience: 5 years
    Benefits: Federal vacation (6 hours accumulated every two weeks), 5% 403(b) match, rarely more than 40 hours per week. Federal health insurance but no real sense of whether it’s “good” or “bad.”

    I started out making around 65,000 five years ago, and now I make 106,000 in the same position. Clearly that’s ridiculous, but it’s a consequence of the federal pay system and the fact that my position can be promoted up to GS-14. Now that I’ve maxed out the promotions in my current roll, the salary increases will be much smaller. P

    Advice for any recent grads looking for a federal government job: Pay attention to the maximum promotion potential. I came in at GS-9, now I’m GS-14. If you do good work, you can quickly get a good salary bump.

  786. Senior Financial Analyst-Canada*

    Job – financial management in health care
    Geographic area: Western Province in Canada
    Approximate years of experience: 10, received Canadian CPA designation two years ago
    Salary – $84,000 annual; union, no bonuses (Govt Job), no wage increases for next several years
    Basic health care is free for Canadians, small premiums paid by employee for extended health care
    Defined Benefit pension plan – equal contributions from employer and employee
    CPA Professional Dues and Professional Development paid by employer

  787. Associate Marketing Manager*

    —Academic Marketing for one of the five largest trade book publishers in the U.S. I market trade books (not textbooks, but the same hardcover and paperback fiction and non-fiction you’d find in a bookstore) to college professors and high school teachers. I do copywriting and proofing, direct mail, digital campaigns, website updates, and a lot of customer service. There’s some travel to exhibit at academic conferences, too.
    —New York City
    —7+ years experience
    —$46k + annual bonus (usually based on company performance and/or some special project I’ve done), great health/dental (though I contribute a percentage of the premium), 401k with generous matching, ~4 weeks PTO, summer Fridays, I have my own office with a window, plenty of free books
    —BA in English and Art History + post-grad certificate in publishing
    —female

  788. Community Mental Health*

    I work for a non-profit and supervise a program that provides services to adults with disabilities. The job includes on-call responsibilities and supervision of a staff of about 15.
    Location: suburban Northeast
    Experience: about 12 years
    Salary: about $50,000 with plenty of time off and decent benefits

  789. Staff Generalist*

    My job was created because both the administrative assistant and middle management had too much work, so it’s sort of a middle role that is defined by the capabilities of the person inhabiting it. Due to my particular skill set, I’m half office manager, half IT. I deal with supplies, vendors, facilities, equipment, software updates, database creation and management, data reporting, event management, website creation, technical support, staff support, newsletter, and so on and so forth.

    Minneapolis/St. Paul
    8 years of experience + a bachelor’s and a master’s, somewhat related (basically, I’m educated in Teapot Restoration, but I work in Teapot Administrative Services)
    40k
    No raises in four years

    I work for government and salary has been frozen for as long as I’ve been on staff (except for the head of my department, who gave themselves a raise after their first year on staff and now make more than the state governor)

    I have excellent health insurance and am part of a union, but the union has only ever been able to negotiate for no pay cuts, never a pay raise

  790. Sr. Financial Analyst*

    I’m a woman currently working at a mid-sized company in Atlanta. My current job is basically being a controller for 2 of the product lines, handling budgeting, month end close, forecasting, business reviews, and ad hoc financial reporting. High exposure to senior leadership. I get medical/dental/vision with employer contributions, 401(k) with 3% match, 13 days PTO in the first year, 15 days/year for years 2-5, and 10 holidays with 2 floating. There is a 10% target bonus on company performance. I make $73k and I’ve been here 10 months starting after completing grad school.

    Coming back to why titles are hard to compare, contrast this with my previous job with the same title at a huge airline where I made $46k (and had to fight for that), had a much more limited scope (accounts payable only), no exposure to senior leadership, but I could fly anywhere in the world for free and I totally did. I was at this company for 9 years total and completed undergrad while here and did most of my grad school stint while here full time.

    I have a BA in Anthropology acquired through the 11 year plan, and an MBA. My career path has so not been a straight road.

  791. Attorney*

    Geographic area: midsized city in the Midwest
    Salary: $75,000

    I’m a female attorney in the public sector. I’ve been at my job for four years, and it comprises all of my legal experience (other than a couple of internships). We have excellent benefits, including a range of health insurance options, about 15 paid vacation days, about 10 paid sick days, and paid federal holidays. When the budget permits, we have optional OT, for which I am paid time and a half. Otherwise I work standard 40-hour weeks, which is unusual for attorneys. I’ve gotten a few small merit-based raises and bonuses, but they are completely budget-dependent (none last year), and much smaller than those in the private sector. We have a casual dress code and I can work from home two days per week. They also offer up to 5% matching on retirement plans. On the downside, there’s not much room for advancement, due to extremely low turnover. Being promoted will take time, patience, and some luck.

    I do have substantial student loan debt from law school, though no undergrad debt, thankfully. At present my salary is about in the middle of my law school classmates’; some make less than I do, and several make more, although most of them work longer hours than I do. Also, bar dues (over $400) and any costs for continuing legal education courses (15 hours required every year) come out of my pocket, whereas most firms pay them for their attorneys.

    1. Attorney*

      Also, I forgot to add: I’m on the standard federal GS pay scale, so no salary negotiation when I was hired or negotiation for raises.

      1. Attorney 2*

        We may have the same job :)

        Federal attorney
        Chicago
        3.5 years of experience (plus law school internships)
        83k
        Female

  792. Development Associate*

    – Fundraising for small arts nonprofit. Primarily grants and donor database, gifts processing. Lots of pulling reports for the Board, and even more letter printing/folding/licking. Despite the “associate” in the title, I really did all the fundraising.
    – mid sized city surrounded by some of the richest zip codes in the US
    – 1 year AmeriCorps experience prior to this position, they were looking to hire someone inexperienced and train them in the position.
    – paid $20/hr, less than 30 hours/week. No benefits.
    – My successor will be the fourth person in this position in 4 years. The pay was low, but the boss thought it was reasonable, especially “for someone young without kids”. She would always talk about how expensive her condo was (while encouraging me to buy in her neighborhood!), spent only 3 hours a day in the office (reading novels!), and was afraid of numbers (would leave IRS mail unopened for weeks because it made her nervous!). She asked in the hiring process if I were still on my parents insurance. She didn’t see herself as my manager, more of a spiritual inspiration. I was content with the pay, then restless, and happy to leave for better pastures when the opportunity arrived.

  793. Product Management*

    Title/m: technically it’s Manager, Product Portfolio. But what I do is product strategy. I don’t actually manage a product.

    I work for a software/IT company that services docs ( like an EMR)

    I’m 8 years out of undergrad, have an MPH and 5 years relevant experience

    $95k plus 10% bonus target. Fairly standard benefits inc 3% 401k match

    Boston

  794. HR Communications Consultant*

    Job description: I design and write employee communications on a freelance basis.

    Area: North TX

    Years of experience: 13

    Salary: I grossed $83K last year ($75 – $100/hour, average of 20 billable hours per week). Before going freelance in 2011, I was making $72K plus full benefits.

  795. Clinical Supervisor (Social Worker)*

    Clinical supervisor – home based treatment for children with disabilities. Supervise about 15 people.
    Rhode Island
    Years of Experience: 4
    Masters degree plus state licensure

    $60k/year, health and dental 100% paid by employer, 401k matching up to 4% of your salary, up to 200 hours paid time off per year (PTO accrual rate based on length of employment)

    I also have the opportunity to make extra money in the company by picking up outpatient counseling clients or teaching classes to the community.

  796. Public Policy Analyst ( Not government)*

    Job: Public Policy Analyst for a small not for profit association
    Where: Toronto, Canada
    Experience: 8 months at this job, a year of co-op with the government during my Masters, various summer jobs
    Salary: ~$45,000
    Benefits: Currently don’t have any as I’m on a contract, but I’ve just been made permanent so I’ll get health and dental benefits :) I get two weeks vacation, and some sick/personal days ( Can’t remember how many off the top of my head). No pension plan of any kind though.
    Gender: female
    Education: BAH, MPA

    Because it’s such a small organization, I get a lot more responsibility and opportunities than I would if I was working for the government ( However, that being said if I was working for e government I’d be making ~20 more, but I love the work and the people I work with so I think it evens out)

  797. Reporting Analyst*

    Positions: Reporting Analyst, Talent Acquisition
    City: Nashville, although my job is virtual
    Experience: 5 years
    Salary: $60k plus 10% bonus

    I manage the global reporting function for talent acquisition. Basically, any time someone needs hiring data, I provide it. We have a team 6 and run about 300 regular reports a month, plus ad hoc requests. I don’t supervise anyone, but I manage the process/administrative side of it.

    I’m also the technical expert. I use Excel and various business intelligence platforms to build new reports.

    It’s a nice bridge between HR and IT/database management and I really enjoy it.

  798. Moi*

    Outside Sales selling virtual event centers and seminars, a fee yars of experience in sales, potential if about $70k, last year I made about $60k. Midwest.

  799. Communication and Social Media Specialist*

    Job: manage social media accounts (as part of two-person team). Create and manage content marketing system. Write articles, edit print materials. Report to Marketing Director.

    Where: Midwest

    Experience: 3 years (new to this job)

    Salary: $40,000

    Anything else: I’m a woman. I have a Bachelors degree from a major university. I also have mostly writing/media experience. Pretty good health and dental package. Vacation gets better the longer you’re with the company.

    1. I'll Play!*

      Do you work in-house or with an agency? I’m noticing some interesting industry-related trends for the marketing/social media roles posted so far.

      1. Comm/Soc. Med. Spec.*

        In-house. It’s a pretty small marketing team– 4 people total.

        I’d love to know what trends you’re seeing.

  800. Senior software developer*

    NYC, 30 years experience, $190K. I have a management title, but now just do hands-on work without anyone directly reporting to me.

  801. RHIT*

    Title: Inpatient/Outpatient Coder
    Job Description: I take the diagnoses and procedures in a patient’s chart and assign numeric codes to them. Those codes are sent to the insurance company for reimbursement. I don’t do my job, the hospital doesn’t get paid. This is not a job for extroverts, but it is perfect for me–I get to sit and read all day.
    Location: Southwestern US
    Years of Experience: 17
    Salary: 68K

    This year we are transitioning from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM. It’s very different coding, and many studies indicate that the loss of productivity going from the former to the latter is permanent. However, if you are an experienced coder and can excel at ICD-10, you can basically write your own ticket.

    1. Certified Professional Coder (CPC)*

      Was scrolling through thousands of entries here similar to my role. I reside in Kentucky. I audit post-pay claims, 5 years of experience, 44K, 3 weeks of vacation. I have a BA and CPC. My employer is providing ICD-10, ICD-10 PCS training this summer.

  802. Electrical Engineer EIT*

    Responsibilities: Systems inter-operability (I ensure that technologies from multiple contractors all work within the same system) for a communications company.

    Geographic Location: Small city in the Southeast

    Education: BSEE

    Experience: 3 years

    Salary: $53,500

    Benefits: 15 days vacation, 10 days flex time, 5 flex holidays plus regular holidays, stock options with free financial planning, good healthcare, and matching 401k (up to 20% of salary). Also, tuition & licensing reimbursement.

  803. Future lottery winner*

    Title – Clinician (telehealth)
    Qualification – Registered nurse with Master’s
    Location – Not in the US
    Salary – (technically it is a wage as I am paid hourly) $85 – 100k
    Benefits – 4-6 weeks vacation (depends whether one wishes to be paid for holidays or take as extra vacation), 10 days sick leave, up to 3 extra PTO days (negotiable), 10% employer retirement contribution.

  804. Employment Specialist*

    Salary: $43K
    Job: assist individuals with serious disabilities locate and maintain employment. I do everything from resume development, interview prep, job development, career counseling, job coaching, and traditional social work counseling. My clients are all formally homeless, diagnosed with major mental illness and/or HIV+
    Education: master’s of social work (MSW)
    Years of experience: hired directly out of grad school, now 18 months of post-master’s experience. Previously worked in vocational/human services for 2.5 years. Also completed two full-time social work internships in school.
    benefits: health insurance etc., supervision toward clinical social work license, 4 weeks vacation & 12 sick days
    location: outer-borough of NYC

  805. Portfolio Analyst*

    Position: Portfolio Associate in financial services
    City:New York
    Experience: Six years,MBA
    Salary: $115 all in

    Excellent benefits and a lot of vacation time.

  806. Formerly Chem Lab Tech*

    I used to work for a public university in the Midwest working in an environmental chemistry lab as a temp job.

    Pay: $18/h
    Benefits: None
    Experience: 4 years general lab tech, 2 years specific field
    Education: relevant BA
    Misc: Long hours and vaguely-defined responsibilities.

    Current title: Unemployed
    Pay: $0/h
    Benefits: None
    Experience: 6 months
    Misc: Long hours, with little potential for advancement; strongly considering giving notice.

    I’m an early 20’s recent grad, male, PoC.

  807. Transitional Housing Case Manager*

    My job: I work with high needs/high barriers* folks who are experiencing homelessness. I provide direct case management services to families with children and single women, who receive subsidized rent, access to self-sufficiency classes, and have the parameters of a two year program to work on their goals/housing stability plan.

    *Barriers include previous eviction(s), low income, CPS involvement, addiction, mental health, disability, and criminal background (to name a few).

    My geographic area: A large suburban county in the Pacific Northwest.

    Approximate years of experience: In this field: 2. With providing direct services: 9.

    My salary: $33,280, non-exempt ($16/hour) + 10 days sick time, 15 days of vacation, 8 paid holidays, and 95% employer paid medical/dental. I also have access to an Employee Assistance Program.

    1. Transitional Housing Case Manager*

      I’m also 32, female, and my employer offers a IRA matching program up to 3% of my annual salary.

  808. Social Worker*

    New York City
    Direct Service Manager
    7 years experience, 2 as a supervisor
    Degree/Licenses: MSW, LMSW, LCSW
    $58,000

  809. Accountant/Auditor*

    Semi-controller – I review and correct the financials that the staff accountants prepare, but they do not report to me at this time. Also perform internal audits of various divisions.

    Salary: Approx. 51k.

    Location: Southern US

    Years of experience: 14 in accounting, 3 at current job. Have a college degree, but not in accounting.

  810. Interior Designer*

    Interior designer at architectural firm. Space planning and construction drawings for commercial/corporate buildings. NCIDQ certified.

    DC Metro

    5 years

    $40k

  811. Editor/Writer*

    Position: Editor/writer for state agency
    Location: Texas
    Major responsibilities: Write and edit publications, draft regulations, write summaries of bills that affect agency mission
    Compensation: $60,000 + comp time for hours worked over 40/wk.
    Years of experience: 13+

  812. Systems (Implementation) Consultant*

    Implementation of HR/PR systems
    Midwest
    $90k base, up to 7% bonus, misc. performance awards/rewards

    100% company paid family health benefits, high 401k match, annual stock award, many misc. benefits as well.
    2 weeks vacation + extra floating holiday and 2 volunteer days

    3 months in current position – have 10 years experience w/implementations concurrent with 20 years in HR/PR

    Education: BS Marketing, MBA (not required for position)

  813. (Internal) Management Consultant (for a large private company)*

    Salary: $95,000 + bonus of $30,000 the last two years
    Experience: 5 years
    Education: PhD in economics
    Consultant doesn’t tell you much about my duties, but they run the gambit from ghost writing for our CEO to designing training classes and custom learning sessions to doing one-on-one coaching of people within the business.

    1. (Internal) Management Consultant (for a large private company)*

      I forgot to put that I am female and I am in the Atlanta area.

  814. Director*

    I direct the financials, projects, HR functions, and education initiatives for 3 areas in an academic setting.

    Salary: $86,000/ year

    Location: Midwest

    Years of experience: 15. I have a liberal arts BA and an MBA.

  815. freelance mama*

    I work a few jobs, all as an independent contractor.
    Location: North NJ (close to NYC)
    Executive Admin at a youth orchestra: 9k a year
    Marketing for artists and art-related companies: about 15k a year.

    work about 3/4 time (30 hours a week), very flexible schedule. No benefits.

    This is also a career change for me, been doing these things roughly a year now.

  816. Intern Architect*

    3 years experience, professional degree, probably about one year from licensure.

    $23/ hour with overtime pay (time and a half) for hours over 40 hours/ week. No health insurance, but 3% matching in a retirement fund. 10 days PTO.

    It’s worth pointing out that in my field the AIA publishes a semi-regular salary survey that has breakdowns by region and experience. The most recent one was in 2013 and can be found here: http://www.architectmagazine.com/business/2013-aia-compensation-report.aspx

    There is also a book called the Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice which has lists of interview questions for professionals to use in interviews- good practice material per Allison’s how to prepare for an interview tips.

    1. Intern Architect*

      Re-added my experience in my head- probably closer to four years.

      Should also note that “intern” in my title refers to the fact that I’m still completing my required experience hours towards licensure under NCARB’s Intern Development Program.

  817. Executive Director*

    ◾I run a small education and technology nonprofit
    ◾one of the major metro areas in Pennsylvania
    ◾12 in IT training and support, overlapped with 5 in management. No degree.
    ◾$54k, few benefits. Been in the job for about 1 year
    ◾currently near 10 employees. 5 years ago, the organization had near 30 employees and about twice the budget, the previous ED was making $75k at that time. Pennsylvania cut back dramatically on education and workforce development spending, and the private funding market cannot possibly make up the difference.

  818. Manager of team of editors*

    Bay Area
    About a decade of experience
    Edit and manage 4 others
    $120,000 plus bonuses and RSUs

  819. Executive Assistant*

    Geographic Area: Calgary, Canada.
    Years of Experience: 10
    Salary: $48k (CAD)

    And four weeks vacation; health benefits; and best boss ever!

  820. Associate Director, Business Services*

    Manage finance groups for physical plant, capital projects, student housing, parking and multiple small units with no dedicated finance staff. Also have logistics group – internal moving services, mail and storeroom.
    All for large public university.

    Pacific NW

    Salary $100,800

    Also total 12% non contributory retirement fund, 4 weeks vacation, family health care with nominal copay

    13 years here – grown from basic accountant position. 25 years in finance – all government either in US or UK.

    I am highly paid in my institution as before a recent major structural reorg I was in a different unit on campus which paid market rates as we could not hire otherwise. Most finance positions here pay 20-25% less than prevailing rates.

  821. Graphic Designer*

    I do a wide range of graphic design (web design, digital publication design, print design) for a small firm that creates publications for corporations and publishes a magazine.
    EXPERIENCE: 2 years in graphic design, 8 in newspaper design.
    GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Iowa
    SALARY: $50,000

  822. Executive Assistant*

    Calgary, Canada
    Salary: $48k
    10 yrs experience
    4 weeks pto; RSP matching; health benefits.

  823. Recruiter*

    Recruiter – for salespeople, not technical
    Pacific Northwest
    ~6
    $66k/year
    I also receive bonus potential which could bring the total to $72k

  826. Administrative Analyst*

    Title: Administrative Analyst (at a public university)
    Area: metro Southern California
    Salary: $50K + benefits (health, dental, vision)
    Experience: 10 years
    Parking is extra – about $100 per month. Subsidies on public transportation, though.

    The working title is fund manager – basically anything related to helping a faculty member secure/maintain research funding like creating budgets, monitoring expenses, making sure reports are submitted, etc.

    In addition, other office duties like maintaining boss’s calendar, making copies, proofreading articles/proposals, calling in boss’s prescriptions, making sure students turn timesheets in on time, making coffee for visitors. All very glamorous.

    My salary is lower than the midpoint, and I make the least out of my coworkers with the same job – partly because I have essentially been in one job for the past 10 years, while other people have moved around depts and gotten 5-8% increases each time. One lady who has about only 5 years experience is paid $72K, thanks to her changing jobs 3 or 4 times. And I am paid all by soft money (research funds and gift/discretionary funds) – if my boss retires or moves, it’s the end of the road for me. (Until I find another job, that is).

  827. Amusement Park Manager*

    Manager over several departments of a small amusement park – responsible for about 50 individuals in my chain of command

    Texas – Gulf Coast

    10 in amusements, 7 in leadership positions prior to this

    $15/hourly.

    I make several thousand dollars in OT every year and my pretax earnings for my W2 are usually a little over $38000. Benefits like health, vision, and life were available to me for about $200 a month.

    1. Amusement Park Manager*

      I do get paid vacation (starts at 5 days every 6 months) and sick days.

      I’m female.

  828. Tech Support Assistant Management*

    Pay: $15/hour (45-50 hours a week, I get overtime).
    Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life, year-end bonus
    Experience: 4 years with current company, 2 years light tech work at a previous non-tech job.
    Education: High school grad, 2 years college attended in computer-heavy field of study, various assorted certifications in software and networking.
    Area: Southern USA.

    Job details: Customer-facing software troubleshooting only. No firing, no scheduling, very minor hiring duties; I don’t interview or train but I do get some small say-so in who gets hired or promoted, usually out of a pre-determined list of eligible candidates. Mostly my job duties include working on or assisting direct reports with the more difficult computer problems, resolving the computer problems that come up when everyone else is too busy to work on them, and dealing with upset clients when something is beyond fixing or takes longer than expected to fix.

    Mixed white/other. Highest-ranking female in the department.

  829. Tech Support Analyst*

    My real title doesn’t actually tell you what I do, but I’m basically a tech support analyst. I work in a call center that provides how-to and troubleshooting support for common software like Microsoft Office, Adobe products, Google Apps, etc.

    Northeast Ohio

    I’ve been at this job for 15 months. No prior tech experience but had 4 1/2 years of part-time customer service experience.

    $34,000

    My base schedule is 45 hours a week, which includes 40 hours regular and 5 hours of time and a half, calculated to add up to the $34k. Additional OT is paid at time and a half. There are also 3 opportunities during the year for performance-based bonuses up to $1000 each.

  830. IT Project Manager*

    Job title: Project Manager – managing small to medium IT projects for a large telco organisation
    Location: New Zealand
    Experience: 1 year as a Project Manager, 3 years in other roles within IT programmes, plus a targeted undergrad degree
    Salary: $80k
    Other Benefits: Broadband/phone paid by employer, 4 weeks annual leave (required in NZ), 3% employer matching to retirement scheme contributions (required in NZ), flexibility to work from home when required

  831. Software Architect*

    Small city in the north central US.

    I design software systems and work with software engineers.

    25 years experience

    $115k. standard matching, nice vacation, work from home as needed, flexible hours, great boss

  832. Website designer and developer*

    I basically make websites from start to finish, from the design to implementation and much of the back end stuff. I work at a university. Applicable trendy buzzword is digital humanities.

    Area: Midwest, US. Cheap Midwest, not Chicago Midwest.

    Years: something like 12 all told. I’ve done a lot of HTML formatting/ content stuff in the past, but have been working where I am for 6 years, since I graduated undergrad with an art degree (I took a long route through college).

    Salary: 45k, + pretty cheap healthcare (~100 month for my husband and I with high deductible) + 24 days off a year + retirement matching

  833. HR Rep*

    This is a fun one! Should be interesting once I have time to get through all these!

    Title: HR Representative
    Description: Primarily recruitment-implementing military hiring, growing college recruiting, screening candidates, advising employees and managers
    Education/Experience: Bachelors degree in unrelated field, about 4 years experience recruiting. No PHR certification, but planning to study for one. 1 year at current job
    Salary $50k
    Location: Major city in Texas
    Other: benefits include profit sharing, really good 401k match, rewards program for company meeting goals, good med/d/v, not fully paid but better than last job. Great vacation time IMO and culture. Usually only work 40-45 hours per week.
    Demographic: 30 yo female

  834. Case Manager*

    Case Manager for a nonprofit social service agency, approx 500 employees
    Location: Denver
    Years of Experience: 9 total, 3 at this agency
    Salary: 40,000
    Benefits: Decent health insurance & retirement, 3+ weeks vacation and 2 weeks sick time annually
    I don’t have an MSW, but my experience (length of time plus diverse experience) makes a difference salary-wise

  835. Speech Pathology Office Administrative Assistant*

    I’m using admin as the title here because I never really had an actual title and administrative assistant seems to fit what I did best.

    I did general receptionist duties – checking clients in for their appointments; takeing copays, coinsurance, and self-payments; making appointments; taking phone calls, etc.

    I also did some light medical coding and other work with insurance companies – we only had a few different types of patients that we saw, so there were only a few relevant codes. The speech pathologist would code the appointment under what was the most diagnostically/treatment relevant. I would submit the codes to the insurance company, and review the EOBs upon receipt to ensure that the treatment was covered and if it wasn’t call the company to find out why, and – if appropriate – resubmit with different codes. I would also review the insurance of new patients to ensure they would be covered before we put them on the therapy schedule.

    Organize and digitize patient files.

    Marketing/graphic design – I put together direct mailings to physicians, daycares, etc about our services, made small ads for kids ad-journals, secured space on the back of a t-shirt for a local soccer team and made an ad for that, etc

    Updated and maintained the website. When I arrived the website was ugly, and had people that popped up, and played music. I made it nice and clean looking and added actual content to it.

    Other duties as assigned – need a carpet cleaner? I’m on it. Need to make that desk go away – let me research which charities will come and take it and haul it away. Want new therapy materials – give me the age range and targets and let me do some research. Your child needs to make a powerpoint presentation? Sure I’ll show them how to use powerpoint. You need to get this file off of this 100 year old desktop – I’ll hook it up and get the file off. Need to put together a contract for a new speech pathologist – well, I don’t think I’m really qualified to do that but I’ll give it a go.

    The practice had two employees – me, and the office manager to whom I reported. The owner was a speech pathologist, and her husband came around the office regularly and helped with reception work etc sometimes. There was one speech pathologist that worked as an independent contractor, and we added a second but she didn’t really work out and wasn’t replaced after she left.

    Geographic area: NJ
    Years of experience: 0, but 4 years of undergrad in speech pathology
    Salary: $25 hourly, then offered salaried for $55,000 no benefits

  836. Bench Jeweler*

    Repairs, makes jewelry at small local chain.

    Midwest

    17 years, all at same company. Graduated from GIA.

    Around $45k (commission based, so varies) 10 days vacation/sick time combined

  837. Archival Footage*

    Research, clearance and licensing for film, TV, ads
    Los Angeles, but international clients
    Day rate is $500
    15 years experience, always a freelancer
    Buy my own health insurance, IRA, etc.
    Female

  838. Photography/Sales*

    Photographer at an Old Time Photo Studio.

    Geographic Area: Texas
    Years of Experience: 1
    Salary: $8.50/hr, plus spiffs, and bonuses

    Company is a small, family owned company. I work with 5 other people on a regular basis. Spiffs range from $20/$50 for the sale of a specific item. Bonuses vary by month, but seem to generally be valued at around $200 (either cash, electronic gifts, or hotel rooms) and are generally awarded to the top salesperson in the company. During months with good spiffs I can double my monthly paycheck.

    Company has a strong culture of promoting from within and has solid plans to grow exponentially in the next several years so I am sticking around despite being drastically underpaid compared to my previous positions.

  839. Database Administrator*

    Title: Oracle Database Administrator

    Area: Australia, large capital city, university sector

    Experience: 35 years ago I started at my first job as a Fortran programmer. For the last 15 years I have been a DBA.

    Salary: ~$105,000 plus my employer kicks in 17% of that to my retirement fund (~$18,000) but for that I have to contribute 7% to the same fund (~$7,500). So my gross is about $99,000 ignoring that compulsory saving.

    Australia has health insurance but I have chosen to also have private insurance to get a (supposedly) better class of medical care – the insurance costs me about $100 per month. Parking costs extra. Excellent leave entitlements.

    I sometimes have to do upgrades on weekends or evenings but I’m compensated with time off in lieu – which I am much more interested in than more money. I’m female but everyone else in my group is male.

  840. Security Consultant*

    I work for a company that builds information security solutions
    Geographic area: Chicago, but I travel to client sites approx 50% of the time.
    Salary: $129k after bonuses

  841. Licensed Master Social Worker*

    Hospice SW (admissions, psyc assessments, resource referrals, help with legal &funeral arrangement, emotional support…)
    4 yrs experience
    TX
    39000 :/

  842. Video Game Designer*

    Game Designer at a large media company. Our products are played on Facebook.
    Location: PNW
    Experience: 8 years in this field. I have a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts but it’s not a requirement for the job.
    Salary: 77,000 with small bonuses 2x a year if we’re making money.

    Other benefits include 401k, tiny % match, health and dental, discounts and free admission to some entertainment venues, and they cater lunch every day but that’s a mixed bag.

    I usually work 45 hrs/week with periods of crunch lasting anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Overtime is unpaid. My industry has a bad reputation for sexism, but I’ve been treated fairly most of the time (I’m female).

    The role is pretty repetitive and with few responsibilities. I write documentation describing game features, explain it to programmers, and test the game and see if it was implemented as designed. I make suggestions for improving the game. In previous roles, I was more hands-on. I’m unsatisfied and unchallenged here, but the pay is so. good.

  843. Advertising Research & Strategy*

    I’ve been following this thread all day and finally decided to contribute.

    I work in a pretty specialized area of advertising at a large ad agency in NYC. It’s hard to get into, since there aren’t a lot of entry level jobs.

    I have a BS and an MA (although advanced degrees are not needed in advertising at all) and have been working in this field for 8+ years. Am female, in my early 30s.

    I make $180k without bonus. I’ve never, ever received a bonus. The running joke in advertising is that the way to get a raise is to keep switching jobs, so it’s an inherent part of the industry. I started around $50k.

    Benefits are fairly generous. 22 days PTO, some summer days, and most NYC ad agencies get the week between Christmas and New Year’s off for free.

    2. Anonymous D*

      You totally have my dream job. May I ask about your career path? Any recommendations? I have a BS in communication & marketing and I’m doing a master’s in management. I’ve done an internship in advertising strategy and I really want to be a strategist, but I realize it’s quite a senior role.

      1. Advertising Research & Strategy*

        I received my MA to go into the design field, but ended up getting an internship along the way in strategy (they also call it account planning in the field – but for people who aren’t in advertising, it can be a confusing term). I loved it so much that I decided to make it my career. I would say networking is hugely important. What different people in strategy do can wildly vary, especially if you’re throwing digital and communications (i.e. media) strategy into the mix. Or even what client you’re working on. Some people specialize in packaged goods; others in cars. Regardless, the best way to get a job is to show your passion for the field and how you think. You need to understand your client’s challenges and figure out creative solutions. And show that you are both right and left brained. There are always jobs for junior strategists, but they often go to people who have graduated from Miami Ad School or VCU, which have dedicated strategy programs. The best way to get into the field is to intern – either for a research or a strategy place, or for an agency, and then use that experience to build your thinking. As you’ve done that already, I would say keep doing that, keep talking to people about openings, and keep your eyes open in trade mags (Adweek, AdAge, even AgencySpy) to see who’s won new business (because they might want to hire!). Good luck!

        1. Anonymous D*

          Thank you so much! Very helpful post! I definitely want to do more internships. Luckily I have quite a lot of relevant experience for students (did some other extra curricular activities) and I have very good references, so I hope that will also help me out. Good idea about the magazines, I’m in Europe so I’ll look for local magazines as well but I’m sure that won’t be a problem. I already read the HBR because I think it’s good to have that type of knowledge as well.

          What do you think your biggest assets are in terms of skills/qualities/traits? I imagine most strategist are, well, very strategic thinkers, but I always find it difficult to determine what really sets the amazing ones apart. My former manager knew so extremely much about the field and also had a huge network and I always find that really intimidating in people (because well, I’m still so young so I don’t know that much just yet).

          And one final question (sorry! you just really have my dream job!): what would you suggest as an alternative for a junior strategist role? I’m asking this because I haven’t seen these positions in my country before, and while I certainly hope to build up a good network, it might be that no such position is available when I graduate. Would that be something like (junior) account manager? Or maybe a strategy related position in a different field, like consultancy? Thank you so much!

          1. Advertising Research & Strategy*

            HBR is good, but it’s very business focused. You also want to show that you have a good understanding and love of the world around you — trends, how people behave, etc. — and how you can translate all these insights to the creative process. Ultimately, as strategists in advertising, the goal is to drive great creative work that helps grow the businesses we work on. Amazing strategists are able to absorb and distill the world around them, connect that with the business challenges, and communicate in an inspiring way.

            At many smaller agencies, there may not be a strategy role. That might be the role of the account manager, although there is difficulty in transitioning from account manager to strategy without years of experience. Consultancies might be another way to go, if you are looking for something that is more business-focused and less advertising-driven. Or you can take a look at going into the research side of things. Many research shops are strategy-led, and present the opportunities of what you can do with the research in addition to the output of the research itself. Keep in mind that consultancies or research shops do not work on the advertising itself, so if that’s what you’re passionate about (seeing output vs. creating a presentation that may never be used), you should go to an ad agency. I would say keep exploring different opportunities. I’ve only worked in the U.S., so I’m not familiar with other markets. If you want to get the most experience, the big cities to find jobs in strategy are NYC and London (the birthplace of the ‘account planner’).

            1. Anonymous D*

              Thank you so much! I’m going to save your advice to my desktop and read though it every now and then – some really good points that I hadn’t considered before. Getting some international experience (whether internships or full-time positions) is definitely on my list. Thanks again and the best of luck with your further career!

  844. O*

    ETL ( Executive Team Lead) at a Target store. They like to hire recent graduates, a degree is a must. Starting salary about $43 K , depending on your area. Expected to work long hours, 50 hours min a week, every other weekend off. You will be working every Holiday , etc… Depending on which department you are in – different expectations and pressures. You will stay in your department for couple if years then expected to switch departments and stores.

  845. Health Educator/Counselor*

    2 things first: (1) I love this topic but (2) man all these salaries make me want to cry. But onto my job info:

    Duties: I work as a Health Educator/Counselor for a STD/HIV Hotline. Mostly, I answer calls on STDs/HIV and provide health education, crisis intervention, and referrals as needed. I also enter data and perform various administrative duties as needed including, tracking literature, and tracking legislature. I also currently assist in processing payroll as the employee who does it is out on medical leave (and I’m hoping if he retires in Aug as he says, I’ll get to take his position which is full-time w/ benefits).

    Geographic Area: VA

    Experience: Been at my current job a year. Prior to this job: I had 6 months paid/1 year volunteer work in my current field and 6+ years in customer service/office work.

    I have a BS in Psychology and plan on attending grad school for my MPH in a couple of years

    Salary: $14.28/hr. which works out to be about $21,000/year (based on 29 hour work week)

    Benefits: I’m a wage employee with zero “traditional” benefits. I provide my own health care (yay ACA) and don’t get paid days off of any kind.

    But because I’m part-time, I have a flexible work schedule and can switch my day off if necessary. Plus it seems that they promote within because many of the managers and such came from my department. I get all holidays off (federal and state), which after working retail and holidays for the last 6 years is a benefit, even if I don’t get paid for them. And best benefit of all, I actually have a great supervisor and love my job most days.

    Oh and I forgot: a “bonus” in the form of a $15 gift card to Target. W00-Hoo =)

  846. Assistant Director, Events*

    Location: NYC
    Experience: 5 years
    Education: BA, MS
    Salary: $58,000 (bonus: up to 15% of salary)
    Benefits: 4 weeks vacation, health/dental/life, tuition remission

  847. Ballet Teacher (Formerly)*

    Location: Los Angeles
    Experience: none to start, but years of ballet training.

    Salary: $40 per 1.5 hour class – I basically subbed for the permanent teacher during the summer (he made about $100 per class and had danced professionally & had several years of teaching experience). This was teaching the intermediate/advanced adult class.

    A couple of years later, I took over a pre-professional (e.g. teens) advanced class and made $50 per 1.5 hour class.

    For what it’s worth, the other teachers (aside from the one I mentioned above) made about $30 per class.

  848. Client Manager - Market Research*

    Location: Chicago, IL, USA
    Total experience: 10 years
    Relevant/Direct Industry Experience: 5.5 years
    Salary: $82,000 + up to $8000 annual performance bonus

    My job as Client Manager is to perform a host of market research analytics, while keeping the customer happy. While it’s not at all a sales position, it definitely is a mix between keeping the client satisfied, delivering market insights, and drawing out opportunities for upsell.

  849. Chief Communications Officer*

    Title: Chief Communications Officer

    Scope of work: Responsible for crisis communications, internal communications (to staff of ~1100), community relations, website, social media, and media relations for K-12 public educational agency. Oversee staff of 4. Member of executive team.

    Geographic area: Southern California

    Years experience: 13. Nearly half of those in public education. Also experience doing PR/communications for government of large city, nonprofit, and a Fortune 50 company.

    Education: BA in Spanish, Political Science. MA in a branch of ethnic studies.

    Salary: $122k. Plus, since it’s a government job, good benefits and ample (4 weeks) time off.

    I’m a female, 34 years old.

  850. Anon*

    HR Generalist for a very small (16 employees/10 ICs). , family owned business in the oil and gas industry. Metro Denver. Am an HR Department of one – responsible for everything except payroll – and report directly to President. $64,500/yr, plus 100% employer paid medical insurance for an HDHP, with matching funds contributed to HSA, up to a total of $1325. No 401k match. Age 35, 4 years in this role, started at $52k.

  851. Health and Safety Manager*

    Hard to believe there are so many comments on this thread, it’s fascinating, though I doubt anyone will scroll so far down to read this!

    Female
    3 yrs in this role, 10 in a department support type role.
    $57k plus benefits
    Suburb of Los Angeles with an almost 1hr commute.

    *Knowledge is power: when I applied for this role at my previous employer, I was in an admin position making $21/hr. The offered me $24 for the promotion. Had I not done my research and found out what my male counterparts were making I probably would have happily agreed. Fortunately I had access to salary data and was able to counter with $27 and they accepted.

    I recently changed employers, took a minor cut in salary in exchange for stability, quarterly bonuses and a better work environment.

    If I had my BA degree, an equivalent position in my area pays about $64+K , so I will be taking advantage of the tuition reimbursement which only requires 1 month of service after reimbursement. That’s a definite bonus.

  852. Case Manager - Nonprofit Social Work*

    Salary: $37k, plus medical/dental/disability ins/retirement match, and holidays, vacation, & sick time.
    Education: Masters in social sciences field
    Location: Urban Pacific Northwest

  853. Assistant Teacher (Preschool)*

    Assistant Teacher at a non-profit preschool, working with underprivileged kids. I write lesson plans (with the lead teacher), supervise students, write observations, clean the classroom, etc.

    Geographic Area: Idaho, US

    I have my AA and about 12 child development credits. 1-2 yrs working experience.

    I make $10.31/hr, which equals out to about $11,000/yr.

  854. Manager, systems development*

    Position: I have about a dozen direct reports – including software engineers, project managers, and business analysts. My team does front and backend web development, database design, reporting, etc.
    Location: Eastern Nebraska
    Education: MBA and a MS in CIS
    Years experience: 20 years in IT, 18 in a leadership role.
    Salary: $102k + benefits

  855. Sheriff's Deputy*

    Sheriff’s Deputy working in corrections
    Years of experience: 0, but with bachelor’s degree in criminal justice
    Salary: $15.18/hour +$2 an hour shift differential for working overnights.

    I work 12 hour shifts, and am scheduled to work only 15 days out of every 30. 3 on 2 off 2 on, 3 off 2 on 2 off. I have every other weekend off. This means I work 84 hours every two weeks and am guaranteed 4 hours of overtime pay each paycheck. Right now we are understaffed and I am able to pick up as much overtime as I want, and so my last several paychecks have been over $3k.

    County job includes:
    paid holidays – everybody gets a full shift’s worth of holiday pay whether they are scheduled to work or not, so if I am working a holiday I get double pay.

    defined benefit pension plan

    health, dental, vision, life

    PTO

  856. Utility Engineer*

    Title: Sr Engineer
    Location: West US – sorry can give away which state
    Exp: 8 yrs
    Education: BSEE / registered professional engineer
    Salary: $110K + bonus + 401k + pension + medical/dental/vision
    Male

  857. ESL Language Teacher*

    Salary: $33k, plus paid holiday/ sick time
    Education: BA
    Location: Southern Japan
    Years of experience: a little under two years (in this field)
    Job role: teaching English to elementary and middle school students; organising competitions; running summer camps; some translation and interpretation on the side (I speak English and Japanese)

  858. Payroll Project Team Leader*

    My job: I am a team lead for projects relating to payroll (system upgrades and the like)
    My area: urban New Zealand
    Years of Experience: 5 years in payroll, started from data entry/filing and worked my way up. This is my first People Lead role
    Salary: $67000 per annum (NZ dollars)

    In New Zealand, there are certain things I’m legally entitled to – 4 weeks annual leave per year, plus 5 sick days per year (our company offers 10 sick days per year), plus paid bereavement leave, and paid on a public holiday (just popping this in for context, especially for US readers!). We also get a range of benefits through my company :)

  859. anon!*

    job: I’m an engineering manager at a software company. I currently have three direct reports (software engineers) but that number will be growing.

    geographic area: urban Pacific Northwest

    experience: 6 years of relevant experience, though this is my first year in a management position. I have a dual bachelor’s degree in related fields (technical, but not computer science).

    salary: 110k with overall good benefits. no retirement account matching but the health insurance is crazy good. I was self-employed last year (read: no health insurance), so that’s a benefit I’m incredibly grateful to have again.

    1. anon!*

      other details: Oh, I should add that I’m a female. And for the first time I’m working at a company where I believe I’m being paid the same as the guys. (Hooray!)

  860. Project Manager*

    I have project management for a tech marketing firm for the past two years. Overall experience as a project manager is around 4 years. I make 50,000/year, 10 days (vacation and sick, no separate pool), decent health insurance (including eye and dental), no retirement benefits or contributions. I started out as a 1099 contractor for the first year or so. Though this job title and its duties encompass traditional project management I also provide backup for customer service, IT troubleshooting, quality control and quality auditing (for meeting project requirements), sales estimating for special projects and a few other random tasks. My previous project management position also involved a lot of ancillary duties, seems to be the trend. Small company.

    1. Project Manager*

      Me again. I am female, and the job is based in the South/Southwest region, in a major metropolitan area.

      1. Project Manager*

        A few more details. Flexible telecommute policy, heavy workload averaging 10-16 hours a day, 5 days a week, and once every month or so some weekend hours.

  861. Marketing Communications*

    Marketing Communications
    Chicago
    13 years experience
    $35,000 – small company in the arts

    1. Marketing Communications*

      Sorry, forgot, female who recently learned males at my company get paid more to do the same job.

  862. Marketing Associate*

    Silicon Valley
    3-5 years experience
    $68k (received 5% raise for EE rating in annual review), mediocre benefits (basic health/dental/vision, 9 holidays, 10 vacation days, 5 sick days — 3 in a row means a doctor’s note, unmatched 401(k))
    Video game company

    JOB DUTIES:
    – Ads, ads, ads — buy, manage, creative direction, execution, tracking, analytics, analysis, reporting, etc., etc.
    – Email marketing (50MM+ list)
    – Sprinkling of other things because of my weird skills (engineering & production liaison, some copywriting, team training)

    It’s amusing to note that management acknowledges to my face that I’m being underpaid. Here for the experience, then moving on.

    1. Marketing Associate*

      Also, I’m female and so are the rest of the employees in my department except management. I am 90% sure I am the highest or next-highest paid of the associates.

  863. Policy Specialist, Female*

    Geographic area: SF Bay Area
    Industry: social media
    Salary: 70k plus overtime when I want it
    Benefits: Unlimited vacation policy (as long as it’s manager approved), company pays for 100% of medical, dental, vision. Flexible work from home policy, 5 months maternity leave at 100% pay

  864. Research assistant at an Oz university*

    Job: Research assistant at an Australian university. I have a PhD but not in the area I am currently working in. I read, write and think for a living so basically, my dream job.
    Geographic area: Australia (Sydney)
    Approximate years of experience: 7
    Salary $96,000 $AUD (approx $US 87,000?).

    I am casually employed. If I was on a contract or a permanent employee, my salary would be $78,000 with paid annual, sick, carers, and parental leave, and superannuation.

  865. Grants Manager*

    -Grants manager for a nonprofit that has an annual budget between $2.5 and $3 million
    -Colorado
    -4 years experience
    -$47,000
    -female
    -BS degree

  866. System Engineer 4*

    Job includes: implementation and support of Oracle E-Business Suite applications, including requirements gathering, gap analysis, process design, testing, training, writing documentation and design specs, and other software development project activities on the implementation side. The support side involves troubleshooting issues for users, providing training, identifying opportunities for streamlining, and implementing new functionality that will provide value to end users.

    Location: Denver
    Years of Experience: 15 years of Oracle experience, as a user and an implementer
    Salary: $102,000
    Gender: Female

    1. System Engineer 4*

      Also — I work for a company that is a subsidiary of a very large multi-national corporation. The benefits are outstanding, the 401(k) match is good, and it is one of the few companies left out there that provides retirees with an honest-to-God pension. They stopped enrolling new employees in the pension plan a few years ago, but I started there before that policy was in place.

  867. Contracts Manager for Gov't Contractor (non DoD)*

    Washington DC metro
    14 years experience
    BA, MA
    Requires knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations, OMB circulars, agency’s Automated Directives Systems, cradle to grave contract, subcontract, and grant management

    $104,ooo/yr plus 28 days vacation/holiday, 10 days sick, long and short term disability (completely covered by company), company paid life insurance (premiums taxable at certain salary level), ESOP, 25% 401(k) match, choice between POS, PPO, and HSA health insurance options all including (meh) dental and vision.

  868. nuclear physics post-doc*

    Job: I’m essentially a research assistant. I do assorted experimental nuclear physics in defense-industry projects at a national lab; I’m focused on non-proliferation.

    Experience: I have ~11 years of total work experience in nuclear physics: 3 years of undergrad, 7 of grad school, and 1 year of post-doc work. I have a PhD in nuclear physics (in the sub-field of nuclear astrophysics).

    Gender: I am female.

    Location: I’m located in the US, Washington state.

    Pay: I make $76k. Good health benefits, no retirement benefits, no bonuses, 2 weeks of vacation a year.

    1. Lawyer*

      I’m curious: is that the usual pay for a postdoc? Does it depend on the field? My husband is looking to do a crossover engineering/physics postdoc in the US next year, and was worried that he would not be able to support both of us on that salary (since I don’t have a US lawyer’s licence, I’d have to stay home with our kid for the year). But $76k is more than I make back home as a lawyer!

    1. Air freshener*

      High salary does not equate to being rich. I, for one, am still paying off $45,000 in student loans for my Master’s degree.

      1. open window*

        I have a high salary and I’m super unhappy. And yeah, I have almost $70k in student loans.

  870. Lawyer*

    Job: attorney.

    Experience: 4 years at this firm; hired straight out of school.

    Gender: female.

    Location: South Africa.

    Pay: $50k cost-to-company (i.e. before tax or benefits deductions. After tax, medical aid and pension deductions it’s about $34k).

    1. Lawyer*

      PTO: 5 weeks a year, but nobody takes it because they will not make their billing targets. Also 4 months paid maternity leave.

  871. Occupational Therapist*

    The Job: I currently work in a pediatric clinic with children and their families to evaluate and treat areas of need (could be fine motor, gross motor, sensory, self-care, feeding, cognitive, social skills, and more).
    Location: Southern California (or CA for those using the search function)
    Experience: One year prior to accepting current position. Now I’ve been in the field 2 1/2 years.
    Salary: $45/hr for treatment. I work hourly, and get paid only when clients attend. I typically have around 30 clients scheduled per week (fluctuates during the year, peak in the fall/spring and low in the summer) and 5-8 cancel each week on average (vacation, sick, etc.). So income varies. I get paid a bit for each report that I turn in, but typically makes a minimal impact on my paycheck.
    Benefits: Medical/Dental/401k with employer match/10 days Paid Time Off (sick & vacation combined)/Employer pays for one continuing education conference of choice each year (typically those cost around $500, but an unusually expensive conference could possibly be negotiated if beneficial to the clinic)
    Random Tidbit: Many of my coworkers work per diem 1-2 days/month at hospitals or SNFs or other situations to make extra cash.

    1. Occupational Therapist*

      I should mention that I am still paying off 90k in loans, and will be for a while yet.

      2. Emma*

        Since observing my mom’s experience with occupational therapy, it’s something I’ve in my mind as a possible career option. What degree did you have for undergrad and is your occupational therapy degree a master’s or something else? How do you like the work? What do you wish you had known before going into it?

        1. Occupational Therapist*

          My undergraduate degree was in Intercultural Communications, a completely unrelated BA. Except for the fact that “communications” could technically be helpful to any job. You do not need to have a related undergraduate degree. As far as enjoying the work, the job is not a great fit for my personality. There is a lot of ambiguity (or “creativity”) which frustrates my wanting-clear-answers personality. However, many of my coworkers do enjoy the field. I would recommend getting volunteer experience in several different types of OT settings (pediatrics, adult rehab, in-patient, SNF, etc.). Also, the OT field is impacted by the changes in healthcare. It is my understanding that we are being reimbursed less and that insurance is more likely to deny clients than before.

  872. Megan*

    Can anyone be bothered to tally up these answers and make some sort of analysis from it? Ie common/average salaries for each area, average salaries for each field?

    2. I'll Play!*

      There’s a bit of discussion about this, up-thread (midmorning yesterday?). I think some folks are/will be working on it.

  873. Office Administrator*

    Job: Originally hired just to be a basic admin – answer phone, sort mail, order paper, etc. Now have a hand in most things and have a lot more responsibility, including sales and finance.

    Area: Edinburgh, UK

    Experience: 2.5 years (hired with a philosophy degree and zero relevant experience – I’m very lucky)

    Gender: Female

    Salary: £15,500

    Other: Annual bonus based on company performance, tuition and exam leave for Accounting night school, 27 days paid leave (including bank holidays), 10 days paid sick leave. Health insurance is not an issue as we have the NHS!

  874. diplomat*

    I’m a diplomat for a non-US western nation. What that means on a day-to-day is that I manage our local staff, manage budgets and financial planning for my embassies (plus another embassy I’m responsible – this is rare but does occur), procure and sell housing for our diplomatic staff, and provide consular services to our nationals in-country (passports, distress, evacuations, visiting them in jail…).

    I’m currently in the middle east. it’s my first assignment but I’ve done temporary placements in the Caribbean and Asia. I’ve been with the department for about 4 years, but some of that was language training.

    Salary is interesting because in the case of my country, our FS is split into two different unions, and I’m in the one that gets paid substantially less (our policy, trade, and immigration officers are in the better-paid one). This is something we’ve been working on for years, but basically what it means is that I (as a junior officer) get paid $65K, and my salary will top out at about $85K in my stream. The other guys start at about $60K, but within three years will be making $85K, and will top out around $105K. It’s causing a lot of retention issues.

    And I’m a woman, although in my organization salary is based on position so no need to negotiate!

  875. Senior Administrator*

    I basically have admin assistant -type responsibilities but also manage the other 2 admin assistants and the receptionist for my office.
    Location: London UK
    Salary £22,500 (about $37k). This is for a charity so lower than some other places would pay.
    9 years overall admin experience, just started this job.

  876. Graphic Designer/Production Manager*

    I work in a small franchised print shop in a small semi rural city in the Midwest. I do all graphic design (business cards, brochures, sometimes logos, basically whatever the customer throws at me. I also do 90-95% of the printing, which is all done digitally (as in no more old school printing presses)
    I’ve been here 4.5 years and before this I was a graphic designer at this same small city’s newspaper for 4 years.
    Education: 4 credits sort of a BA in unrelated field
    Salary: $14 an hour, after a raise from$13.50 at the start of the year. My w-2 say I made almost 32K last year. I get fully paid health insurance, no dental/vision, a retirement/investment account (I think it’s a type of IRA) that my employer contributes to, 2 weeks vacation, no paid sick time.

  878. Director, Pharma Compliance*

    Job: compliance
    Location: greater NYC area
    20 yrs experience
    $140,000, bonus, stock

  879. KireinaHito*

    Analyst Programmer
    I do web development in ColdFusion and Functional Analysis (use cases, interface design, requirements control, feature mapping).
    Brussels, Belgium
    12 years of experience
    415€/day

  880. HR Rep*

    ◾ HR Representative III, specializing in employee benefits for a Fortune 500 company
    ◾Ohio
    ◾6 years, plus 6 months of related internship work
    ◾56k plus annual bonus ranging from 5-10% and benefits
    ◾Bachelor’s degree in Management/HR and PHR

  881. Server Analyst*

    I do website development, SQL development, scripting and very little server analysis, honestly. The title doesn’t really match the job functions.

    Geographic Area: South Carolina
    Years of Experience: 20
    Salary: $96k (As a contractor – no holidays, but I do have benefits)
    Industry: Healthcare/Insurance

  882. JC77*

    Armed Security. Westchester NY.
    $32/hr with OT. 401k+ Match. Pension. 8% Medical (with spouse).
    Union. Paid Vacation/Sick.
    8 years with this company, 15+ in this industry. HS Diploma.

  883. Client Associate*

    Basically, an assistant to a financial adviser (the sort you would find at Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS, etc)

    Silicon Valley, California

    about a year aggregate experience

    $19.50/hr (about $40k/yr for 40 hrs/week)

    I’m not series 7 certified (ie, can’t put in stock/bond/mutual fund trades on behalf of the client), otherwise the number would be higher. Also, Im not actually paid by the company I work for, but by the Financial Adviser that decided they wanted extra help, so they pay me what they think I’m worth to their practice, not what is necessarily in line with what I should get otherwise.

    1. Client Associate*

      Also, 26 year old female. Most of the assistants are females.

      Plus, I do have full benefit- health, dental, life insurance, PTO, sick leave, childcare reimbursement… all kinds of stuff.

      Education: BS in Mathematics, but not at all necessary for the job.

  884. Software Developer*

    Title: Systems Architect
    Location: Upstate NY
    Industry: Railroad company (4000+ people worldwide)
    Salary: $65,000 + 12% bonus
    Experience: 4+years
    Benefits: Pension, 401k, 11 paid holidays, 2.5 weeks PTO, sick time, health/dental/vision, tuition reimbursement
    Details: Iternal application development using .NET, jQuery, MSSQL

  885. Corporate Paralegal*

    Title: Paralegal – Corporate/Finance
    Job description: I support 20 attorneys in one office of a large international law firm
    Area: metro Southern California
    Salary: $60K + benefits (health, dental, vision, 401k, annual bonus, 5 weeks PTO)
    Experience: 3 years
    Education: B.A. (in an unrelated field) and a Paralegal Certificate.

  886. Non Profit Program Manager - Female*

    Job: Full Time, Exempt. Managing a grant funded program and 2 other program employees. Responsible for grant writing (so I continue to have a job), marketing, communication, administrative logistics. Sitting on numerous committees at local, state, and national level. Involves lots of networking and public speaking.
    Area: Mid-size Midwestern City south of Chicago
    Years Experience: 3 years in this job so far, 5 years somewhat related experience. B.A. and 55/60 credits towards a Master’s in a related field.
    Salary: about $38,000 + potential for performance related bonuses (which are small- under $2,000).
    Benefits: Health Insurance & Dental (72/25 split with company); 2 weeks vacation (use it or lose it); 1 week sick time; 5 paid holidays; 403b contributions up to 10% (based on years with company)
    Other Info: Although this salary isn’t exactly putting me on the fast track wealth, I’m actually paid nearly $15,000 more than most FT people in the field, which is crazy. (This particular non profit sector pays horribly for anyone doing direct service- which I do not.)

    1. Another nonprofit program mgr*

      This is similar to me, so here’s me for comparison:

      Job, full time, manage grant funded program at political nonprofit. Responsible for some grant writing, project management, event planning, and writing/editing. Also involves lots of networking and public speaking.
      Area: DC
      Years experience: 7 in my policy field, with about 2 of that being internships.
      Education: Relevant BA and MA
      Salary: $41,000 (started at $40,000)
      Benefits: 100% paid health care (although I have high copays, HR values my healthcare at $5,000 a year), 401k matching up to 3%, 20 days vacation, 10 sick/personal days, great workplace environment.

      This tells me that you are on the right track – I feel underpaid, but nonprofits pretty much always underpay you.

  887. Programmer*

    Job: software engineer. I’m not a entry level but not a lead programming, kind of in the middle right now. I design systems, but they’re not huge in scope.
    Location: NYC.
    Experience: 6 years.
    Salary: 137k + ~10k in bonuses.
    I get extra bonuses for going on-call.

  888. Research, Coordinator, Admin*

    3 Jobs:
    1. JOB: Lab Research Associate/Assistant I and II (title will depend on company/organization description) – basically was doing bench level molecular biology labwork at a large research institution that was affiliated with universities, hospitals, and drug companies in New England.
    LOCATION: Cambridge, MA
    YEARS EXPERIENCE: 3 years of undergraduate lab research
    SALARY: Start $36K, with raise following year (had position 1 year and it became $39K), promoted to RAII $40-44K (had position for 2 years includes raises)
    Extra – company said did not negotiate when I was first hired, but gave me a moving stipend
    Had excellent health, dental benefits, matched 401K by 5%, 3 wks vacation, all federal holidays off, transportation subsidized – paid for 50% cost of public transportation, additional employee benefits included discounts to local attractions (museums, movies etc)

    2. JOB: Research Project Coordinator – same company as above – was promoted 3rd year into job
    LOCATION: Cambridge, MA
    YEARS EXPERIENCE: 3 years undergrad, 3 years professional
    SALARY: $50K
    Extra- same benefits as above, company was no longer financially affiliated with universities and hospitals but became independent so some of the discount perks were eliminated as well as slight changes to health and dental benefits.

    then I moved! – most recent position:
    3. JOB: Admin/Manager at Medical Clinic (other titles could include: Patient Care Coordinator, Front Desk Administrator, Receptionist Manager etc)
    LOCATION: Washington, DC
    YEARS EXPERIENCE: none formally but realistically all prior career experience could be utilized in this position
    SALARY: $36K (huge pay cut for me – wanted medical/healthcare experience)
    Extra: NO benefits at all – small practice had just opened and did not have finances for employee benefits – was a goal they wanted to add in the future. However, the staff and employees were amazing people and were very generous in other aspects (very flexible with vacation, odd hours so holidays not off but could switch days easily, very thoughtful about how finances impacted personal life and would try to assist with bonuses).

    Oh – and I’m a woman

  889. sales planner (advertising)*

    $53k + quarterly and annual bonus, so could be $60k+.
    2 yrs experience
    BA,MA and MS.
    Pacific NW

  890. Junior Architect (B.Arch, unlicensed)*

    Tiny rant – and this is no one’s fault on this website – when did software designers become “architects”?
    It gets really annoying when searching job listings (and searching here to compare!) and finding jobs completely unrelated to building design.

    1. DBA No More*

      In a past life, I was a technical architect – fancy title for a database administrator. I always thought it was the dumbest title, and it never made explaining my job function easier to strangers!

    2. The IT Manager*

      It’s something of a mystery what each job title means at each company, but I usually think an architect is providing a bigger picture strategic design work unlike a software developer or designer.

    3. Anonymous*

      To answer your question, the phrase software architecture started in the 1960s. It’s been around for a little while. :)

    4. Junior Architect (B.Arch, unlicensed)*

      It also annoys me when politicians are described as the “architect” of something. Like Cheney as the “architect of the Iraq War”

    6. Software Developer*

      Well, Software Developers and Software Architects is not the same thing. An architect would make high-level design choices typically with very large systems. Developers just fill in the frame that the architect designs.

      I think it’s perfectly normal to use a existing word, like architect, when it describes a roll so well, like it does in this case. Why not filter job searches to exclude jobs in the IT-field?

  891. Business Intelligence Developer*

    Geographic Area: Midwest (IL/WI)
    Years of Experience: 1
    Salary: $64K

    Employer is a university. Good health/dental/vision. Retirement match 8%. Tuition benefits, only pay taxes over $5K for grad classes, undergrad free. Great vacation, usually good working hours.

    Duties are data warehouse development (SSIS). Oversee reporting environment (Business Objects/SSRS). Create reports. Backup SQL DBA. Application support for a few random apps.

  892. Sunshine*

    ■your job – Legal Secretary/Executive Assistant – assist attorneys with legal documents, budgets and expenses, time and billing, events; assist 4 partners (2 are dept chairs) and 2 associates
    ■ your geographic area – Washington Dc
    ■your approximate years of experience – in legal over 30 years (word processing and marketing) in this role 10
    ■your salary – 85K plus bonus and OT incredible benefits about $115K

  894. Business Analyst-Info Management & Doc Control*

    Assist business with determining how to better store and access data in the Oil & Gas industry.

    Geographic Area: Houston, TX
    Years of Experience: 12
    Salary: 89,500 plus annual bonus (varies, but average bonus is 17-20% of salary) and a fairly good benefits package.

  895. Recruiting Coordinator*

    Description: I source, screen, coordinate interviews, run background checks, and extend offers, mostly for our call center, as we don’t have any real turnover in the rest of the org. I also manage vendor relationships with our temp agencies. And although I’m not supposed to be spending time on it, I also handle a lot of smaller scale employee relations issues.

    Location: Minneapolis, MN

    Experience: I’ve been in the workforce for 8 years or so, but I only have a little over a year of experience in HR. I have a newly minted Master’s in Human Resources and Change Leadership.

    Salary: I’m non-exempt, I make $20/hour. No bonuses or anything

    1. Recruiting Coordinator*

      Reading through a lot of these HR and recruiting related ones, I’m starting to think I may be overpaid. Although, some days it certainly doesn’t feel like it.

      I also wanted to add that I’m a 30 year old female. My company has halfway decent medical benefits, pretty poor matching 401k program, we only get 2 weeks of vacation and 5 sick days, but we get 3 personal days and 10 paid holidays. We’re on the Fortune 100 fastest growing companies list.

  896. Beth*

    Geographic Area: Southeast Texas (on the Louisiana border)
    Years of Experience: 5
    Salary: $35,000
    Industry: Newspaper

    My technical job title – at a mid-sized daily newspaper on the Texas/Louisiana border – is reporter, but I’m the editor of a weekly arts/nightlife magazine put out by the paper. This was my first job out of college but I had 5 years solid newspaper experience before coming here (from Ohio). I make came in at 30 and got a raise after 3.5 years.

  898. Anononononnnonononon*

    Property maintenance for small, family-owned business.
    10+ years experience
    Licensed to handle refrigerants (to work on air conditioners)
    $36000 + health insurance + iphone contract + 1.5x for overtime + paid training when needed (e.g. they paid for my refrigerant license and cont’d education in same)

    1. Anononononnnonononon*

      forgot to specify – it’s for commercial rental real estate and apartment complexes

  899. Development Manager*

    Current:

    $50K
    Boston
    3 years of experience

    Most recent:
    Development Associate (other [larger] organization)
    $45K
    2 years of experience

  900. VP of Technology*

    Location: Boston Metro
    Experience: 15 years
    Education: BA
    Salary: $192,000 (bonus: up to 15% of salary)
    Benefits: 4 weeks vacation, health/dental/life (decent, nothing great)

    I manage 3 teams of developers and QA analysts as well as infrastructure for a mid-size technology company.

  901. posting without name*

    Project Manager for Software Package implementations with large academic institutions
    Company is in a Major metropolitan area, but I am remote from home (can I get a hell yeah!) in a decidedly non-metropolitan area
    13 years of experience in industry, 2 years experience as a pm, 2 Master’s degree in industry field
    $77,000
    I have a minor in technical writing which was a total throwaway in college, but has gotten me A LOT of career traction, I am also really good at translating technical specs to non-technical people and vice-versa

  902. Anon*

    Technical Support Coordinator (2nd/3rd line support)
    Location: London, UK
    Experience: 2 years at company, 6 years overall
    Education: BSc Computer Science
    Salary: £29000 (approx: $48000)
    Benefits: 25 days holiday, bike/season ticket loan, medical insurance, gym, free books, heavily discounter canteen, pensions contributions, and more)

  903. Retail Associate former Receptionist*

    Currently I work as a specialized sales associate. I don’t know want to put the exact title because I believe it’s something specific to my company and I’d rather remain anonymous as possible.

    Basically, I answer the phones, direct callers, answer questions, help out in various ways, and process online orders when people come to pick them up.

    Pay: 10.50/hour. My hours vary – one week during Xmas I worked 55 hours, next week I’m working 32.

    Benefits – full time, so I get health insurance, vision and dental, HSA, 401k (with some matching), tuition reimbursement (if I decide to do that), stock options (if I want), sick time, PTO and after a year vacation. And there’s a bonus system which is kind of hard to explain, it’s not a huge amount but some extra money most months.

    Where? New England.

    My previous job was a receptionist, making nearly $18/hour, health insurance (paid for by the company), dental (paid for by the company), 401K, 2 weeks vacation, 10 days sick. This was in the South.

    I moved for personal reasons and found that the reception/secretarial jobs in my current location included some accounting work or payroll. I’m not good at that and it makes me nervous.

    I’ve worked in retail before and in admin support and my current job kind of gives me a bit of both worlds so I like it.

  904. Event Coordinator*

    Location: Texas
    Experience: 3 Years
    Education: 2 BA degrees
    Salary: 43k+ health care/ dental, 13 days accrued Vac & Sick time
    Event Coordinator is kind of a broad term for lots of job title so what I actually do is on the building side of things. I work with clients that rent our facility and coordinate all their room sets/timelines/details of their events and distribute and service their event in house. This includes things like getting approval for rigging and coordinating with AV companies to adding tables and chairs for clients in house.

  905. Sr. Graphic Designer*

    I create graphics for web and print (home page ads to trade show banners and report layouts as well as do some HTML/JS/CSS/PHP web work in house as part of the marketing department. I also work with vendors and outside designers.
    Geographic Area: Southeastern US
    Years of Experience: 8
    Salary: $50k
    Great medical/dental benefits, 401k, and flex-time. I also work from home at least two days a week. Yes my company is hiring ;)

  906. Associate Program Manager*

    Industry: Medical devices
    Region: Michigan

    Responsibilities include: Project & portfolio management, upstream marketing, training, analytics
    Hours: ~50 hours per week when not traveling; constantly traveling

    Years of Experience: 6.5
    Education: B.A. Philosophy and B.S. Economics, certified PMP (project management professional)

    Salary: $77k (with $6k bonus potential)
    Benefits: Great healthcare (including vision/dental), tuition reimbursement (up to $15k/year), 15 days PTO (at five years), flex time, killer 401K employer matching and profit sharing (fully vested after five years)

    I am female in my late 20s.

  907. Internal Communications Manager*

    Job: Help with C-level messaging and interdepartmental communications at a mid-size tech company.
    Area: Baltimore, Md.
    Experience: Almost 12 years in the work force, mostly for media companies. This is my first job in tech. I started in 2013.
    Salary: $75K with a possible 15% bonus.
    Other: Salary negotiations for this job was tough for me — I’d been working for a nonprofit for 5+ years and had no idea what a corporate salary should be. With help from Ask a Manager, a few LinkedIn queries to folks in my network, and contacting a local professional organization, I was able to hone in on a range, and my current job offered me the top of said range, plus a bonus. Even if I get no bonus at all, my salary is still a 50% pay bump from the nonprofit job. It’s worth it to do your homework!

  908. Administrative Coordinator*

    My job in a nutshell: I do a little of everything for our support staff (HR, Contracts, Finance). I work with A/P, A/R, purchasing, and I’m also a recruiter.
    Location: Hampton, VA
    Experience: 17 years here and I’m 38/F. This company has pretty much been my only “real” job.
    Education: No college degree.
    Salary: $41,000
    Benefits: Healthcare, vision, & dental, tuition reimbursement, 20 days vacation, sick leave is separate, 401K employer matching.

  909. Admin Assistant*

    Small University in the Rockies
    Assist all of the IT department
    $13.26 hourly, but 17 holidays, 12 sick days, 10 vacation per year; $5 health insurance, tuition benefits, and 10% contribution to retirement funds.

  910. Library Clerk*

    Duties: patron assistance (usually explaining library policy and procedures, also answering lots of random questions), handling circulation of materials, processing deliveries to/from other libraries.
    Geographic Area: Upper Midwest
    Years of Experience: <1 year
    Salary (wages): $11/hr. entering wage is non-negotiable.
    Benefits: sick and vacation time, paid holidays. no insurance.
    Gender: female
    Education: B.A. (in a humanities field)

  911. Sex Educator*

    Grant-funded position at a huge non-profit, been here 6 months.

    NorCal, in a small city, but the grant is for a rural population working with youth. The grant work takes up little of my time, so I do a lot of work in the small city that we’re in–working with homeless youth, guest lecture at the local colleges etc. I sit on collaborative groups geared toward health and do a lot of outreach work.

    3 years experience = 1 year contract position post-undergrad + 4 internships in college + 1 post-undergrad internship + 2 related PT jobs in college

    Non-exempt, $17/hour, 32 hours/week, but moving to exempt, FT soon. So around $28k part time, and when I move to full time it’ll be $35k.
    I drive around 500-1000 miles/month on average, and we get .56/mile.

    Decent medical paid in full, low-cost dental/vision, life insurance, matching up to 3% for retirement.

    Oh and I’m a woman.

    1. Sex Educator*

      I forgot to mention 3 weeks vacation + 10 holidays. I also make my own schedule and have a lot of flexibility. If I’m not out in the field doing something, I can do admin work from home.

  912. Prospect Researcher/Database Manager*

    Job: Manage donor database and research prospective donors for an independent K-12 school (part of fundraising department).
    Geographic Area: Southern California
    Years of Experience: ~4
    Salary: $55K
    Benefits: 5% 403B match, ~7 weeks vacation, professional development opportunities, 3-4% salary increase every year

  913. HR GENERALIST*

    Responsibilities: In my current role, I do primarily employee relations, training, and talent development for multiple locations – mid-size company.
    Area: Houston, TX
    Experience: 6 years
    Salary: 55K, plus okay health benefits, 2 weeks vacation, 401k plus company match, bonus program based on company results. Up to 5% of base salary.

    Because HR Generalist is such a generic title, I will also give some insight into my previous position.

    Responsibilities: Recruitment, employee relations, benefits administration, training, admin duties, managed 2 people – small company (30 employees).
    Area: Minneapolis, MN
    Experience: Right out of school – 5 years w/company
    Salary: Start 28K, ended 43K – great health benefits, 401K match & profit sharing, 17 days PTO – bonus every year, anywhere from $1000 – $3000.

  914. Mental Health Therapist*

    I work for a private company and am placed in an elementary school providing individual, group and family therapy to kids with emotional and behavioral disturbances.

    Location: DE
    Experience: I had 10 months of post-Master’s experience when I was hired
    Education: M.A. in school counseling (I need 12 more credits before I can apply for a clinical license)
    Salary: $40,000
    Benefits: Crappy healthcare & vision, excellent dental (I pay about 5% per month for single coverage), 7 days PTO (for 11 months; I get 3-4 additional weeks off in the summer since I’m school-based), excellent 401k with employer matching, lots of free professional development through my employer

  915. (Student) Junior Consultant*

    Job: my title is junior consultant, but I’m basically a university student working at a small consultancy agency for media businesses (with some pretty big clients left and right) as a side job. I do stuff like data entry, data analysis, translating client requests into ideas, drafting up research reports, editing, designing pitches, etc. Most of my tasks are geared towards research and writing.
    Geographic area: big city in Europe
    your approximate years of experience: I’m a student, so before I came here 0 years of actual experience. But I’ve been working here for 1,5 years now.
    Your salary: $20/hour. The amount of hours I work very much depends on how much work is available, but generally anywhere between 2 to 10 hours a week (so not that much, but still enough to earn a nice bit of money). I’m 21 and female, btw.

  916. Web Developer*

    Drupal and PHP, MYSQL, etc. with a focus on database work.

    I work from home, but the company is located in OR. They work with non-profits only. I have a BA in an unrelated field, and taught myself everything on my own/on the job. I have 3 years direct experience, and ~2 more in related experience.

    $82k, 6 weeks vacation, + stipend for medical that I pay independently. I’m a man.

  917. Electrical Engineer*

    Entry-Level Engineer
    Location: Cleveland, OH
    Industry: Automotive
    Education: Master’s Degree
    Experience: 1.5 years
    Salary: $70,000

  918. IT Project/Program Manager*

    IT Project/Program Manager(Manage developers/admins that build and/or run IT systems/applications)
    Location: Washington DC Metro Area
    Industry: Fed Government
    Education: Master’s Degree/Project Mgmt Certification
    Experience: 8 years in Project Management, 6 years as a developer before that
    Salary: $128,000

  919. Health and Safety Coordinator*

    Business Type: Non-Profit
    Business Description: Property Management
    Location: Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
    Duties: Health and Safety training (assigning and facilitating), education and training development, record keeping, vacation fill-in for other employees, some HR (mostly assisting with hiring), reports, presentations, etc.
    Salary (before tax): approx. $38K CDN (or approx. $34 USD)
    Benefits: pretty basic, no vision but good dental, RRSP contributions after 1 year (RRSP = registered retirement savings plan), start at 14 vacation days, then +1 per year to a max of 6 weeks.

    Also, just wanted to throw in a quick Huzzah!: Ontario’s minimum wage is increasing to $11/hour in June (increase of $.75)! This is the first increase since 2010, and it’s LONG overdue!

  920. Communications Specialist*

    Job: With the help of one coworker (events) and a VP (marketing), I do all of the marketing and communications for a medical center. This includes internal communications, media relations, events, physician relations, website, intranet, etc. It’s a lot.
    Location: Southeastern Virginia
    Experience: 2.5 years professionally, but about 5 years total if you include internships.
    Education: BA in English/Creative Writing
    Salary: $41,000
    Benefits: 401K employer matching, 14 days off (although they dictate when half of those days are taken).

    I’m trying to start freelancing on the side but am having difficulty finding clients.

  922. Administrative Assistant*

    Administrative Assistant
    Location: NYC
    Industry: finance dept @ a large museum
    Education: BA in humanities from a top 10 liberal arts college
    Experience: 5 years
    Salary: $65,000 w/ great benefits and retirement matching

  923. Systems Administrator*

    Responsibilities: Management of 60k client computers, patching remediation and reporting. Spend a lot of time in BMC Remedy.
    Geographic Area: DC METRO
    Years of Experience: 2 years w/company, 5 1/2 in IT .
    Salary: $65,000 gross excluding bonus

  924. Anon UK*

    I’m in the UK, but I wanted to take part!

    Civil Litigation Solicitor for a small London Firm
    1+yr Post Qualification Experience

    £20,000 per annum (approx. $33,000)

    I’ve been at the firm for 5 years; from Paralegal to Trainee Solicitor to Solicitor

  925. Librarian*

    Public Librarian I, small suburban library in Upstate New York. Duties include reference, materials selection and processing, programming.
    I have less than one year as a librarian; approximately two years working in public libraries.
    Salary: $37800
    Other benefits: I also receive a NYS Tier 6 pension with a 3% buy-in and Excellus BCBS at a rate of $45/biweekly paycheck. I currently have 2 weeks of paid vacation; after 2 years, I will have 4 weeks per year. I accumulate sick days at a rate of 1 per month and keep them indefinitely.

    1. Librarian*

      ETA, in NY, this job requires an MLS and a professional certification with 60 hours of professional development per 5 year period. This is generally paid for by my employer.

  926. Web Administrator*

    Web Administrator/Content Manager
    DC area
    7 years in this position, 15 in consulting
    $70K (plus excellent benefits)

    Cost of living is high here, so I might be a bit underpaid, but I hardly ever need to work more than 40 hours a week, I have a flexible schedule including regular telework, and a great work environment, so I’m not actively looking to move, even for more money.

  927. Lawyer*

    Business Type: Large Law firm
    Location: Delaware
    Duties: 7th year associate attorney, doing corporate litigation
    Salary: about $200k including bonus
    Benefits: good health, dental, vision benefit, 401k with 7% salary contribution. 4 weeks paid vacation (which I take every year).

    I am a woman, for what it is worth.

  928. Senior Online Editor*

    * Indiana
    * 7 years journalism experience (newspaper/magazine/blogging) including 3 at this company in a different but related editorial role & bachelor’s degree in journalism
    * $43,000, plus 3% to 401k (not matched just automatic) and some decent perks of job. Benefits are inexpensive but bare bones. 4 weeks PTO. Raises generally 3-5%/yr.
    * The current role I have is exactly what I want to be doing in my career at this point. I work primarily with digital content, somewhat with social media and for now quite a bit with strategy/big picture projects.

  929. Associate Director, Annual Giving – manage leadership annual giving leadership society and other stewardship efforts*

     Chicago, IL
     6
     $56,000

  930. Library Department Manager*

    Job: Circulation Services Manager – Oversee department staff, manage fiction print, digital and AV collections. Project Management: build and manage website, oversee RFID implementation and other random projects that come up.
    Location: Wyoming
    Experience: 4 years management, 3 years para-professional. MLIS
    Salary: $59,900 + health/vision/dental + 3 1/2 weeks vacation + pension + 457. And of course all the perks of doing a job you enjoy and having the independance to choose projects.

  931. Lawyer*

    Job: Associate attorney in a small firm
    Salary: $110k/year
    Years of experience: 2nd-year associate
    Geographic area: metropolitan Southern California
    Benefits: health insurance, flexible PTO/sick days, 401k (with match), bar dues and CLE, possible bonus

  932. Receptionist*

    • Reception / Admin / Office Organizer?
    • Vancouver, BC Canada
    • 7.5 years Current role
    • 3 years previous Office role
    • 6 years retail / customer service / food services
    • $42,000.00 annually
    • 3 weeks’ vacation
    • 12 sick days (encouraged to only take 3-5) per year.
    • Excellent medical / dental coverage.
    • Option to purchase shares (100% employee owned and run)
    Some of my duties;
    Phones, phone lists, employee lists, out of office lists, basically all people lists.
    Internet research and data entry for projects.
    Keep kitchen, supply room, bathrooms and general areas clean and fully stocked.
    Facilities management, hvac, building liaison, pest control, etc.
    Connect people to services / people from other offices.
    Greet, seat and go over safety procedures with all guests.
    Order food, put menus together, etc. as needed for internal meetings. Code invoices for accounting.
    Walk employees through general IT things, like setting up online meetings, using projectors and other equipment.
    setting up, delivering couriers and mail.
    General copying and binding.

    For the most part my job is self-directed, if I see something that needs doing, I find a way to get it done. My main area of expertise is that I know a lot of people and can connect people with services and contacts they don’t even know exist. I try and welcome everyone, make them feel good about being in the office, and offer what support I can, from running errands, recommending places to eat, ordering flowers when there is a loss or celebration to setting up information sessions and welcoming new employees.
    I don’t know that my pay is any better than any other receptionist in the company, but, I do know that they appreciate and recognize my efforts here.

  933. Assistant Director*

    Title: Assistant Director at a large university in Student Life/Student Affairs (daytime, evening and weekend hours; on-call responsibilities; mostly program coordination and staff supervision)
    Salary: $38,000 with no option for pay raises (weird union thing); but great health insurance and matching 401K (we put in 3%, they put in 10%)
    Years of experience: 7
    Location: northeast

  934. Recruitment Director*

    Area: Texas
    Years of professional experience: 6 total, 4 in recruitment
    Salary: $67,500
    Responsibilities: Run recruitment strategy and manage 5 FT employees, in addition to some part-time employees.
    Female
    Interestingly enough, I’ve always felt underpaid, but I’ll have to scan all these to see if that’s really the case. Great topic AAM!

  935. Senior Mechanical Engineer*

    ◾your job: design & analysis of new/improved products in R&D department for a company making small consumer products/appliances. Mostly computer-based solid modeling work; some physical prototyping.
    ◾your geographic area: Boston area
    ◾your approximate years of experience: 0 in this job (starts in 3 days, actually); 15 years total engineering/mechanical design experience
    ◾your salary: $90,000/yr + up to 15% annual bonus
    ◾anything else pertinent to put that number in context: 16 days PTO; decent but not exceptional benefits in general

  936. News Producer*

    Title: News Producer
    Duties/Skills: write questions and introductions for interviews and other segments, choose and facilitate the use of video and graphic elements for these segments, plus other use of fancy technology, all for a daily national cable program
    Experience: 7 years, plus Ivy graduate school in the field
    Area: New York
    Salary: $92.5K
    Benefits: Shift differential (which I get nearly every week thanks to terrible hours), bonus, 401K w/employer matching up to 6%, health with dental & vision and FSA, generous PTO, programs to visit other departments as cross-training, apparently some money towards college, plus my second favorite, free admission to some museums! (My first is insurance. Because the stress makes me use it frequently. Don’t worry, I also keep a bottle of Tums in my top desk drawer.)

    1. News Producer*

      I should note – I’m a woman and a PoC. I don’t know if this affects it, but I’m one of 4 women doing what I do, and the office is majority female, though the big bosses are both male.

  937. Sr Software Consultant*

    Job: Implement financial systems (PeopleSoft) as a FT consultant, 100% travel (usually). I’m on the business side, but used to be technical
    Geographic area: Midwest, but work all over
    Yrs experience: 15 or so
    Salary: 74K base, plus extra when I bill, an occasional bonus. Works out to about 100K. Normal benefits. However, I have a ton of hotel and airline points/miles, plus AmEx points.

  938. Senior Analyst*

    Location: NJ
    Business: Big five IT Consulting
    Salary: 75K, non-existent bonus and 15 paid vacation days
    Years of experience: 7.5

  939. Administrative Assistant*

    Job: I do everything necessary for a couple departments in a small non-profit, ranging from grunt work like travel arrangements/food-ordering to grant writing, project management, and creating marketing materials.
    Geographic area: metropolitan New England
    Years of experience: 6
    Salary: $35,000
    Anything else: Masters degree. Job comes with excellent health insurance, all federal holidays and 3+ weeks paid vacation, sick leave accrues separately, employer matching 403b.

    1. Administrative Assistant*

      Info I forgot: Female, salaried for 37 hours per week but usually wind up working close to 50, no overtime.

  940. Indexer (Freelance)*

    Title: Indexer (part-time, freelance)
    Job Description: Create indexes for a variety of texts, including cookbooks, scholarly tomes, children’s non-fiction, coffee table “art” books, etc. I do about 3 projects per month and work with different clients, from publishers to book packagers to authors.
    Experience: 3 years
    Area: VA
    Salary: The first year, I made about $6K; last year I made $25K.
    Benefits: None

    1. Indexer (Freelance)*

      Forgot to mention that I really love working for myself. So I guess that’s a “benefit.”

  941. Financial Analyst 2*

    FA at a fortune 500 co (tech) doing usual financial planning & analysis, budgeting, project work. work with business partners supporting a specific function outside of finance (marketing, products, manufacturing, etc)

    SF Bay Area
    ~2.5 years
    $70K + %age bonus in a predetermined range depending on personal & company performance. full benefits and %-match for 401k. nonexempt so 1.5x overtime (not std compared to similar companies)

    female, but everyone at this level still makes the same amount

  942. Project Manager*

    Title: Project Manager
    Salary: $60,000 (benefits include 3 weeks PTO + 2 personal days; 10 sick days; 10 company holidays; and health benefits)
    Job Description: I work at a virtual website design company. Although our company is for-profit, all of our clients are non-profit. My job responsibilities include managing multiple projects simultaneously (usually around 12), ongoing communication between client and resources, and ensuring that projects run on time and under budget.
    Experience: 5 years of non-profit and online marketing experience (non-profit experience required by company)
    Location: Arizona (the company is based in Colorado with 16 employees spanning all over the country)

  943. Prospect Researcher*

    Industry: large nonprofit
    Location: Pacific NW, major city
    Experience: 4 years
    Salary: $52k (pretax) with excellent benefits (medical, dental, vision, paid vacation)
    Education: BA+MS, same as most of my fellow researchers (fields of study vary)

    Nice to see a few other prospect/fundraising researchers here already!

  944. Store Manager*

    Store Manager
    National retail chain
    $58k, plus options to bonus
    ~ 1 year in position, ~ 2.5 years with company
    Female, DC metro area

  945. Floor Manager*

    If you’re willing to play, leave a comment with the following information:

    Job: I manage daily operations of an entertainment venue. This includes show production, supervising talent, food service, liquor sales, service recovery, box office sales, special events, staff supervision, and daily cash reconciliation.
    Location: Twin Cities Metro
    Experience: In this exact field: <1. Experience in hospitality leadership: 5-7
    Salary: LOL SALARY. I make $12.50 per hour (this is after my 90-day raise). I have a second job as well.

  946. Mechanical/Maintenance Engineer*

    1. job: primary role is in condition monitoring for one of the big 5 oil&gas companies. i make computer (simulation) models of machines so that problems can be identified before they become too serious. lately i’ve also been dragged into other projects to improve things within our department.

    2. location: western europe

    3. experience: almost 1 year

    4. salary: 250euro (gross)/day [according to xe.com, about US$80k/y (!!!), after tax, more like $55k]

    5. context (very necessary!): this number is higher because im currently working via a recruitment agency than an actual employee of the company. however, i currently have NO BENEFITS like PTO or pension (except for what goes out via taxes). I do however know that for my peers who are ACTUAL employees at the company, the salary might be slightly lower but they start at about 30 paid vacation days and a decent pension/health insurance plan and raises are to be expected every year. COL is decent in where i am and my salary is considered a bit high for a recent graduate even in a STEM field in this country. but then again, this company is also known for high salaries so…

    6. other benefits: free parking/gym, lots of flextime/work from home opportunities, good working culture (at least in my location). depending on which department you’re in, lots of opportunities for training/further development.

    7. other factors: female, 26, PoC

    8. in conclusion, great idea. pretty sure i saw some other people working for the same company here as well ;)

  947. software development intern*

    location: Research Triangle, NC
    experience: scant (few Coursera classes, some aptitude with Linux, passing knowledge of basic dev tools)
    salary: $10/hr, full-time (20k/year)
    benefits: fully paid health, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life insurance; 2 weeks pto/year; paid holidays; 401k matching up to 2% of salary; occasional miscellaneous perks (lunches, outings, bonuses.)

    1. Software Engineer*

      I leveled up and officially get to use capital letters now! (?)

      Experience: few more Coursera classes, intensive code school (12 weeks, including major final project)
      Salary: 60-65k/year
      Benefits: HDHP + HSA contribution, 3 weeks pto/year + company holidays, paid maternity leave, stock options, flexible WFH policy, fresh awesomeness daily.

  948. Investigator (Professional Licensing Board)*

    I am a state employee working as an investigator for a professional licensing board. I enforce administrative law. Female.

    Geographic location: Midwest

    Compensation: $46k based upon graduate degree. Previous position holder, male, was paid nearly $38k with a B.A. State job salaries are public information. Before interviewing, I was able to find a state document that gave the allowable ranges for all positions. I also found out that the state gives a pay bump for a Masters even if the job description didn’t require it. Just had to ask during the negotiations.

    Benefits: Medical/Dental/Disability/Life (I contribute less than 10% of gross pay), generous retirement match, the usual vacation/sick leave and holidays.

  949. Business Office Manager*

    Position Description: Supervise < 10 employee business office for approx 25+ multispecialty physician clinic including coding, billing, AR and collections processes.
    Location: Kansas
    Salary: approx $47000 plus full benefits (health ins., 401K, etc)
    I have been in this position for just over 2 years. This is my first management position however I have 13 years total on the business side of the medical office.

  950. Pharmacist*

    I work in Northern Canada, in a chain pharmacy. I’m a staff pharmacist working part-time making about $90K yearly. I have 22 years experience. My duties include typical pharmacist duties as well as dealing with billing problems, staff supervision, research.

  951. Regional Marketing Coordinator*

    Industry: Consulting
    Duties/Skills: Execution of marketing plan for 6 offices across about 4 states. Some event coordination (phasing out), coordinating sponsorships, and taking on digital marketing projects as my own pet projects/resume growth.
    Experience: 1 year in this job, coming up on 9 in total.
    Area: Texas
    Salary: $70k salary, plus whatever OT I work (maybe $5k/year?), no bonus
    Benefits: 3 weeks vacation, something like 8 sick days (only took 2 last year because I can work remotely whenever I want — LOVE!), 401(k) matching (vested after 3 years), pension, good benefits package.

  952. Anon-abrarian*

    Job: Academic library at mid-sized university with medical school
    Area: Southeaster U.S.
    Experience: 6 months since getting my MLIS, 2 years prior in the industry, several years in education prior (I have an Masters in Education as well)
    Salary: 42,000, non-tenure track, decent retirement and benefits

    1. Anon-abrarian*

      After reading a few other librarian postings, I feel like I should add more info for context.

      I handle electronic resources and serve an embedded role in one of the colleges on the medical campus (this includes a lot of instruction, including a 3 credit course on Bioinformatics that I co-teach with one of the professors in the spring).

      I’m female, mid-thirties with two graduate degrees. I’m keenly aware that I’m underpaid for this type of position but the experience is good lol.

  953. Senior Content Analyst*

    Custom researcher for boutique education research firm; specializing in survey design
    Washington, DC
    Recent doctoral graduate (tangentially related discipline)
    $60K
    Decent benefits, 3 weeks paid vacation

  954. Executive Chef*

    Executive Chef at a gourmet market/grocer retailer. Supervise about 80 people.
    Salary $80,000 plus bonus.
    Work about 50-60 hours/week.
    Benefits practically mom-existent.
    No formal education, 18 years experience.

  955. Social Media Coordinator*

    Official Job Title:
    Social Media Coordinator (but I think I’ll be promoted to Social Media Manager in the next month)

    What I Actually Do:
    I work with 3-4 clients and produce the majority of their social media content (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, blogs, etc). I also assist the PR department with pitches, press releases, media lists, blog writing, etc. I’m currently the in-house social media guru, so I’m also asked to attend strategy meetings to provide advice, direction, and audits.

    Area:
    South Florida

    Approx. Years of Experience:
    I graduated from a liberal arts school with a degree in Humanities in 2009. After a PR internship in 2008, I’ve incorporated social media and PR into most jobs I’ve had since then (ranging from an executive assistant to medical billing). I took a year off to get a cosmetology degree (random, I know). All in all, I tend to say I have roughly 4 years of experience with social media, but about 1.5-2 years doing social media in an agency setting.

    Salary:
    $40k (although I’d like it to be closer to $45-$50K)

    Benefits:
    – Free health coverage. However, I’ve opted to pay $35/paycheck for all the bells & whistles options do to health issues, and pay an additional $15 or so a month for vision and dental coverage.
    – 10 Vacation days, 5 sick days, 3 personal days, 7.5 holidays
    – “Yearly bonuses”
    – Free lunch on Fridays

    Anything Else Pertinent to Put that Number in Context:
    Due to a killer combo of a good cover letter/resume (THANKS ALISON!) and a number of online and offline successes, I’ve been able to switch agencies every 6 months to find better work environments and salaries. In the past year, I’ve increased my salary from $34K with no benefits to $40K with decent benefits.

  956. Quality Assurance Software Engineer*

    Job: Quality Assurance Software Engineer
    Area: Utah
    Salary: $80K, 3 weeks PTO, 1 week sick, 12 holidays, good insurance
    Experience: 2 in QA, 10 as a tech writer
    Education: No degree, currently working on an AS in Computer Science

    I transitioned into QA from tech writing. I test software, write manual test cases, create and run automated testing scripts, write test plans, etc. I enjoy it. My company is very flexible and allows us to work from home a bit, which I very much appreciate. I’m still working on getting my associates, let alone my bachelors, but I very much pursue independent skills acquisition – learning automation, learning programming languages, pursuing certifications, etc.

  957. HR Business Partner*

    Title: HR Business Partner: Heavy employee relations responsibilities, counsel middle and c-suite managers on tough HR issues. Input into company policy decisions and reform. Manage our LMS.

    Geography: large city in Texas

    Experience: Nearly 10 years total in HR; 5 years w/this company.

    Education: BA and MA in English and French (was a teacher prior to working in HR)

    Compensation: $88k in base; 10% additional in potential performance-related bonus pay; paid medical premiums; 401k with generous match. Medical benefits aren’t great, but they’re free because I’m in management.

    I’m female.

  958. Senior Director of Teacher Operations*

    I work at an education company directing all operations for teachers across the US & Canada. I’m 100% remote. I work anywhere from 45 – 80 hours a week as an exempt employee but get good flexibility, 4 weeks of vacation, a week of sick, holidays/personal time. My responsibility is mainly to support my 8 directors, 50 managers, and thousands of teachers.

    Salary: $90,000
    Bonus Potential: 20% (not guaranteed – got $8k last year)
    Healthcare/Perks: Good
    Location: Washington, DC
    Background: BA/8 years experience
    Gender: Female

    I worked my way up from a $35k salary at the same company.

  959. Senior Graphic Designer*

    Mostly print; some html, a little intereactive.
    Midwest; not Chicago
    BFA in Graphic Design
    11 years experience

    About $44,000 a year. I’m non-exempt, and limited in how much overtime I can do. Health insurance, dental, no 401K match.

  960. Payroll Manager*

    ■Payroll Manager for govt contractor.
    ■DC area
    ■15 years experience
    ■$98,000
    ■Manage 10 companies payroll processes. I also implement accounting and payroll systems for other govt contractors

    1. Payroll Manager*

      I am a female, 40 yrs old. I’ve been at this company for 5 yrs and I get 20 vacation days, annual bonus, med/dental/vision/401k match. I have a bachelors degree but not in accounting.

  961. HR Generalist*

    Responsible for full cycle recruiting and onboarding. Benefits administaration. Training. advising management on employee issues to make sure actions taken are within the confines of the law. Attending unemployment hearings, record keeping ect ect all things HR.
    I have a Masters degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations.

    Salary Exempt Employee 40k

  962. Anon*

    Physiologist for a government agency
    Washingon DC metro area
    24 plus years of experience doing research including Ph.D.
    104,000
    Woman

  963. Software Quality Assurance*

    Software QA Manager
    Manage team of 7 that handles black box and automated testing of windows and web products.

    Geographic Area: Southern California
    Years of Experience: 9 related, 6 managing
    Salary: 80,000 + yearly variable bonus
    Excellent vacation time, 401K matching, work-life balance

    Female, mid-30s

  964. Financial Analyst*

    Job: Financial Analyst at Fortune 500 company
    City: Atlanta
    Experience: 7 years out of business school (Finance MBA from a regional program). Was a career changer from IT.
    Salary w/ bonus: $67,000
    Other: terrific benefits including 4.5 weeks vacation, unlimited sick time, and 7% 401k match. Also get to telecommute once a week, and have a consistent 40 hour work week.

    I know the salary is somewhat low, but the benefits and work/life balance keep me here.

  965. Photographer*

    Staff Photographer at University. Entry level, graduated college (with BA in Photography) spring of 2012. Salary – $42,500, benefits, 11 days vacation time, earn 1 sick day per month.

  966. Patent attorney*

    Non-equity partner in a small boutique firm, small/state capital city in the Northeast US. 7th year of practice.

    $90,000 base salary plus bonuses based on productivity and work origination that average around another $30k for me. Total of about $120k/year.

    Maternity leave is 6 weeks vaginal birth/8 weeks c-section, with short term disability providing partial pay. Weeks beyond that are to be negotiated and are unpaid.

    No PTO. Sick/personal/vacation is all discretionary. If you’re making your numbers, you’re ok to take it. Flex scheduling is permitted.

    Benefits include 3% match in simple IRA, employer contribution to health insurance (not 100%), and paid parking.

    1. Another patent attorney*

      Really late, but wanted to add to this.

      Also a patent attorney, second year associate, did not get a raise though so I’m still at starting salary for a first year associate. I’m female with a background in electrical engineering/software/computer science. In Atlanta at a medium boutique law firm. 1800 hours required.

      $125,000 plus bonuses based on productivity and work origination. I didn’t get a bonus, but most associates get $10k+, some easily $50k, supposedly one or two more than that.

      Maternity leave is 3 months paid. No PTO (same as Patent Attorney above). No IRA matching, employer paid health insurance 100%.

  967. Senior Human Resources Manager*

    $81,000 salary + bonus (varies from 0-10%)

    Senior HR Manager at a midsize firm in downtown Atlanta. Report to a VP of HR who makes roughly $200k.

    8 years HR experience, MBA in HR from a lower-tier school.

  968. Research Administrator*

    Southeast US.
    6 years experience.
    $60K
    Have an MLS and have worked as a Superfund Administrative Record specialist and as a corporate records manager. The corporate records manager paid the best but was so boring and the culture too conservative for me. I’m in a university now. Working with Superfund records was interesting, but scary to know what’s in the environment needing to be cleaned up.

  969. Operations Manger*

    Industry: Industrial Equipment Repair Center

    Duties: Manage the entire facility of (5) personnel. Responsible for over 2.0 M of orders per year. Customer satisfaction.

    Exeprience: (3) years this industry, (17) years Project Management-Industrial Equipment Manufacturing.

    Area: Omaha-Nebraska
    Sex: Male
    Salary: $82,000 + twice year Bonus of 15% yearly salary
    Benefits: 401K w/ company match 6%

  970. Business Intelligence Analyst*

    Description: Reporting, Forecasting, and researching customer trends. Some SQL & a lot of excel.
    Area: PNW
    Experience: ~3 years in this job + 3 in related, less technical job
    Salary: ~$51K + bonus of ~5% – working on a case for a real raise
    Other: ~4 weeks PTO, mediocre health/dental/vision insurance, 401K match

    I’m female and also can’t wait to see the roll up of all of these

  971. Logistics/Trade Compliance - Specialist*

    in short, making sure what we ship is compliant with (primarily) US laws and also the laws of destination. current position is very monotonous and tedious but i made the move for a more manageable commute.

    Female, early 30s, NYC

    ~8 yrs in industry, less than 6 mos at current employer (not entry level but can’t seem to make the jump to management either)

    $70k (medical is expensive tho, avg PTO and 401k match)

    BA from a city university, studies were not directly related to current career. i started at 35k entry level in freight forwarding. licensed customs broker (though i do NOT use it at all in the traditional customs brokerage sense)…looks nice on my resume and validates my career path i guess.

    husband works for fed govt and with his OT, together we’re at about 130-140k gross. +2 kids, we live in the outer boroughs (brooklinnnnn) and frankly, its such a struggle (i.e. we can’t afford to buy a property *sigh). i mean we don’t have to choose food or bills, essentials are taken care of but there isn’t much left. and i constantly dream of quitting to stay home and raise kids (or the flexibility of working 2-3 days from home)

  972. Data & Communications Coordinator*

    Industry: Higher Education, Marketing and Communications

    Duties: Support CRM system, email marketing and social media for the enrollment departments of a private, liberal arts university.

    Exeprience: (6) years in marketing and communications
    Education: BA and MPA from a state university

    Area: Midwest, midsize region
    Sex: Female
    Salary: $32,500
    Benefits: 4013B w/ company match 7%, very good health/dental insurance for myself and spouse with minimal out of pocket, 2 weeks PTO, continually accruing RSD

    Reasons I stay for crappy pay: incredible life/work balance and flexibility (e.g. this year I had two weeks off around Christmas, paid and not from my PTO allotment), 5 minute commute, supportive professional community, working for a good cause.

  973. Digital communications manager*

    Title: digital communications manager for a large international communications company
    Area: Paris, France
    Salary: 34k€ excluding benefits, roughly 45-50k per year $USD
    Experience: 3 years, also speak 3 languages fluently
    Benefits: free private and national healthcare, 6-7 weeks of annual PTO, subsidized lunches every day and metro passes

  974. Software Engineer*

    I do server-side software development, with a focus in service architecture. No direct management.

    * Denver, CO
    * A little over 8 years + a little extra education
    * ~$95k, no annual bonus.
    * STD/LTD/health premiums all covered by employer. 4% match on 401k, a small-percent-of-salary amount of stock with vestment, public transportation pass, good vacation.
    * Male.

  975. DocControl*

    Job: Document Control at small aerospace manufacturing company (I make sure we are manufacturing what the customer wants us to manufacture!) BWT not Boeing (I wish!)
    City: Near Boeing
    Experience: 3 years in this position, a few years in retail and 6 or so years admin/customer service
    Salary: $37k AND got a bonus of $124 this year.
    Other: Trained as an AS9100 auditor by the company. However, no room for improvement as the company hires from the outside. Benefits are not great so I’m on my husband’s insurance. Two weeks vacation accrued per pay period (not one chunk every year), no sick leave.
    Education: B.S. in Paralegal Studies, but beginning pay in WA is so low I might as well stay where I’m at. Plus any open positions want 3+ years of experience!

    Did I mention that I would love to get into Boeing? :)

    1. Chris*

      A couple things about Boeing:

      a) Start using Notepad or Notepad ++ if you aren’t already. Boeing resumes are best edited in txt format because:

      b) Boeing has a keyword filter, and they have classes at some unemployment offices teaching how to get around it. This means every resume you send there has to be tailored. For example, right now they have an “Aerodynamics Engineer 1/2” position open right now with job description:

      “Position is in the Aerodynamics/Acoustics/Propulsion Group involving rotorcraft performance calculation, air loads analysis, wind tunnel testing, flight testing and assisting in the aerodynamic design and analysis of flight vehicles to ensure that requirements are met. Works under general supervision.”

      This is actually ridiculously short for Boeing. Anyway, when I tailor this, I will write in my summary of qualifications section: “experience with air loads analysis, wind tunnel testing, flight testing and assisting in the aerodynamic design and analysis of flight vehicles.” Then, when I add in my projects and experience, I will put a focus on wind tunnel experiments that I took in my lab classes and wing design project where I had to use CFD tools to analyze lift / drag data as well as shear / moment loading data on the wing.

      In addition, sticking with this Aerodynamics Eng. 1/2 position, there are 5 competencies:

      -communication
      -innovation
      -managing work
      -aerodynamic analysis
      -aerodynamic design

      find some way to get all these words in your resume. Additionally, there’s a little (+) sign by each competency. Hitting the (+) by “aerodynamic analysis,” I get:

      “Basic – Fundamental knowledge of aerodynamic or aerothermodynamic analysis principles for flight vehicles, and basic ability to perform assigned aerodynamic analysis tasks under close supervision and direction

      Preferred -General knowledge of aerodynamic or aerothermodynamic analysis principles, processes, methods, and tools for flight vehicles, including industry and company standard practices; and ability to perform aerodynamic analysis tasks under general supervision and direction”

      find some way to get the phrase “knowledge of aerodynamic or aerothermodynamic analysis principles” in your resume, and try to fit in words like “flight vehicles.”

      Pro-tip. I’ve actually had 2 interviews with Boeing. Some interview questions come from the competencies. Say, communication, for instance, I would not be surprised if they asked: “tell me about a time when you had to require guidance to respond to a situation.” Why? It’s right there in the communication (+) description.

      Pro-pro-tip: Boeing uses the STAR interview technique. Basically, when you answer questions, answer this way:

      -Situation [What was the scenario?]
      -Task [What did you need to do?]
      -Action [What actions did you take?]
      -Result [What was the end result?]

      That’s about it. This is difficult, and yeah, I’ve been unsuccessful getting in after 2.5 years of trying, so I know your pain.

      Good luck.

  976. Demand Planner*

    Job: Demand Planner – Beverage Industry, also some forecast mgmt, and purchasing
    Location: So. Cal
    Salary: $65,000 yr, + Overtime +yearly bonus + Health care + Dental + 401K matching. 3 weeks vacation, 5 days sick
    Experience: 7 yrs at current company, 30 yrs total in Operations.

    My brand Mgrs refer to me as the Demanding Planner!

    1. Demand Planner*

      Oops! I am a female.

      No degree, some college – learned everything on the Job, with some pretty good mentors!

      1. sales planner (advertising)*

        How does one get into demand planning? I’ve come across if on job searches clearly since I’m searching “sales planner” or “media planner.” Very curious, and would love your insight :)

        1. Demand Planner*

          The Job description can be a little daunting sometimes, When I read those, they scare me and I have been doing this for a while.

          Most Demand Planning positions require some statistical analysis, sales and forecast analysis and a lot of spreadsheet work. Experience working with MRP and ERP systems is a big plus. If you like working with numbers and have experience in analysis, then you can do well. You also have to be a bit of a prophet, because the software will do a lot for you, but sometimes, you have to rely on your gut about what is going to happen. You also have to work well under the gun, because you are responsible or your dept is responsible for making sure that you do not run out of Choc Teacups right in the middle of the big choc teacup promo!!

          I worked into the position through experience. I started out working for small family run companies and wore many hats, it helps to have an analytical mind. I was a production scheduler, purchasing agent, and also a production control supervisor.

          I hope this helped.

  977. Operations Manager & HR Coordinator*

    Operations Manager at a non-profit.
    ◾CA Bay Area
    ◾3 years
    ◾$54k
    ◾$650/month for health benefits, 20 days PTO, 403b matching

  978. College Librarian*

    College Librarian: Includes reference and research assistance, face to face instruction, creation of digital guides to services, special exhibit design and planning, working with faculty, and other duties as assigned.

    Geographical Area: Florida
    2-3 years of experience (first two years was part-time, so it was counted as 1 year, rather than two)
    Salary: 39, 000 (ish) for a nine month renewable contract.
    Female

  979. Public Librarian (Children's)*

    Children’s services librarian/department manager at large county public library system in the southeast. Responsible for supervising 6 children’s staff members at a large branch location; MLS required.
    Years working in public libraries: 10
    Years working as a librarian, with my MLS: 4
    Years in this position: 2
    Salary: $59,068
    I am a 29 year old female.

  980. Development Director*

    …at a small but very prominent arts organization.

    I live in California (a very expensive part of California).

    I have 6 years of experience, all of which involved relatively small-time jobs at major (i.e. famous) arts organizations.

    I make $52,000 a year, with so-so benefits.

    I do have a masters degree, although it’s somewhat indirectly related to my field.

    I took a big step up in title and responsibilities with this job; an equivalent position at my last, much larger employer would have paid $80,000. My first job out of college was in New York City and paid $35,000. Not so bad, but the benefits were fantastic and there were lots of perks. That’s less the case here.

  981. Anonymous*

    your job: Recruitment Consultant
    your geographic area: Asia
    your approximate years of experience: 2.5 years (I entered straight from college, so 2.5 years is my total work experience.) I did about a 6 month internship in a manufacturing company in HR as well.
    your salary: About $50,000 base salary, considering exchange rate. Plus great bonuses. Last year I made about 90K, and should make more this year.
    anything else pertinent to put that number in context: I’ve been lucky and have done pretty well- promoted several times with accompanying raises.

  982. After-School Program Site Director*

    I actually left this job because the management and corporate culture, frankly, sucked. But this is my most recent position.

    I was the site director for an extended-day program at an elementary school. My job was planning and running the before school and after school programming, interacting with parents, dealing with NYS inspections/related paperwork, sending payroll for my site, and making sure everyone was generally safe and happy. I had two people working under me and I saw 40+ kids daily. My hours were kind of weird, but it was 6-9 AM and 2:30-6:30 PM.
    My area is mid-state NY, USA. I’m about 1.5-2 hours north of NYC in a community with HUGE income disparities.
    This was an entry-level position (which honestly should have been a red flag for me). Including supervised college internships/student teaching, I have about 2 years of “experience.”
    I made $10.50 an hour for a guaranteed 30+ hours per week. It was somewhere around $12,000 per school year. If my husband didn’t have a good job, it wouldn’t have done me any good in this area with rent, food, and gas prices the way they are, plus student loans.
    Of course, this was also for putting up with the culture of pettiness and backstabbing withing the organization. The school itself was okay, and I loved the kids, but the way my supervisors handled problems was not okay to me. I ended up quitting without notice over a weekend because I was coming home crying every day and called out for a week because I just couldn’t deal with it anymore. I lasted a month. I’m pretty close to landing a nanny job that pays more and seems like it will be much better for me, so in this case I suppose it worked out, although I’ve clearly burned all of my bridges there.

  983. Grant Writer / Grants Manager*

    Current Salary: $61k
    Benefits: Decent health insurance, dental, vision, and 3% match to 401k contributions. Excellent vacation (FT employees start at 3 weeks, and it can go up as high as 4.5 weeks once you’ve been there a few years).
    Years at this job: 4
    Starting salary at this job: $52k (Ive taken on more responsibility over the years)
    Years Experience: 10 yrs in fundraising (6 yrs in grant writing)
    Location: SF, California
    Female

    As a “grants manager” I oversee a portfolio of about 20-30 different foundation and government grant opportunities and work with program staff to submit proposals and reports. I am responsible for raising about $1.2m each year, although it’s a team effort with ED and program staff (but I am the only official “grant writer” on staff). I manage all the deadlines and work with a variety of staff to put together application packages (including budgets, supporting documents, narratives, workplans, etc.).

  984. Director of product design*

    Automotive industry
    Bachelor of. Fine Arts
    17 years experience
    Salary is $205k
    Annual profit share $125k
    Annual stock grants $100k
    Very good medical insurance
    Excellent 401k plus pension
    not bad for a guy who went to art school

  985. lab tech*

    Lab tech at a fairly large agricultural products company
    Location: upper Midwest (very rural)
    Duties: basic testing/certification of products as well as inputs and in process samples

    Pay: $16.50/hr but about $41,000/year including overtime

    Benefits: decent health/dental/vision insurance, 3.5 weeks pt0, only 6 paid holidays, 3% 401k match + defined benefit pension, usually a 4-day/week schedule (long days), pretty much a 3.5% raise annually regardless of performance

    education/experience: BS in biology, 2 years in this job/industry, female

  986. Clinical Research Coordinator*

    Clinical Research Coordinator at a nonprofit hospital
    New York, NY
    Hired out of college, worked here for 3 months
    34,000
    Female

    I didn’t negotiate and wish I did! But we get good benefits, healthcare, etc and I’m salaried, not hourly, which is great.

  987. Marketing and Communications Coordinator*

    -JOB: Mid-level, non management. Internal and external communications: website maintenance (heavily involved in recent rebuild), light social media, PR, e-card marketing, newsletters, podcasts, many annual/occasional/misc projects, data-base maintenance, client service reviews…
    Jack-of-all/Master-of-none, in truth. We have an external PR consultant who has worked with the firm 15+ years and won’t be parting any time soon – she does most all external writing. We also have an internal graphic designer. As such, I do very little original creation – my role is keeping track of details and people, moving things along, remembering processes and past best practices. I’m told this is project management but it doesn’t feel like it.
    -INDUSTRY: AEC
    -REGION: Southern, coastal California (high COL)
    -EXPERIENCE: 10 years marketing, 5 yrs admin/call center
    -SALARY: current is $30.50/hour
    Occasional spot bonuses for exceptional work (last year was $1,000, taxed) and I’ve received a couple generous raises to help get me to market rate in last couple years (upon my asking for it).
    Started 9.5 years ago after 2 years at company as admin with no marketing background. Admin pay was $19.50/hour.
    Starting pay in current position was $20.50.
    (I’m rounding all of these a bit.)
    OTHER:
    Female, late 30s, English Lit BA.
    Medium-sized company, well-respected. Excellent healthcare with reasonable premiums, better-than-average PTO, flex schedules (9/80, etc), life ins up to salary, ESOP (fully invested at 5 yrs; mine will be worth ~$40k, paid a year after I leave the firm), good work/life balance, other perks like EAP, discounts, office activities.

    Thank you for this, Alison and everyone else!

  988. Data Analyst*

    Title: Data Analyst / Enrollment Specialist
    Area: Triangle area of North Carolina. (Southeast US, urban, high-tech region.)
    Years of experience: 3 – 4 years indirect experience + BS in Accounting.
    Basic description: I process data related to annual enrollment for company benefit plans, do ad-hoc reporting and develop databases used for data capture and processing. Basically a lot of hacking around with Access, Excel, SQL and VBA.
    Benefits: None for the first six months, dental/vision and health stipend thereafter plus PTO, 401k, etc. Work week is 37.5 hours per week but paid at 40 for non-exempt employees.
    Salary: $26,000 for the first six months, $45,000 thereafter.
    Gender: Female

    Caveats: I’m on a temp-to-hire contract. When my contract converts at the end of my six months, I’ll be brought on permanent (company’s already set it up) and my salary package will adjust accordingly.

  989. Meredith*

    Area People Director – I recruit, do investigations, work on development plans, lots of HR-y things, and supervise 2 HR Managers.
    Dallas, TX
    Education: BFA in Dance (seriously!)
    3 years experience, one year PHR Certified
    66,000

  990. Associate Underwriter*

    Title: Associate Underwriter (health insurance) for small businesses
    Location: Philadelphia area
    Experience: 2 years overall
    Salary: $42,000

  991. Healthcare Sales - US*

    Job: US Sales Manager – working for a commercial seating company that sells mostly medical chairs. I manage an independent rep network and am tasked with increasing our market share.

    Location: I travel all of the time, and office from home in Upper Midwest

    Experience: close to 20 years

    Salary: $90K base with quarterly bonuses that should total $25-30K per year, so about $115K

  992. Marketing*

    I work with a bunch of non-profits in my area helping them for marketing/PR/web site stuff that they really need, but can’t really afford. Some of the things I do include designing websites, sending out newsletters, managing our eBay and online sales, social media, designing company brochures, etc.

    Albany, NY area

    I’ve been doing this about 3 years now

    I have my BA in Religious Studies, my Master’s in Education Administration (really, what I want to do is go into teaching…)

    I’m a woman.

    I make $50 a month. Yep.

  993. Buyer*

    -Buyer (for a co. which makes instruments for healthcare)
    Create POs, contact vendors, track packages, etc.
    -Mountain time zone
    -5 years of experience working for a gov. contractor and 10+ as an admin. assistant, front desk, sales, auditing.
    -$20 per hour (temp employee)
    -No benefits
    -BS degree / unrelated (all experience is from on the job training)
    -Female

  994. Back-end web developer*

    Location: Mountainous Southwest

    Experience: 15+ years

    Education: A smattering of drunken college, no degree.

    Salary $86,000 + decent benefits. No bonuses. Started 5% lower a year ago. I’ll likely be a bit over $100k in a few years.

    A co-worker who does approximately the same job but with less experience hinted one day that his salary is in the low $60k range.

    What I do: I work for a company with around 45 employees in a handful of offices in three countries. We program and design web sites for medium-to-large sized companies including Fortune 500, Fortune 100, and companies you have never heard of. We’re a specialized shop. My job entails programming, site architecture, database work, system administration, and a tiny bit of design work.

    I have been a “senior” guy at other similar shops but there are no seniors where I am now. You’re expected to have that level of competency walking in the door and everyone has the same “level” of title. Titles are not important in our company. Results are.

    Work environment: We don’t work more than 40 hours a week, have access to drinks in the fridge and snacks in the cupboard. Lunches are provided a couple of times a month. We have unlimited access to a vacation house about 2 hours away. Benefits are subsidized medical with an OK HMO, some IRA matching and flex time.

    It’s a very tough environment because you are expected to perform and the clients can be demanding. The company really respects employees. Folks with the specific skillset required for the job are difficult to find; recruiters cold contact me at least weekly. They don’t want us burning out or going anywhere.

    Internet companies are generally different than other companies. We’re far more informal (the dress code is “please wear clothes”) and work differently than other companies. But we get the job done and have lots of happy clients.

    1. Back-end web developer*

      Forgot a few things…

      I’m a male.

      We also get 3 week’s paid time off and a few of the typical holidays. And there are some retention bonuses available for multi-year longevity.

  995. Clinical Social Worker*

    I’m a Clinical Social Worker for the MDOC. I provide therapy and case management services to incarcerated men at a very high level of security. I work in Michigan.
    Last year I grossed about 51,000. I was hired full-time in 2012, previous to that I was contractually working for the MDOC. My benefits are pretty good as it’s a union job but they aren’t as good as they used to be (we take cuts and are often threatened with layoffs). I’m a woman, but because of how the union is set up, they can’t pay me less because of my gender. They based my pay off of experience and previous pay, so I make somewhat more than others with my age and experience because I negotiated well for myself with my contractual positions.

    I finally received my LMSW, so I’m hoping to move on from prison work once my partner is able to find a job closer to civilization (we live in a very rural area at this point).

  996. Director of Alumni Giving (Fundraising)*

    your geographic area: NJ
    your approximate years of experience: 7
    your salary: $75,000

  997. What about bloggers?*

    Late to this thread but did Allison or some other professional blogger share their salary?

  998. Client Services Manager*

    Title: Senior Manager Client Services
    Location: Silicon Valley
    Experience: <1 year at this company, 15+ at others in various roles like this but also operations management, project management and product management
    Salary: $130,000K
    Benefits: 401K but no match; 100% of medical, dental and vision are paid; no overtime (ha!); unlimited vacation and sick time; can work wherever I want (a major perk).

    My job is basically project managing a couple dozen client accounts and relationships, plus some support work on new sales, some consulting on product dev, marketing dev. etc. We're small and we all have a say when/where we want it.

    1. Client Services Manager*

      Also, I guess one of the perks is stock options but I don’t count them because they’re basically just nice pieces of paper that may never amount to anything.

      1. smart move*

        I have worked in a number of Internet-based companies over the years, some startups and some established companies. The startups all gave lots of stock options and not a single one was worth a single penny.

        If they’re offered, I never consider them part of my salary or even future earnings. In fact, I typically disreagard them as part of the compensation entirely when weighing my job options. And so far (15 years in this industry) I’ve yet to see a penny form any of them.

  999. Director of Human Resource*

    Role: Director of HR for a non-profit of around 200 employees. I’m in charge of all staff recruitment, coordinating interviews, benefits (onboard/offboard, open enrollment, rate negotiation, billing, PTO tracking, etc.), overseeing our performance management systems, some social media(in relation to staff recruitment), advising managers on a range of employee issues. I was a one person team for the first three years in this role, but we recently hired an administrative aid for HR/Finance, so we’re now a 1.5 person team.

    Geography: Mid-sized southern city

    Years: 8 total, 5 in the industry as an employee before getting into HR.

    Salary: $75,000. 4% retirement match, good but not great health benefits. Opportunity for a bonus of up to $7,500.

    I love this topic, very insightful, and thanks to all for sharing. can’t wait to see the spreadsheet or database that comes of this.

  1000. Tax Preparer*

    5 years of experience and I recently passed a major professional exam in the field (the Special Enrollment Exam).

    I only do it part-time rn and pay varies – the tax jobs I’ve had recently have been $22/hr subcontracted, or $15 as an employee.

    The work environments similarly vary…I’ve worked for CPA firms, boutique financial advisors and streetfront retail tax for low-to-middle income clients. The latter is very social-skills intense but I enjoy talking to people and learning about their lives. Typically pay is partly commission at those places, and I do NOT do well in the commission ratrace so last time I did it I was only making about $12.50 at the end of the day; I’m doing some weekend shifts at one this year, and they put up my commission rate a little, so I expect to end up at about $14-15. At CPA firms or over-polished financial advisors, clients typically drop off or mail their documents so I feel like I’m invisible to them, hidden behind my employer’s prestige. (Protip: unless you SAW them do it, no CPA has ever done your taxes, ever. They farm tax returns out for $15/hr.)

    I’m working three jobs right now because I love this work so much that my spouse thinks there’s something wrong with me.

  1001. Research Manager*

    I’m salaried, and I make $35,000 a year at a company that sells a few different data platforms. I’ve just been promoted to manager of a team that does specialized market research in a niche area of finance. It’s a startup (less than two years old, less thank 15 employees, on track for 2014 revenues of about $1.2 million). There’s no formal HR at my workplace, no health insurance/benefits, but hearsay told me we get two weeks vacation a year; no one seems to be keeping count, though. The default work-day is about 9 hours long, but again, no one keeps count and policies don’t exist. We all work in one big room and I LOVE the culture, though I worry that I’m a poor fit for an industry research position – I’m really not very good at cranking out phone calls, though I’m getting better.

    I had no experience in market/industry research until this job came along, but I had other knowledge bases that helped me out in terms of understanding what needs to go in to our dataset. Also, I’m under 30 and I’m the oldest person here except for the CEO and CFO, who are both about 60.

    My job involves doing all the same market research and data entry stuff as my team does (lots of phone calls and emails to investment firms, plus Google detective work) plus training and supervising employees and doing minimal HR functions like collecting timesheets. It’s likely to get more managerial as the company scales, and I’ve been told my salary will increase accordingly. I’m very happy with my pay rate though, because this job was an amazing bounce out of a career rut, and I’ve never made this much before in my life.

  1002. lawyer*

    Lawyer, in-house at a nonprofit
    SF bay area
    2 years legal experience, 6-7 years related industry experience
    $110,000

    I am the junior attorney in my organization, but I work in a niche and location where it is probably common for someone equivalently experienced at a firm to make twice what I do.

    Benefits: flexible work hours, no hourly billing, casual dress, very little interaction with jerks, most work weeks 40-50 hours, small 403(b) match, decent but not gold-plated health insurance, some travel, work in line with my values. I can work from home frequently; we also have many remote staff and I would expect that if I were to move I could become one of them.

    My position combines general in-house legal work with work very particular to my niche (including drafting contracts and agreements that have a particular purpose, working with interested communities locally and internationally). I draw on a background in tech also. Some general writing and project management of legal-related work.

    I am female. I am also one of the few lawyers I know who likes her job.

    1. Internal Communications Manager*

      Heh, “very little interaction with jerks.” This benefit should be listed more often in job ads.

  1003. Anon*

    Licensed Clinical Social Worker, self-employed, & PT consultant
    Geographic Area: Intermountain West
    Years of Experience: 18
    Salary: $125K

  1004. Operations Analyst*

    I work for one of the largest banks in the US in their ACH department. Since everyone in ACH pretty much has the same title, I work on the Exceptions Team reconciling transactions that were not able to make it to their intended destination.

    I work in VA. I’ve been with the bank for about 7.5 years but I’ve been in ACH for under a year. I’m a woman and I make roughly $45K a year.

  1006. AnonAnalyst*

    Position: Research Analyst at a government think tank — I do research and manage teams for individual projects, but don’t have direct people management responsibility.

    Area: DC metro
    Experience: ~5 years post-PhD
    Salary: $120k, plus 10% retirement contribution and pretty good benefits

    Posting because I’ve gotten some good info in this thread about other career paths I’m considering and so may as well contribute myself.

  1007. Public Library Reference Librarian*

    Librarian I — Public Library — Adult Services & Reference
    Central California — Medium/Small City
    7 professional years experience & at this one job
    $72k <— it capped out at that amount a couple years ago

  1008. Anon*

    I’m a Foreign Service Officer specializing in Consular
    Affairs currently stationed in Africa with my husband and young child. I issue immigrant and non immigrant visas of all types, adjudicate passport and other citizenship applications, and provide both routine (notary) and emergency (death, arrest, injury, crisis/evacuation) services to American citizens in my area. Including cost of living (food is very expensive here) and hardship pay (malaria zone!), I earn just under 75k a year.

  1009. Research Assistant*

    Research Assistant
    1 year experience
    $57,000

    I work at a university. Did my undergraduate here, then lucked into a paying position with my undergrad supervisor. I really enjoy the work, although to advance from here I’ll need to either leave the field, or get my PhD.

  1010. Escort*

    I make approximately 4k per week.
    I work 4 days per week, 3 hours per day approximately.
    Obviously I spent a lot of time on personal upkeep!

    I have been working for approximately a year.

    Not a typical job but I absolutely love it.

  1011. Escort*

    I make approximately 4k per week.
    Location: Australia
    I work 4 days per week, 3 hours per day approximately.
    Obviously I spent a lot of time on personal upkeep!

    I have been working for approximately a year.

    Not a typical job but I absolutely love it.

  1012. HR Manager*

    Duties: Member of the Executive Team and responsible for the overall HR strategy for approximately 1600 employees. Manage a department of 3. Primary functions include: Employee Relations, Risk Management, Compensation & Benefits, HR Metrics & Analytics, and Performance Management.

    Location: DC Metro Area
    Experience: 8 years, MBA in HR Mgmt, and SPHR Cert.
    Salary: $90,000 + up to $20,000 in bonuses

  1013. Human Resources Specialist*

    I work in Human Resources at a Midwest Non-Profit. The company has approximately 300 employees and we have 2 HR Generalists (myself being one of them), an HR Manager, and a Sr. HR Director. I just recently jumped into the HR arena (within the last year) and I make about $33K. Our HR Department handles everything from Recruiting to Benefits. We work really hard, but we have a great working environment, have some flexibility with my schedule, and my co-workers are pretty great so that is a huge plus.

    Formerly I worked at a large local hospital for 6 1/2 years and when I left was making $40K. I worked as a supervisor for the hospital switchboard (This sounds like an easy job and in some ways it was, however, we handled more complex things besides just patient information and “transfer me to” calls). They had great benefits, but it was not what I wanted to do the rest of my life.

  1014. Instructional Technology Specialist*

    My position is Instructional Tech Specialist, but that is not a good description of what I do – also I think every school defines this title differently. My duties include, but are not limited to:

    – database reporting and analysis, mostly academic reporting (enrollment, registration, etc.) – this includes writing SQL
    – heading up major projects related to distance education, including the implementation of our LMS, implementation (and in the future, support and customization) of an analytics and reporting tool, implementation of various distance learning tools we purchase
    – maintaining campus-wide LMS from the front end, working with our hosting services to troubleshoot issues and do upgrades
    – providing end-user support for the LMS
    – hiring new employees and training them
    – writing internal and external documentation for the tools we support
    – various ad hoc projects for other teams in my department, including instructional design team, media team, student services team, etc

    I live and work in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. I work for a state institution so my salary is lower than private institutions. I have nearly 7 years of experience in LMS administration, with 4 years devoted to higher-level administration, project management, and analytics.

    I am 29 years old, female, and my salary is $38,000/year. I was just given a raise this month that bumped it from $36,000/year. I started at this place 4 years ago with a salary of $32,000/year. I have an excellent health care plan, pretty good PTO, and I telecommute three days a week. Though I only have a bachelor’s degree in a somewhat unrelated field (English), my knowledge of our LMS and versatility keep me employed.

    A note to people thinking about getting a degree in instructional technology: colleges will not pay you well. K-12 school districts will pay you much better. Really dig into a job description to see what the school means – my job is very technically focused, no instructional design or end user training at all. Others are more design or training focused. You have to shop around to see what kind of inst. tech. job you want.

  1015. Customer Service Representative in Healthcare*

    I’m the front desk for a specialty physician practice, which is part of a much larger healthcare system. This involves checking patients in, answering calls, and generally managing the office I’m in (it’s very small and I’m the only CSR).

    Salary: ~$24,000 gross + 401K + match + health + vision + dental

    Female, 27 yrs old
    2 yrs experience in Healthcare
    BA in Art/Graphic Design

    Located in Pennsylvania

  1016. Department Manager - Contracting company*

    Job: Managing an estimating department for a major division of a multinational contractor. Supervise staff of 8-10, departmental revenues of $350M annually.
    Area: Western Canada
    Experience: 20 in the industry, 8 in the specific role
    Salary: $181,000, 7% pension match, $1.5M share cap (7-10% vested annually plus yearly share dividends), 10-25% annual bonus, premium benefits

  1017. Staff Attorney*

    Position: Staff Attorney with position in State Government
    Area: Large Southern City
    Experience: ~5 years post JD
    Salary: $85k with decent health benefits, awesome retirement and PTO. Very flexible job for attorney – I telework 2-3 days a week and possibility of additional flexibility as needed (I’m a mom with young kids)

  1018. Sr. Marketing Manager*

    Job: I handle email marketing and marketing automation (aka inbound marketing) for a B2B software company. I work on a pretty big marketing team and don’t manage any staff.
    Geographic area: DC Metro
    Years of Experience: 8
    Salary: $90k

    Pretty good benefits (although no 401k match) and ~4 wks of vacation/sick leave per year. No bonuses.

  1019. Technical Services Librarian*

    Job: A little bit of everything on the tech services side of the library (slightly more computer than cataloging, but not by a huge amount)
    Location: D.C. Metro
    Years: 10
    Salary: 63K

  1020. Project Manager*

    Official title was Real Estate Developer, but really functioned more as a project manager. Managed construction of affordable housing for a non-profit.

    Rust belt city.

    0 years of direct experience. BA in unrelated field. MA in tangentially related field.

    Started at $35k, ended at $42k. Was there for ~5 years. Decent salary for non-profit work, but could easily make double that in the corporate world.

    403(b). No match. Had ~$5000 to either use towards their, rather crappy, benefits plan, or could take it as cash. Really good time off. Started with a total of 22 days (were separated into PTO, vacation and sick) and after two years got bumped up by 5 days/year and after 5 years got another 5 days/year. Supposed to have comp time for evening meetings/weekend events, but wasn’t really encouraged.

  1021. Academic Librarian*

    Job: Faculty status, non-tenure at public university library
    Experience: 9 years (4 paraprofessional, 5 professional)
    Education: BS, MLIS
    Geographic area: large urban area in the south (USA)
    Salary: $53K w/ benefits

  1022. Supplier Development*

    Cross Functional team leader with goal of improving supplier performance involves scorecard evaluation, supplier process analysis, internal process review, and implementing corrective actions. No direct reports, lots of soft skills and analysis skills required, considered entry level management.
    Upper Midwest
    Experience in this field – 3 years, total career experience 21 years. (sales and operations)
    $70,000 plus standard to above ave benefits and very lucrative 401k match policy.
    No raises are given at this company without a promotion and/or a very screwy salary assessment process that no one has ever witnessed happening (to the best of my knowledge).

    1. Supplier Development*

      I should add, there is an annual bonus dependent on company performance.
      I have BA in Professional Communications and MBA (recent grad).

  1023. Data Science Engineer*

    I manage a small team of data scientists, evaluating results produced by our company’s analytics software.
    Geographic area: Silicon Valley
    Education: PhD
    Years of experience: 13
    Salary: $161,000

    Salaries are definitely higher here – we’ll start someone with a M.A. and no experience at $80k.

  1024. Program Manager*

    Job: Program Manager for Corporate Sustainability program
    Area: Southeastern VA
    Experience: 5 years, 2 years spent working through grad school
    Salary: $70K + ~$9K bonus, 401K match
    Other info: Masters degree

  1025. Legal Asst*

    Support two attorneys by preparing and filing simple pleadings and following up with clients, clerks, and courts. No legal research.

    Central Florida city

    3 years legal experience, 5 years in unrelated field.
    B.A. in semi-related field. No legal asst/paralegal certificate.

    $26k/yearly, 401k match

  1026. Human Resources Coordinator*

    I’m an HR Coordinator. I handle the HR paperwork for leaves, insurance, hiring and terminating. I also answer employees’ questions on those things. I also do some recruiting.
    I’m in northeast Ohio. My company is a manufacturer with about 500 employees. We’re part of a much bigger company. I’ve been in this job for 6 years, and learned it on the job. I have a liberal arts BA and previous experience in customer service. My annual salary is $38,000.

    1. Human Resources Coordinator*

      Adding – I’m female and 29 years old.

      Before working in this job, I worked in call centers for 2 years (graduated college early). I made about $25,000 at the highest while during call center work.

  1028. Senior Software Engineer*

    Design and develop software for a security software company.

    Austin, TX
    15 years experience
    $145,000

  1029. Lead Software Engineer*

    Title: Lead Software Engineer
    Area: New York Metro Area
    Gender/Age: Male, 35
    Years of Experience: 15
    Salary: $151k + 20% bonus + ESPP + ISO + 401(k) match

    I work for a software company in NYC. Benefits package includes financial components:
    – ESPP: twice-annual 15% discounted stock purchase with a 6 month low watermark
    – ISO stock option grant with a 12 month cliff and monthly vesting after;
    – 401(k) matching with no vesting; they match 10% of what I put in, and I always max out

    Benefits package includes other components:
    – company pays for dental and vision;
    – gym membership reimbursement ($700/year);
    – I get any tech book, attend any conference I like;
    – incentivized to produce and contribute to open source software projects;
    – tuition reimbursement;
    – unlimited no-questions-asked work-from-home;
    – massage days at work;
    – fortnightly happy hours;
    – quarterly company outings and hackathons;
    – any hardware I want

    I work for a great company!

    My day-to-day involves supporting a dozen engineers. I approve their time off; am charged with their professional growth; conduct their weekly 1:1; coach, mentor, and groom them; conduct their annual performance reviews; approve their expenses; etc. You might think I’m their “manager”, and I won’t argue beyond to say I serve them, not them me.

    I write code sometimes; more often I investigate, fix, improve, and question code. When one of my 5 teams gets strapped for work, I jump in to help out. When the site goes down, I stop whatever I’m doing and jump online to help bring things back up.

    I recruit, phone screen, interview, hire, coach, mentor, lead, manage, promote, and sometimes fire people.

    I graduated college with an English Lit degree, minoring in History: as far removed from computer science as you can imagine. But I taught myself to program, and had a few jobs with startups where I learned quite a lot.

    I have $0 debt, rent rather than own a house, and invest heavily in my 401(k), college 529s for two kids, IRAs, self-directed investment, etc.

  1030. Communications Director*

    Sector: Public sector employer
    Type of position: Senior management, leading team of 3
    Location: British Columbia, Canada
    Years of experience: 14
    Salary: base compensation – $97K
    Benefits: extended medical, dental, disability, life insurance, worker’s comp, etc – employer pays about $7K, employee pays $4K
    Pension: company doubles employee’s pension contribution
    Total compensation package: $113K

  1031. Associate Editor*

    $32k
    Mid-sized southern city
    Mid-sized publishing company.
    I’m female with about 7 years experience.

    Benefits are okay. They haven’t given anyone a raise in 5 years, though.

  1032. Vice President, Fund Development*

    Job: Vice President, Fund Development at a mid-sized (400 employees) healthcare org/nonprofit

    Geographic Area: Midwest

    Years of Experience: 15 years in fundraising/nonprofit management, started at this organization two years ago as Government Relations and Grant Coordinator, promoted to Vice President 6 months ago at this salary. Past experience has included: Executive Director for a nonprofit serving victims/survivors of dating, domestic, and sexual violence – $30,000; Executive Director of a Foundation for a nonprofit Assisted Living/Nursing Home – $42,000; Project Manager for a grant-funded Federal Research Project – $55,000; Independent Fundraising Consultant – $140,000 (I still do this on an occasional, part-time basis).

    Salary: $100,000 – initially offered $90,000, negotiated up to $100,000 (I’m a woman, if that’s helpful)

    This type of position (fundraising in a nonprofit) can vary wildly, so it might be helpful to know:
    Organization budget: $25 million
    Fundraising Expectation: $5.3 million
    2.5 Fundraising Staff: Me, Gov Relations and Grant Coordinator, and a 1/2 time Associate (database management, events, etc.). We contract out for event planning.

    1. Vice President, Fund Development*

      A couple of things I should have added: I do hold my CFRE and am working toward my ACFRE.

      As Government Relations and Grant Coordinator, I made $65,000.
      Our (NEWLY created position!! Still hiring!!) Major Gifts Officer will make approximately $65,000.
      Our Development Associate makes $48,000 (this position is half-time for my department, and half-time for the Marketing department).

  1033. HR Lady*

    Title: HR Consultant (internal)
    Salary: $98,000 + 5% bonus
    Benefits: Awesome
    Vacation: 3 weeks, plus the week between Christmas and New Years
    Experience: 10 Years
    Location: Suburban Philadelphia
    Industry: Pharma
    Education: MA

    I handle an internal HR function, advise senior management and put out fires. Requires indepth knowledge of internal policies and politics. Statistical skills and computer savvy a must. (I don’t have to program but I work Access and Word and Excel like a boss!)

  1034. Office & Technical / Administrative*

    Title: Office & Technical / Administrative (top tier)
    Industry: Theme Park
    Location: Orlando, FL
    Salary: $14.00/hour (approx. $29k/year)
    Benefits: 10 days vacation, 6 days sick leave, theme park admissions & discounts
    Health Insurance: $85-$105/week for employee & spouse, depending on plan
    Experience: 3 years (this position); 15 years overall admin experience
    Education: BA

    Pay rates cannot be negotiated here at Theme Park; it’s pretty much take it or leave it. Front-line folks start around $7.70 for ride operators, $8.50 for hotel/front desk. Benefits and insurance amounts are the same no matter what job you hold.

  1035. Auto Claims Examiner*

    ◾Auto claims examiner: handle serious injury/fatality auto claims for a Fortune 200 company.
    ◾Geographic area: Tampa
    ◾Years of experience: approx. 8 years
    ◾Your salary: $80k
    ◾Benefits: 401k matching, health, vision, dental insurance, generous PTO, education assistance (paid for my MBA). Salary and benefits are great but there is a very high level of stress from the nature of the job.

  1036. Jr. Graphic Designer*

    Graphic Designer (Junior Level)-was hired for print, but got saddled with digital, web, and e-mail duties as well. They would like to see me on video editing as well.
    D.C.
    2 years of internship work, 4-5 years professional work (student job+2 years agency before coming to this job)
    $40,000
    Benefits include 401k, health/dental insurance, and FSA accounts, as well as 3 weeks vacation, basic life and AD&D, and short-term disability.

  1037. SocialMediaDir*

    I manage a team that does social media for about 15 web properties around the globe for a major media company in NYC. Years: 7. Salary: $130k+bonus.

  1038. Public Relations*

    I’m the head of PR and Marketing for a tech company in New York City. I manage a team of five.
    Years of experience: 10
    Gender: Female
    Age: 30s
    Salary: $120K

  1039. Philanthropic Director*

    I’m the director of a philanthropic organization. We raise money and then give it away.
    Bay Area
    14 years experience
    $105k +$15k bonus annually, 401k, 15 days vacation

  1040. Anonymous*

    Senior PR manager
    San Francisco
    $130,000/yr + 20% bonus
    Health benefits (pay minimal into it each paycheck)
    4 weeks vacation
    Masters degree
    4 years in PR
    Tech industry

  1041. Design Researcher*

    My title could be one of many so I’ll list them here for people searching the page:

    User Researcher
    Design Researcher
    User Experience Researcher
    Usability Analyst

    Salary 66,000
    Bonuses + profit sharing = close to 100K
    Generous travel/education budget
    Full Paid Benefits/Multi-month Maternity
    4 weeks vacation (after 4 years)

    Located in the Southeast, female

  1042. Public Information Officer/Analyst*

    Local government public information officer and analyst in the Midwest. Manage most communications for the org and work on special projects. Very public and employee facing.

    Salary: $69k before benefits (high in this market)
    Education: BA and MPA
    Experience: Just under 3 years full-time
    Benefits: Health, Dental, Life, Pension, Retirement Account (no employer contribution), miscellaneous health incentives, very nice/generous time off

  1043. Localization Project Manager*

    Pennsylvania. Job scope (not complete):

    Typically I would manage anywhere from 8 to 12 projects at any given day.

    – checking my email to look for any urgent questions, requests, issues with either the freelancers or the clients;
    – following up on all my freelancers in every project and making sure than they are on track with their tasks (translation, editing, DTP);
    – answering freelancers’ questions, troubleshoot their software and files, guide them and help them understand key terms in the project, etc.
    – reviewing incoming files from the freelancers, then doing a QA by running the files in XBench. Creating clean file copies of files. Check tags and any embedded text in the files.
    – doing a side-by-side of the projects in the last stages of work
    – deciding if DTP of any given projects can be done in house or whether I should outsource it. If I decided to do it in house, I would use InDesign, Frame Maker, Illustrator, Publisher, etc.
    – quoting and budgeting incoming requests
    – invoice and bill clients
    – enter freelancers’ invoices into Quick Books

    $40,000 per year
    Not bad for the area but the job was extremely demanding with a lot of unpaid overtime and some weekends. There was not a lot of possibilities for salary increase or promotion.

  1044. Editor*

    Job duties: Deciding on the news content of a small daily paper, interviewing, writing, taking photographs, “representing the paper” in the community
    Location: Michigan
    Experience: 10 years
    $28,300
    My company also pays for my membership in a local service club

  1045. Data Analyst*

    Job title: Data Analyst
    Geographic area: Silicon Valley, California
    Education: Requires BS in quantitative field (I have higher degree)
    Experience: 10-12 years including prior jobs
    Salary: $108k + 10–20% annual bonus depending on company revenue
    Benefits: small 401(k) match; health, vision, dental, disability insurance; ~25-35 vacation and sick days per year depending on# of years worked, plus additional paid time off if needed for family medical reasons; paid jury leave; employee stock purchase plan; on-site fitness classes and work-out room

    Data analysis is actually a small part of my job. My projects are highly varied, and the mix changes from year to year. Our group has some choice over what work we take on and our manager assigns projects based on individual strengths and interests, with an eye toward balancing different types of work. As a result I am rarely bored. My tasks include:
    – A lot of SQL
    – Deep knowledge of how our business rules are encoded in the database
    – Anomaly investigation: Something is not behaving as expected. Figure out why. (This might take 20 minutes, or it might take 3 weeks.)
    – Light coding/scripting: perl, sed, awk
    – Create and maintain scripts that move data around or perform bulk calculations for analyis/reporting
    — Create browser-based interactive reporting tools
    – Interview our “business people” to learn about their processes and customer needs; explain what I’ve learned to our engineers
    – Interview our engineers about the technology they’re developing; explain what I’ve learned to the business people
    – Train new hires (on other teams) about our business rules and technology
    – Write documents (basically engineering textbook chapters) about our technology
    – Create e-learning material
    – Gather and document requirements for new systems/components

    Pros:
    – Well-behaved, responsible, smart, helpful coworkers
    – Great work/life balance: No grief about coming in late because of dentist appointment, or stepping out for a meeting at your kid’s school
    – Flexible hours
    – Work from home as needed (say to wait for plumber or important package) or regularly (1/week) as desired
    – Great coworkers. Seriously, this is so key I’m saying it again. Management is really diligent in screening new hires for competence, attitude, and fit.

    Cons:
    – Open office plan, lots of noise
    – Cubes keep getting smaller and squeezed together more and more
    – Little opportunity for advancement
    – Performance review system allows only 20% of employees to get real raises (above inflation)

  1046. Web developer*

    I’m somewhere between a front- and back-end web developer (I do some of almost everything, I guess).

    Female, 26 with ~4 years experience when started current position (and when started making this salary, about a year ago)
    DC area, government contractor
    $70,000 plus good-not-awesome benefits (very good 401k matching, good health insurance options, so-so paid leave amounts/policies)
    Job security… not super comfortable but I know, in the world of contractors, it could be worse

    I think I covered everything?

    Thank you everyone for a very interesting, very educational thread!

  1047. Senior Policy Analyst*

    I am a Senior Policy Analyst at a local government. Includes a lot of project management.
    Chicago
    8 years experience, with 3 of them being at this job

    $68,000, with great retirement benefits (pension), decent health benefits, but due to my # of years at this employer, only 12 vacation days a year (every 4 years you get an extra 3 days/year)

    Female, 32 years old

  1048. Research Consultant*

    -Title: Research Consultant
    -Industry: Health Consulting
    -Salary: $71,000 (exempt) plus 5 to 10% bonus, based on employee and company performance
    -Years of Experience: 3-1/2
    -Education: Masters in Health Policy (MPH)
    -Benefits: Health insurance (ironically a high deductible health plan), dental, vision, 401(k) match, flexible work hours, 23 days of vacation per year

    1. Research Consultant*

      Sorry, forgot my location and demographics: late 20s female based in metropolitan Washington, D.C.

  1049. Compensation Specialist*

    Industry: Banking/Financial Services. I work for a local credit union in Western Canada with approx. 500 employees

    Benefits: flexible health & dental with optional enhancements, start at 3 weeks vacation, generous sick leave, company matched RSP contributions, tuition reimbursement, staff banking packages and perks, bank any overtime above standard 37.5hr work week (either paid out or take time in lieu), 11 paid stat holidays per year, lots of employee-led events

    Salary: $58k plus up to 10% bonus opportunity depending on individual and company performance

    Experience: 7 yrs as an admin/exec assistant, 3 years in HR, no direct experience in compensation except for this role (1 yr, 3 months)

    1. Compensation Specialist*

      Sorry, phone posted before I was finished.

      I wanted to add that I primarily administer the company’s compensation programs, including annual and sales incentive programs. I also design new incentive programs and conduct job evaluations (market survey analysis, job pricing, etc), as well as recommending job rates and salary increases for all levels. I report directly to the Sr VP of HR, after my manager left last year and the position wasn’t filled, so I’m also involved in executive and Board compensation research and analysis.

      Female, 31 years old, no degree. I’m working on finishing a university certificate in HR, and after that will be pursuing specialized compensation-related courses.

  1050. Quality Engineer*

    I’m a QE working in consumer electronics in Michigan (not Detroit). I monitor returns/calls/reviews on our products and then work with the rest of my team to make improvements. I have an MS in mechanical engineering and about 10 years of experience.

    My salary is $68k plus a possible bonus (depends on how well I and the company do each year). I have 3 weeks of vacation and 11 holidays. The sick day policy is ‘stay home if you’re not feeling well.’

    I’m female.

  1051. Therapist, LICSW*

    Job: Therapist @ a nonprofit community mental health agency
    Location: Seattle, WA
    Qualifications/experience: bachelors in psych, masters in social work, 4 years of experience post-masters degree, licensed as an independent clinical social worker
    Salary: $43,500, plus agency pays 100% of my health insurance premiums
    Gender: female

  1052. Web Developer*

    I develop and maintain a major web portal for a large corporation — building new features etc.
    Location: Philadelphia, PA
    Experience: 4 years
    your salary: 90k
    Great health insurance (with a price tag, yes.) Stock benefits. Company performance bonuses. 3 weeks PTO (no sick).
    Female, college degree (not in computer science)

  1053. Training Director*

    ◾Training Director for ~4,500 people
    ◾Supervise 4 trainers and program managers
    ◾11 years of experience as one of those program managers
    ◾90k
    ◾D.C. metro area
    ◾4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks sick leave, generous retirement benefits

  1054. Digital Communications Officer*

    JOB: Oversee all online communications and fundraising platforms — website, social media, email marketing, crowdfunding — for international nonprofit. Develop and execute digital communications strategies for these platforms. Manage projects that include the design/development of digital communications technologies. Content development (writing/editing, some design). Manage consultants: developers, designers, writers, editors, videographers, photographers. Community manager. Analyze engagement metrics. Pitch and write articles for online publications.

    LOCATION: New York, NY

    EXPERIENCE: 10+ years

    SALARY/BENEFITS: $68K + employer paid health and life insurance (employer pays half for spouse incl same-sex/dependents) + 401a/403b retirement, 10% salary employer contribution + 25 vacation days + 10 paid holidays + 12 sick days + Flex health and transportation plan + professional development funds + some telecommuting + some travel

    DEMOGRAPHICS: White, Female, 30-something

  1055. Kindergarten Teacher*

    This is such an interesting post!
    Title: Kindergarten teacher (private non-American school)
    Bachelors Degree in Education
    2 years experience
    3 wks vacation/yr, but no paid sick leave.
    ~32k

  1056. Public Policy Manager*

    Public Policy Manager for the regional chamber of commerce – meaning public policy, advocacy, lobbying, and grassroots.
    Texas
    11 years experience
    Salary $70K + $5K in relocation costs
    Benefits are great: matching 401k, multiple health plans to choose from, vision and dental, 4 weeks vacation and sick time + holidays.
    Female with a BA

    Moved from Washington DC where I made $91K as a federal lobbyist at a membership association; the lower cost of living and better quality of life are two huge reasons for moving, along with being near my family now.

  1057. Research Data Analyst*

    Job: Conducting statistical analysis for various research studies using SAS and R. Working at a research university.
    Location: Boston, MA
    Experience: 4 years, post MPH
    Salary: 50K

  1058. anon*

    Senior Analyst at a consulting firm, 3 years of experience post-college (bachelors). $42,500 base salary, plus excellent healthcare benefits and decent employer match. I’m in Washington DC.

  1059. High Ed Administrative Assistant II*

    Title: Administrative Assistant II
    Area: Boston area (high COL)
    Job Description: Non-supervisory administrative position requiring both high-level EA support for three directors, as well as stuff like making sure the copier has paper in it.
    Experience/qualifications: In this position, less than a year, previously, 2.5 years of administration (including 2 years operations/ administration experience in a high-growth start-up), 1.5 years of business development/customer support, ~10 years of part-time writing/editing experience, assorted web design & graphic design skills, ~10 years of unrelated customer-focused part-time experience. BA English top five school, MFA top-twenty school.
    Salary: $26.52/hour non-exempt (includes raise at 6 months). Four weeks vacation, 5% pension + 5% 401(k) match, decent health coverage, ~$6k tuition reimbursement.

    Notes: Negotiated initial offer up 4%. I’m a woman, and negotiated because I felt it was my responsibility as a feminist, despite being OK with the initial offer. Great workplace valuing work-life balance. Really happy there but want to move eventually into a more demanding role there with higher career earning potential.

  1060. Special Needs Resources Librarian*

    Job: Public Library
    Geographic Area: Greater Cleveland
    Years of Experience: 6 months
    Salary: $39,300

  1061. Medical Insurance Patient Account Rep*

    –I work for a small doctor’s office and process all payments and denials from insurance companies, appeal denials, argue with patients about their insurance coverage, set up payments plans, and get estimates of patient cost for surgeries.
    –27/f/American Midwest
    –Experience: 18 months of working in the billing office after 18 months of doing front desk and other clerical work (all at a different office). High school diploma, a couple years of college but no degree. There isn’t really insurance school anyway.
    –Salary: approx $30k ($14.25/hour) with really good benefits.

  1062. Environmental Officer*

    Years Experience: Just made it to 3 years
    Salary: 82K AUD
    Geographic area: Australia

    37.5 hour weeks, so not bad. Work basically involves EIA on large scale industry projects.

  1063. Jake*

    Professional Sports Sales. BS in politiccal Science.
    Being in sales my salary will drastically fluctuate. I made 74k in 2013 but have already made 195k in 2014. I should finish this year making around 245k. I have been with this team for 3 years so the increase in commission is based on growing my book of business.

  1064. HR Manager*

    Job: HR Manager at small life-sciences software co. A little bit of everything HR, i.e., employee relations, training, project management, communications, performance management, compensation, recruiting — but no benefits/payroll.
    Geographic area: Boston
    Experience: 16+ years in HR as recruiter then HRBP
    Salary: 95k + min. benefits (good health, but weak on others) + stock + 4 wks vacation
    Notes: I downgraded salary for better work-life balance. I worked for a mega-company offering over 100k + great benefits, but was always clocking 60-70 hrs/wk. Here, I average 45 hrs with way less stress. Culture is more pleasant and flexible. Now if only I can get them focused on better retirement benefits!

  1065. Senior localization tester*

    I review and play through the localized (European French) version of video games to find bugs and issues precisely tied to the localized process (spelling/grammar mistakes, display issues, contextual issues, unlocalized text, etc.) I work for an outsourcing company with clients ranging from minuscule studios to AAA, billion-dollar editors.
    As a senior, will also take care of some administrative tasks such as reviewing bug reports, tutoring new workers and leading teams through tasks.

    Salary: 14$/h, 32-40h a week (I know if I work about 18 hours before the start of my next shift), no benefits beyond the bare minimum enforced by law (Quebec province, Canada).
    Annual salary: varies wildly, but have been consistently under the poverty line for 2 years.

  1066. Administrative Assistant*

    My last job: administrative assistant for a contract research organization (CRO) for the federal government

    geographic area: Washington, DC area
    approximate years of experience: 12.5
    My last salary: approx. $47,000/year

    My former company had a reputation for paying below market for many positions. Also, I started out 12.5 years ago at $35k, so the raises were not stellar.

  1067. IT Specialist*

    2 Years of Experience
    Salary: 54,000
    I have a Bachelors and MAsters (3 years of undergrad and I went straight to my Masters program), and a number of internships and great recommendations.

  1068. Security Analyst*

    Job: I’m a contractor for the DoD.
    Geographic area: DC
    Approximate years of experience: 7, with a BA that’s not entirely relevant.
    Salary: $70k with benefits (a rarity in the contracting world).
    Anything else pertinent to put that number in context: $70k would have been a low salary for this job a couple of years ago, but things have changed.

  1069. Materials Engineer*

    Job: Materials Engineer for Oil and Gas industry.
    I help the design engineers choose materials, evaluate new materials, and design new materials for use in downhole tools.
    Geography: Texas
    Experience: 2.5 yrs + BA in Materials Engineering
    Salary ~75K

    Notes: My materials specialty is rather rare which makes it an odd duck in this industry. I started pretty high right out of school and it’s been moving up at a pretty good clip.

  1070. akmegs*

    Job: Employee Devleopment Specialist
    Geographical Location: Upper Midwest
    Years of Experience: 10
    Salary: $45k, paid health/vision insurance, good PTO (except they require you to put in PTO for an hour even for salaried workers…)
    Anything Else Pertinant: It is much less then I have been paid in the past, but recently moved here and this company is a start up. I am trying to give it time, hoping it will get better. In all honestly – they pay me well for what I do… I’ve just done so much more that it makes this job hard to swallow.

  1071. Non-Profit Program Coordinator*

    $38,000 before taxes. Suburbs of NYC.

    I coordinate a specific program within my non-profit. I deal directly with clients, manage a 40+ person volunteer program including 3x-per-year trainings, and do a lot of administrative work regarding grant compliance. A lot of other incidental responsibilities.

    I am a woman.

    3 years experience post-college, with a bunch of relevant during-college work and research experience. In my 3 years I have never gotten a raise, but I did get a one-time bonus this spring of $800.

    20 days paid vacation per year, 12 days paid sick per year, small amt. of personal time per year. I also get unofficial comp time as I work very nontraditional hours -so any amount over my 7 hr work day is allowed to “flex” back later when I have time. Christian holidays observed.

    I get health insurance, though it’s not great. There is also a retirement option that I do not contribute to and thus can’t provide a lot of info on, but there is some kind of percentage company match.

  1072. User Experience Designer*

    Job: Design and document functionality and information architecture for websites and mobile apps. Do research into user needs and the usability of said websites and apps. Design things so that they are intuitive, do what you need them to do, and in a way that is not frustrating.
    geographic area: Philadelphia Metro
    approximate years of experience: 3
    salary: $48,000

    I work for a interactive advertising agency that specializes in stuff for pharma companies. Theoretically, pharma jobs pay more, but by all the salary surveys (from profesional organizations) I’ve seen, it’s about 10k-20k below market.

  1073. Website Producer*

    Description: Entry-level position. Help with web production including homepage, blog, main website, and conference sites. Help manage online communications, user experience and content management system for large non-profit.
    Experience: 2 years of internships in web production, with Bachelors degree. I was hired out of my internship at the org.
    Salary: Started at $45K, after one year $52K+. Required to work 37.5 hours per week.
    Benefits: No overtime, so works into flex time. Annual leave and sick leave accrue separately, the amount of AL accrued per pay period depends on years at work, but first year comes out to about 12 and 13 days. 9 paid holidays. 5% match on 401k. Great free HMO. TIAA-CREF match.
    Location: Metro DC

    I’m a woman.

  1074. Biomedical Equipment Specialist*

    Title : Biomedical Equipment Specialist
    Specialty : Radiation Oncology -Linear Accelerators, Simulators, (some CT work)
    Sub specialty : Everything else in the clinic that can break.
    Geographic Area : Northeast
    In House – teaching hospital
    Years experience: Overall= 26, this line of work = 10+
    Salary: $80k + $8k (ave/yr OT), 6% match 403B,
    Great health benefits, 35 days ETO.
    1250 hrs sick time banked from old system, held for short term disabilty.

  1075. (RN) Operating Room*

    Title : (RN) Operating Room – Circulating
    Specialty : Ophthalmology
    Geographic Area : Northeast
    Years experience: 9
    Salary: $80k + $9k (OT & on-call) + $2k ( for not taking health benefits)
    6% match 401k,
    4 weeks vacation, 6 paid holidays, 12 sick days.

  1077. Human Resources Manager*

    Job: HR Manager
    Area: Central coast of CA (near Santa Barbara)
    Experience: 10 years, with a BA
    Salary: $70,000 + benefits + 24 days PTO/year + 401(k) matching + annual bonus. I will also get a $5k bump in pay when I complete my SPHR in June.

  1078. Quality Engineering Analyst*

    I am responsible for the quality (ISO 9001 * ISO 17025) auditing for a 20,000+ person multi-national, manufacturing company. I am the go-to person for process auditing, and work on special projects concerning this area. I have no managerial responsibility.
    I live and work in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.
    I have 15+ years of experience.
    I make $78,000 a year, plus a bonus which can be from 0%-7% of base salary. I also have good health benefits.
    I have a non-scientific (Bachelor of Arts) degree. I have been with my company for 10+ years.

  1079. Real Estate Project Manager (Affordable Housing)*

    – Southern California
    – 6 years of experience (not including related internships while in college and graduate school)
    – $100,000 + bonus of 10-30% of salary
    – Female
    – I’m paid less than my male coworkers, but they have more direct development experience and I have moved around within the affordable housing industry. I also work for a for-profit developer. Salaries range from $65-120K depending on experience and if the company is for-profit/non-profit
    – health care around 1% of my salary; I took the company HMO that requires a low payment and I’m single

  1081. Project Manager*

    I work with a small website developer team and I also do translation and website accessibility.

    I make $6000 per year.

    I live in Eastern Europe

  1082. Technical Sales Engineer*

    Technical Sales Engineering at a large steel company
    Midwest – small town
    Entry level – BS in Materials Engineering
    $62,000+ ROA bonus+ corporate profit sharing

  1083. Senior Accountant -female*

    Senior Accountant at a med size bank in Wisconsin.
    6 years total (2 yrs at the bank). Going for my CPA
    $54,000

    No 401k match, benefits are horrible, no bonus, I don’t have health and dental (thank goodness for the husband).

  1084. Anonymous*

    ■your job: Special Education Teacher
    ■your geographic: “Upstate” NY
    ■your approximate years of experience: 22
    ■your salary: $56,000
    ■anything else pertinent to put that number in context: That salary includes 6 weeks of “Summer School/Camp” and private tutoring (approximately 15 hours/week – sometimes until 9:00PM).

  1085. Director of Operations*

    Director of Operations – Public Charter School
    DC
    Salary: 76K
    Years of experience: about 7 total and 3 with this organization and my experience has been very varied but all more or less applicable.
    Education: B.A. and J.D but never practiced
    I work at a public charter school where I oversee HR, facilities, contracts, meal service, general operations. I have 3 direct reports. I know a lot of people who have a similar job and the salaries seem to range from about 60K to 95K. COOs in public charters seem to range from 80K to 120K generally.

  1086. Senior IT Delivery Manager*

    Location : Los Angeles (home office)
    Salary: $93000 with 20% bonus
    Description: Manage a team of 120 engineers through different programs, deliveries, and network (cisco) implementations.

  1087. Senior IT Delivery Manager*

    Location : Los Angeles (home office)
    Exp: 12 years
    Salary: $93000 with 20% bonus
    Description: Manage a team of 120 engineers through different programs, deliveries, and network (cisco) implementations.

  1089. Program Manager*

    Title: Program Manager
    Description: Manage a food security and livelihoods program funded by an government donor. Work for an international NGO/nonprofit.
    Experience: Master’s degree + 4 years
    Salary $47K. Decent benefits including free housing.
    Location: various overseas posts, often in developing countries.

  1090. Senior Technical Lead*

    My job title is an approximation, since our actual job titles are a crazy labyrinth of weirdness here.

    My actual job: I am a technical lead for an application development team. I have two project teams reporting into me, with a total of 10 people, and I am responsible for application architecture, technical guidance, project strategy, and other leadership-y and management stuff to keep the teams running smoothly.

    Location: New York City

    Experience: ~10 years as a software developer, followed by ~4 years as a team lead, first for a smaller team, now for this team.

    Other relevant details: I work for a non-profit, which impacts my compensation. We pay quite well for a non-profit, but we’re not competitive with the finance or technology industries, which both have big presences in NYC.

    Salary: ~$145,000 plus benefits, no bonuses (see above re: non-profit). Benefits are pretty good.

    1. Senior Technical Lead*

      Oops, two other details I left out of this message:

      * I’m male.

      * I’ve only worked three jobs in the time since I graduated college, so I haven’t had the salary bumps that come from changing companies regularly. I’ve been at this job for 7 years. However, I’ve seen very good salary growth at this job, especially along with the promotions I’ve received in that time.

  1091. Data Analyst*

    Check data aggregation protocol/numbers.
    Years of Experience: none (first job out of college)
    Salary: $50k

    Geographic Area: Orange County

  1092. Tax Accountant*

    I’m an Enrolled Agent with a Bachelor’s of arts in another major (not accounting).
    had a few seasons of experience in doing tax returns, but what got me this job was my EA license.
    This is my first “real” accounting job…my salary is about 38K, which is the highest I’ve had so far.
    I’m female and in NY.

  1093. Library Manager*

    Middle management, large public library system
    Pacific NW
    6 years experience as professional library, 8 years in libraries, 13 years total work experience
    $71,000/year

  1094. Paralegal/Legal Secretary*

    $52,250 annually plus profit sharing pool (approx. $7,000 last year), plus OT resulted in $60,000 annual income combined from this job.
    7 years experience.
    San Diego.
    Small law firm (10 attorneys).
    Male.

    1. Paralegal/Legal Secretary*

      Also, employer paid healthcare, vision, dental, life insurance, and 401k. 37.5 hour work week (7.5 hour days).

  1095. Museum Registrar*

    Assistant Registrar at a museum (arranging artwork shipments, managing collections, exhibition management, etc.)
    Midwest/East Coast
    Salary: $28,000 + benefits (I am non-exempt and often make overtime due to complicated projects, however)
    Experience: 2.5 years
    Education: BA

  1096. Financial Aid Counselor II*

    Your job:
    I work as the loan administrator for my institution. I am the go-to person when any staff (including my boss) have questions about loan processing, how the Dept. of ED systems such as COD or NSLDS work, rules & regs both current and upcoming regarding Stafford/Perkins programs, or private loan processing and policy. I review student accounts for any problems or inconsistencies, and make corrections as needed in our student information system. I certify (approve) that students who apply for a private loan are eligible for it, and disburse all private loans manually to student accounts. I meet with lender representatives to discuss any customer service issues our students have experienced, learn about any new policies or products they have for students, and offer feedback for what might help our students. I supervise our student staff. I work closely with some other special programs and assist with events on campus, lending support to other departments when needed. I work on back-end technical functions, testing upgrades and setting up functions in our system.. I also work with students and parents, and faculty/admin staff regarding the federal work study program.

    Geographic area:
    Chicago, for the time being

    Your approximate years of experience:
    3 in Financial Aid; I worked in higher education for 4 years prior to transferring to my current department/role.

    Your salary:
    $42,000 per year + benefits:
    -medical & dental insurance
    -full tuition remission at our institution; tuition exchange and reimbursement possible for others
    -conference travel at least once per year (no professional development opportunities were available to me at my last position, so this is a real plus)
    -2 personal days per year
    -403(b) with up to 5% match
    -10 sick days per year
    -17 vacation days per year (based upon my years of service; 1-5 years of service earns a maximum of 15). I’ll accrue 18 in a few months. I can bank 1.5 times my annual accrual. In addition, we get at the very least Dec 25-Jan 1 off yearly.

    Anything else pertinent to put that number in context:
    -I am an exempt employee.
    -I am a woman.
    -I am between the entry-level (Financial Aid Counselor I) and Assistant/Associate Director level.
    -I have a B.A., and am pursuing an M.Ed in Higher Education Administration at another university (unfortunately, higher education institutions are trending toward requiring a masters degree in order to advance).
    -I work at a private 4-year institution. It is my understanding that in general, public institutions may pay slightly higher.

  1097. Vanessa*

    New York City
    Social Work Supervisor
    10 years experience as a social worker. Less than 1 year in current position
    75K
    20 vacation days
    12 sick days
    2 personal days
    1 birthday
    10 holidays
    401k with 5% employee contribution
    Health insurance, vision coverage,dental coverage.

  1098. Chemical Company*

    Job: Process Engineer for large chemical company
    Location: Gulf coast (Based in Baton Rouge, travel to Houston and NO)
    Experience: 7 years (28 year old woman, at same company since college)
    Salary: $105k plus bonus (usually 8-10%). Annual raise next month will probably be around 5%
    Benefits: 5 weeks vacation plus sick time, plus 10 holidays, extremely flexible schedule, 401k match of 4%, plus standard insurance, etc.
    Degrees: Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering
    Travel: Currently 50-75%. Has been 0, just depends on project.

  1099. Environmental Policy Campaign Associate*

    I work at a medium sized nonprofit doing political organizing.
    Washington, DC
    6 years of experience
    $40,000
    Fully paid healthcare (KP). I also have a Master’s degree.

  1100. Lyla*

    I’m an assistant restaurant manager in Madison, Wisconsin. While I earn a nice salary of $29,000 a year, I took student loans out to finance my associate’s degree. While I was in college, I received lots of credit card offers and well, I thought I’d make a lot of money once I started working and it’d be easy to pay them all off right away. Then when I got my first apartment, I decided to buy furniture. They had a great offer of 12-months, no interest financing, so it seemed like a good deal. But each month as hard as I try, I can’t seem to make much of a dent in the debt and I don’t have any money left over for things I want to do now. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past and I want to pay off the debt so I can one day buy a house or go back to school. Do you have any suggestions for me?

  1101. Vanroth*

    IT Project Manager – Fortune 100 company
    Tucson, AZ
    38 yrs old
    18+ yrs experience (5 at this company)
    $115k + 3% bonus
    8% 401k match (slides to 13% based on age/service)
    No net cost HSA plan for myself and spouse
    BS+MBA and tons of professional certifications

    Unfortunately down from my pre-2008 days as an IT Director ($200k + 30% bonus) :(

    Spouse:
    Paralegal – Regional PI firm
    Tucson, AZ
    7 yrs experience
    $45K
    $1200/yr 401k match
    Sociology BA

  1102. Office Manager*

    I’m the Office Manager for a smallish nonprofit (about 20 staff in this office, a dozen in another). I support the staff as an administrative assistant and I’m also in charge of building issues, ordering supplies, dealing with vendors, credit card & expense reports, etc.

    I have about 8 years’ experience, no college degree.

    Located in Western Mass.

    I am at 75% FTE and make $30k.

    All of my benefits are prorated for my fte: 4 weeks vacation, 10 paid holidays, 5 sick days, 2 personal days. after a year (i’ve been here 6 months), the organization deposits 5% of my salary into a retirement account. this varies depending on how much they can afford.

    i pay 25% of my health insurance; if i was full time it would be 100% employer-paid. the portion i pay is about $100 a month.

  1103. Senior Mechanical Engineer*

    Title: Senior Mechanical Engineer – I do R&D, testing, and field support for a product in the transportation industry
    Company: Fortune 100 corporation
    Geographic Area: New England
    Experience: 10 years (plus 3 internships during college), all but one internship with my current employer
    Salary: $72k, no overtime, not bonus-eligible
    Education: BS in mechanical engineering, MS in management, MS in engineering science
    Gender: Female (and I have been told by a senior manager that I make quite a bit less than male coworkers with comparable experience and education – he said it was wrong, but he has no way of fixing it)
    Age: 32
    Benefits: 3 weeks of vacation (started with 2), a ton of sick time, mediocre medical and dental insurance (high deductible w/ no company HSA contribution), a typical 401(k) match, defined contribution pension plan, and a very good tuition assistance program.
    Travel: 1 week or so every 1-2 years. Travel budgets have been sharply curtailed since 2009.

  1104. Marketing Manager DC*

    Title: Marketing Manager
    In-house marketing manager for a law firm. I do marketing, research, public relations, business development, event management, social media marketing, graphic design and web page management. Basically I do a bit of everything. I’m severely underpaid and only accepted this job because the start-up I was working for went under (I was then unemployed for an entire year). My secretary makes more than I do : (
    Company: Legal Services
    Geographic Area: Washington, DC
    Experience: 8 years communications, social media marketing, public relations, & event management (including two internships)
    Salary: $51K (pretty low considering the cost of living in DC is so high!)
    Education: BS- Communications
    Gender: Female
    Age: 31
    Benefits: My premiums are pretty high. Our HSA helps a bit. They contribute $1200 a year. 401(K) with a 6% match. I get 12 days leave. No tuition assistance. Bonuses are an insult; my last bonus was $150. It’s incomprehensible.

  1105. Graduate Student Services Advisor*

    Job: Advisor for grad students at a for-profit, private university. (Basically registering students for classes in their major, answering their questions and referring them to other offices as needed.)
    Geographic Area: SF Bay Area
    Yrs Experience: 5, plus a master’s degree
    Salary: $50,000

    Although the salary is higher than other jobs in this field (due to the fat that it’s a for-profit school) the benefits are significantly lower. Very limited holiday and vacation time, low company morale.

  1106. Engineer*

    Job: Engineer for an aerospace company
    Geographic area: L.A.
    Education: B.S. M.S while working
    Years Experience: 7.5
    Salary: $98k + bonus (usually $5k or so)
    Benefits: Cadillac healthcare, average retirement match, old-school pension that has since been phased out for new hires, some tuition reimbursement, 12 vacation days, normal vacation days
    Travel: Minimal, a few cross-coast trips a year

    Likely underpaid compared to others with similar experience at my company, but it was a really really awesome job for a lot of reasons. (I just recently left for personal reasons.)

  1107. Technical Proposal Writer*

    Technical Proposal Writer and Project Management Assistant
    -$50 k
    +Benefits include: 100% company paid life insurance
    70% company paid medical, dental, vision insurance
    3% or salary- annual company paid 401(k) contribution
    3 weeks paid vacation

    Where- Arlington, VA- Small Private Consulting Firm
    Education: BA from Syracuse University (graduated in may)
    Experience: internships in college plus 5 months.

  1108. Finance Graduate in Telecom*

    Job: Project Analyst (for local utility company’s company-wide software related program)
    Geographic Area: Los Angeles
    Yrs Experience: 0, was hired right after graduation.
    Salary: $45/hr
    Only worked there for 4 months, and later laid off due to massive budget cut.

    Was unemployed for a year and a half….and then…..
    Job: Project Specialist (for a foreign telecom company’s office in LA)
    Geographic Area: Los Angeles
    Yrs Experience: No related industry or job experience
    Salary: $41000 (in which 80% is base, and 20% is the incentive) with healthcare, 15 vacation days per year.

  1109. Mechanical Engineer*

    Job: Mechanical Engineer (defense related)
    Experience: 9 years of experience with B.S. in Mechanical/Aersospace Engineering
    Geographical Location: DFW area
    Salary: 80,000/year with approved OT paid with 8 hour/week minimum. 20 vacation days, healthcare premiums for family of 4 is about 6600/year, 4% match on company 401k

  1110. Website and newsletter editor*

    Freelance writer, editing high-tech newsletter & website plus doing other side writing projects
    Experience: 25 years, BA and MBA
    Location: Colorado, but most clients, including the newsletter, are on the East Coast
    Pay: ~$55,000 with no benefits at all

  1111. Project Archivist*

    Mostly processing (organizing, preserving, and writing a guide to archival collections) and outreach
    Los Angeles, CA
    Almost 5 years (3 years post-MA degree, 2 years while still in school)
    $40,000 (before taxes), vacation/sick days, paid holidays, health/vision/dental partially paid for, awesome environment but temporary job

  1112. Two Jobs to Talk About*

    Are we still updating this thread? If so:

    previously:
    Senior Research Assistant at a university-affiliated research center. I did research and writing, senior-colleague-wrangling, some editing, some back-end script work, and other duties as assigned (some admin work of the scheduling-meetings, taking-minutes variety).
    DC area.
    just under $58k, plus killer bennies – 4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks sick leave, plus some non-rollover personal days, ten or eleven holidays, pretty flexible telework options, good health, dental, vision, retirement, tuition remission (one course per semester – taxed as income at the graduate level, but some of that was deductable). But I qualified for subsidized housing in the county where I live.
    I’m in my mid-30’s and have a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in the field in which we were doing the research.

    now:
    Technical Editor and Writer at a large government defense contractor. I do very little writing and a lot of editing, formatting, and riding herd on those who did the writing.
    DC area.
    $76,500, with blah-level benefits: two weeks vacation, three weeks other time off, which if you take 10 federal holidays leaves you with five sick days; place never closes for weather and the work can’t be done remotely, so if you’re snowed in you’re using leave; health plans are fine but not outstanding; retirement plan ditto. In short, what looks like about a 30% increase in pay is actually only about 15% when you reflect that the benefits are less than at the old job and I’m working something like an extra 30 days of the year.

    Actively seeking a job that will split a lot of these differences.

    1. Two Jobs to Talk About*

      Oh, experience. I was at the research group for almost seven years (and started at 44K, so reaching the mid-to-high 50’s was actually some progress). I’ve been at the defense contractor for five months (and started at 75K, but I started just in time to be considered for this year’s increases – and a 2% raise is a lot bigger when it’s 2% of more to start with).

  1113. Software Engineer*

    80k + stockgrant + 401k match + misc benefits (lunches, transportation reimburse, onsite-laundry, etc)

    Education: Bachelor’s of Science, (age:21, newly grad)
    Experience: 0 (or 2 if counting internships while in school)
    Geo: Boston-metro

  1114. Mechanical Engineering Intern*

    $17/hr

    Senior ME major.

    No prior engineering experience.

    I have entry level engineering responsibilities.

  1115. Data Analyst*

    What I do: Records management, which is basically archiving business-related documents. And to follow that up, archiving generally means preserving and providing access to, in some degree. So I catalog the company’s and staff’s papers ( contracts, employee records, legal paperwork, tax stuff…), add them to our database, and retrieve them when needed. Romantically, I help maintain a connection to the company’s history.
    Where: Northeast, NYC specificially
    How long in my field: 4 years
    Salary: $47,500 with decent health benefits, retirement plans, and vacation.
    Education: Master’s in Library and Information Science, Bachelor’s in English.
    Other: Took years of internships, part-time, temporary, and freelance work to get this job. Had wanted to work for a public library or a museum, but no luck. Female, 30 years old, married.

  1116. Retail Operations*

    • Store Operations Coordinator (corporate office of a large retailer)
    • Central Ohio
    • $50,000
    • Medical, dental, 410(k), 20 days vacay, 5 personal
    • 5 years
    • Bachelor’s degree

    1. John*

      Department Manager
      Bed Bath and beyond
      $51,000K

      Med,dental and 401k matching
      6 months experience in department
      Virginia

      Bachelor’s Degree: Comm

      Pro’s- Decent salary to be starting out with
      Con’s- It’s retail…

  1117. Librarienne*

    Title: Librarian–solo librarian at a for-profit college
    Geographic Area: Charlotte, NC
    Years of Experience: 6 1/2 years in this position;
    Salary: $52,000
    MLIS degreed

  1118. Construction Safety Coordinator*

    78k base. 4800 vehicle allowance and fuel card. Bonuses equal ten percent in a good year. Not complaining. South Texas.

  1119. Numbers*

    Title: Global Benefit Consultant
    Years of Experience: 6 years
    Location: Portland, OR
    Age: 31
    Salary: Base $109k (inc. 15% bonus) + all the usual benefits
    Education: Bsc Mathematics and Computer Science

    Came here from a consulting firm, was a senior health group benefits analyst there getting $77k

  1120. Self Employed (Insurance Agency Owner)*

    Job: I own two small town insurance agencies (4 total employees)
    Territory: Rural South
    Education: BS from a public 4-year university
    Years Experience: 8
    Salary: Since I’m self employed, my income comes from a variety of sources (salary, rent from the buildings, direct income from insurance companies on financial products, bonus, etc.) Total compensation around $225k.
    Benefits: Also being self-employed, no benefits so I pay for everything.

  1121. Beverage Manager*

    I’m a Beverage Manager at a casino resort in Mississippi and my salary $49k + 401k match and full benefit package + 5% bonus

    Managing around 100 employees, several bars and other property beverage needs

  1122. Counselor Advocate*

    Counselor Advocate (academic)
    New York City
    $30 per hour non-exempt, annual leave and sick leave
    *4 years experience, plus some related graduate coursework
    *Provide support services for low-income first generation college students at large urban college
    *Woman

  1123. John Smith*

    I am a shift foreman at a coal fired power plant in the rural mid-west. Last year my gross was $81,000 plus 5 wks vacation, 15 days sick and other leave, pay about 6% for health insurance, free life insurance, dental, clothing, 6 paid holidays a year, 12% min 401k match, non-union. I have 30+ years experience. High school education, started at age 20 . Job requires high degree of mechanical aptitude and industrial computer skill (self taught, on the job). I worked up the ladder.

  1124. *Anon Project Name* Rollout Specialist*

    I make 96k in Atlanta GA. Can’t give my actual title because it’s very company specific. I work in the automotive industry.

    I do not get benefits at the moment, I am on my husband’s benefits.

    1. *Anon Project Name* Rollout Specialist*

      For experience – I have 3 years of relevant work experience. My compensation is higher because I have no benefits – I’m an external consultant – but if/when I am hired externally the pay for my role is about 70k + benefits (phone, car, healthcare, retirement matching)

      1. *Anon Project Name* Rollout Specialist*

        Obviously I meant to say hired internally, not externally. Where’s my coffee?

  1125. Nunyo Business*

    I’m a network engineer. My base salary is $120,000 per year plus bonuses when the company is doing well. I made $28,000 in bonuses last year. I have 18 years of experience and about as much technical education as a surgeon has medical education.

  1126. General counsel (insurance company)*

    Title: General Counsel/Director of Claims
    Location: Wisconsin
    Salary: $102k + 4% bonus if objectives are met
    Age/sex: 33 and female

    I am nine years out of law school and was a litigator in private practice before I moved in-house. I went to a large state university on the east coast and a top 50 law school on the east coast. I’m pretty underpaid for what I do, but my schedule is verrrrry flexible and I have a ton of autonomy. I am hoping for a big raise in January, but we’ll see.

  1127. Senior Web Developer*

    15 years experience. Also do documentation and QA testing.

    Public agency so none of the free meals, free laundry Silicon Valley stuff.

    Pro: salary $104K
    40 days PTO per year (including holidays which we often work)
    Decent medical

    Cons: pay for training out of my own pocket and have to buy my own software. For example, had to buy Dreamweaver since writing html on notepad or even the free apps wasn’t that productive
    Have to punch a time clock. Pay is docked if I’m 10 minutes late but when I stay late they don’t pay OT
    Lots of dead weight slackers who can’t be fired make the same as me (we all make the same money and our salaries are published online)

  1128. HR Generalist*

    Title/Description: Human Resources Generalist
    I’m a generalist (official title of HR Assistant) on a military base. I work for separate agency (I’m a civilian) so we’re run like a private sector. I handle all aspects of HR (recruitment, training/development, leave paperwork, pension/benefits admin, processing payroll, terminations, etc.) and anything tricky is handed off to my HR Manager. Department of 3 (two HR assistants and an HR manager) reported to the Regional HR Manager. We handle almost 300 employees.

    Location: Ontario, Canada
    Experience: One year in at this company, hired fresh from university
    Education: Diploma in Social Services, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, side training in HR (part-time college courses) working towards CHRP
    Salary: $17/hr for 37.5 hour weeks – $32,800 annual
    Other: Above average vacation, unlimited sick time, decent health/dental benefits, great pension, functional and enjoyable workplace, compressed workweek/telework (I have every 2nd Friday off because I bank time during the week), OT eligible but we usually just bank time, amazing manager. Little opportunity for advancement in my region and unfortunately a less-than-stellar training/development program. My job is also undervalued – the job description requires a new evaluation that is dismissed by higher levels of HR who could make things happen.

    Female – 23 years old

  1129. Project Manager*

    Project Manager for a video game related company (not a developer/studio itself, but in the industry). I manage a team of 12 engineers, and even though my title is Project Manager, the department is basically mine in all respects (hiring, firing, mentoring, etc). Company is successful and well-known, with both profitability and venture capital funding.

    San Francisco, CA

    3+ years in the industry.

    $90,000, with decent benefits, flexible PTO (no one really keeps track of it), catered lunch and dinner at work, 10-15% bonus each year depending on how well the company does, etc.

    1. Project Manager*

      Some more details I left out:

      Never finished my degree – actually dropped out to take my first industry job, where I started as a Production Assistant and went to Lead Producer in a little over two years. I started there around $30,000 and ended at $60,000.

      Male, 29 years old.

  1130. PROJECT MANAGER*

    Project Manager in the IT department but I work business projects as well
    YEARS EXPERIENCE: 7 months
    SALARY: 60,000 + benefits+Christmas gifts+Education Expenses+Pays Personal Cell Phone Bill+2 bonuses a year

    1. PROJECT MANAGER*

      Oh 7 months is my total amount of working experience. I have been at my current position a few days

  1131. Civil/Site Engineer*

    – Entry-level civil/site engineer at a small (<100 employees) engineering consulting company
    – Upstate NY
    – M.S. and several internships, no previous full-time experience
    – $44,000 with 10 days vacation, 3 sick days, and 7 paid holidays

  1133. Financial Analyst at a public University*

    Bay Area
    Been with the current company for 6 years, total of 10 years experience and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
    $61,600

    1. Financial Analyst athe a Public University*

      A few things to add:
      Early 30’s, Female.
      4 weeks vacation, 3 weeks sick, 13 holidays per year (plus an option to take approximately 2 weeks off during the Christmas/New Year holiday)

      duties: financial reporting, purchasing, payroll, budgeting, etc

      pros: Excellent medical, dental, vision, retirement/pension plans.

      Cons: NO bonuses, and because it’s a public entity, your salary can be out there.

      It can be a pretty stressful job but the academic setting also makes it a rewarding job. All in all, I am satisfied although I am probably underpaid when compared to similar positions in the private industry.

  1134. Andy: Senior Marketing Manager/Business Assistant*

    I need to know what salary to ask for when I am in charge of the Marketing and I am also the Assistant to the CEO. It is a new company that is a technology company that does training and gets people ready for their PROJECT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION. It is my job to contact the students, send out emails, be available to answer any of their questions. Take care of payments for the students for the classes. Sending out receipts for all those that signed up for the classes and providing Certification Paperwork for taking the National Exam. Following up with students to ensure they have signed up for the test and then following up to make sure they have passed. If not then offering them an opportunity to retake our class free of charge until they do pass it. We have classes in the Midwest as well as Georgia. I have been in Project Management for years but mainly Real Estate. I want to be fair but a lot is expected of me and I need your help in what I should ask for a salary. I really want to know more of an hourly salary. I will be hiring someone to do the marketing & Web Page for me. I will deal more with the direct contact with the students but I want to ask for enough so I can pay our web designers or should I ask for a credit card for that and just worry about my direct pay? I will need a cc anyway to pay for the books and items for the class etc.
    I would appreciate any help you can offer me. Many thanks

  1135. Tax Adviser*

    Location: Australia
    Job title: Tax Adviser
    Company: large oil and gas company
    Experience: 1yr in this job. 3yrs prior at a Big4 accounting firm.
    Education: Master of Taxation, Bachelor of Economics
    Salary package: AUD 162,000 inclusive of benefits. +4 weeks annual leave.

  1136. Pavement Management Analyst*

    Location: Canada
    Company: Municipal government
    Experience: 10 years
    Education: Bachelor of Science degree
    Salary range: $69 – 93k / year

    1. Pavement Management Analyst*

      Also, I’m 37 years old, female.
      My last job was with Provincial government and it paid $10-15k less / year to do the same job.

  1137. KG-Wedding Coordinator*

    I am a wedding Coordinator. I started out getting paid as a glorified server ($25,000 / year) and for the last 4 years have been fighting tooth and nail to get a raise which has been given to me a little at a time just to keep me there. I am now paid a salary of $425 a week with a 5 % commission because I was willing to walk out the door last year. I feel this is where I should have started years ago. I am looking for another job and the search was going well however my boss found out I was looking and has offered me $650 a week with 5% commission, a stipend for insurance and a retirement plan in the form of an insurance policy in his name for the 1st 5 years. If that isn’t enough he has dangled a HUGE cherry of $5000.00 as a bonus for the 2014 season.He of course wants me to discontinue looking for another job. At this point I am so fed up that he has under paid me for so long that even though this is exactly what I have wanted, it is just too late. I want to continue my search elsewhere because I simply don’t trust him and now our relationship is so tainted I believe we will never have a trusting work relationship ever again. Should I take the offer?

  1138. Accountant*

    Healthcare industry
    Small company in the southeast
    $64,000 plus ~$3,000 OT
    5 weeks PTO (includes holidays), mediocre health insurance, no retirement match, flexible scheduling, company culture truly values work-life balance
    BBA, MAcc, CPA
    4 years experience (2 years public, 2 years at this company)
    27 year old female

    Since the company is small, my tasks range from stuffing mail and answering the phone to preparing financials, designing internal controls, and occasionally weighing in on or attending strategic meetings.

  1139. Corporate Sales Rep*

    – for an oil & gas service company
    – Houston, TX
    – $100K/year + 35% bonus + $750/month truck allowance w/fuel card + large RSU award every year + standard 401K matching and health benefits
    – work from home, and Fridays are pretty much reserved for golf outings or happy hours with customers
    – 0 years of experience. Originally hired as a Project Manager in the Engineering & Construction group for $66K. 8 months later received a raise to $75K. 6 months after that, received a promotion to Sr. PM and raise to $85K, plus $15K acauisition bonus because our company got bought out.
    – Bechelor of Science in Construction Managament from an average SEC school.

    1. Corporate Sales Rep*

      Forgot to mention that I moved into the sales role 6 months after last promotion. Was going to leave the company, but scored high on their personality caliper test and had a lot of useful industry contacts due to the college I attended having one of the best petroleum engineering schools.
      – I’m a 30 year old male

  1140. VP Sales*

    Vice President of Sales and Product Development

    Location: Midwest, USA
    Industry: Automotive Manufacturer (we supplier parts to OEMs)
    Post-Grad: MBA (2002)
    Undergrad: BS Engineering (1998)
    Experience: Been in this job 8 years, been in the industry 18 years (including 8 with OEM)
    Base $180k
    Bonus $30 – $50k depending on EBITDA / Performance

    Pros – Interesting industry, great team, just enough travel
    Cons – Intense pressure from deadlines, wearing many hats, too many direct reports

  1141. longshore*

    Longshoreman
    Port newark
    pay varies based on how busy the port is, but typically I’m at around 250k, plus a 22k bonus. Free top shelf health care including eye care, dental and othondontics.
    pension and annuity and 6 weeks vacation
    now the down side…I work 6, sometimes 7 days a week, by choice. More hours equals more money. I alternate a week of days with a week of nites…till 5 am. We goes days without seeing our families. I work weekends and holidays. it’s very difficult to make plans or schedule appointmentz.

  1142. Digital Communications*

    your job: director level; CRM managmenet; internal news; email communications for internal and external segments
    your industry: higher ed
    your geographic area: large Midwest city
    your approximate years of experience: 10+ overall; 7+ online communications; 3+ in current role
    your salary: $52k base, no bonuses; pretty good benefits and work environment, but only one small raise in 3+ years

  1143. Direct Marketing Associate*

    Job: Direct Marketing Associate (I manage the ENTIRE direct mail program, the budget, support our Marketing Director, work with vendors, pull mailing lists, etc., etc.)
    Industry: Publishing
    Geographic area: DMV
    Years of experience: 2+ (used to manage an online marketing program at my previous job…along with everything else!)
    Salary: $35,000 (just bumped up from $34,000…will negotiate so I’ll have peace of mind)/full benefits/hardly ANY paid holidays off/horrible 401k match. Not many perks.

    P.S.- I’m female. Snark away.

  1144. Motion Graphic Designer / VFX Artist*

    – (Male) Motion Graphic Designer / VFX Artist at a mid-sized studio. I make TV commercials, corporate videos, product videos and logo animations using Adobe software and Cinema 4D. In a typical month I’ll produce a couple of tv spots, a product video or two and collaborate on group projects.

    – I’m in the Rocky Mountain states.

    – 4-5 years of experience.

    – $63,000 + commissions on projects I bring to the studio (typically around $3K/ year.) + Bonus (around $2K/ year) + Health benefits (not very good, but at least it’s something) Basically $68,000 a year.

    – I get 3 weeks paid vacation but really there is no formal limit. As long as I’m being productive and getting my projects done on time I have a very flexible schedule. It’s a great environment to work. Very casual. This is my dream job. I left the business world to pursue this dream and my income potential is comparable but my quality of life is FAR better.

    1. Lobak*

      Sounds like my dream job. I’m doing the exact same thing in Nebraska, and make about $48,000. Would love to hear more about it. I’m planning on a move out west, and would love to hear any recommendations you have on ideal jobs in the Colorado area. Cheers!

  1145. johnny issacc*

    30+ years of experience , MSEE in EU, transfered as BSEE in US.
    Tech. in avionics and defense product.
    10 days vacation, 5 years with present company, $52k +small bonus, 2% 401k match, health benefit.
    Annual pay raise less than inflation. Practically every year the standard of living goes down.
    The industry requires many tacit knowledge and skills. It looks very underpaid but what can one do when unemployment real rate is over 10% ?

  1146. Senior Accountant*

    Account IV (equivalent to senior acct in private sector) with State of Alaska

    Small (midsize Alaskan city)

    $75k/yr + 401k + full benefits

    3.25 yrs experience and CPA certification

  1147. New Librarian*

    Title: Librarian I at a public library
    Duties: Reference work, programming, collection development (buying/weeding), various outreach activities, specialization in teen services
    Area: San Francisco Bay Area
    Education: BA, MLIS with 2 unpaid internships, some volunteer work in a literacy program
    Experience: I have about a dozen years of customer service experience, with recent experience in both tech support and regulatory compliance, but this is my first library job.
    Salary: $58,000 + benefits including medical, dental, and vision; pension plan instead of Social Security, optional 257(b) savings (no employer match), pre-tax transit pass, 13 holidays, 12 sick days, and 2 weeks vacation/year

    Etc.: I am female and non-exempt. The position is paid through the city and is unionized; payscales are public. I was offered (and accepted without negotiating) the first step of the Librarian I compensation division. It was a pay cut of about 12%, but with a better commute and fewer hours than my last job in the private sector, and very hard to get in the current economy. I plan to make it a career. I just started and will have a 9-month probation period (standard for this city’s government jobs) before I can use my accrued vacation. No paid sick leave during the first 90 days. I did negotiate after receiving an offer to take 4 previously-scheduled vacation days (1 the second week after I started work; the other 3 at one time a couple months down the road), and there was no problem with the hiring manager approving those as leave without pay.

  1148. Evelyn*

    Job: Paralegal
    Duties: Draft court documents, Judgments, Sat of Judgment Stipulations, Restraining Notices, LOS, Releases, Subpoenas
    Area: Long Island, New York
    Education: Bachelors of Science in Legal Studies; Currently attending Law School
    Yrs Exp:2
    Salary: $28,000 health insurance,3 days sick 2 days personal time,5 days of vacation a year.

    Hours: 8 am to 5 pm one hour lunches, not allowed to leave for any reason earlier than working hours unless there is serious emergency. Paralegal are expected to cover up front for half a day on alternating schedules because they only have part time receptionist.

  1149. ABHINAV NAIR*

    I am from health care industry, working as an Executive in patient care services,
    JOB:- Iam posted in operation theater, my job is to co-ordinate between the patients and the doctors, booking of the cases are done by me, billing of the procedures and data maintenance on the daily basis are also by me the, OT assignments as per the requirement is also done by me only ,
    SALARY:- 16000 INDIAN RUPEES PM,
    EDUCATION:- Done BSC IT
    EXPERIENCE :- 6 years in OT Joined in as admin asst,
    AREA:- INDIA, NEW DELHI
    HOURS : 8:AM-8:00 PM NO OVERTIME

  1150. Intern Architect*

    Intern Architect – basically all the duties of a licensed architect. I work in every phase of design from schematic design to construction administration. Four years of experience, I simply haven’t finished passing my exams.
    Area: Hampton Roads, Virginia
    Education: Bachelors of Architecture degree (professional accredited degree)
    Salary: 40k + health insurance and a retirment match up to 3%

  1151. Whereisthemoney?*

    Sr. Financial Analyst at Fortune 500 for medical sector in Texas
    -60k, ~6k overtime, 17 PTO, 7 company holidays, average 401k, average health insurance, and no bonus

    Background:
    -6 years professional experience with 2 years in current company
    -Finance degree

    Looking to transition into sales/consulting role for more income potential. I read several postings from here with the position I’m applying for and those salaries confirmed my assumption.

  1152. Diana DeLeo*

    I believe myself to be a hard working individual and expect no more than what I have contributed. I try to remind myself daily to be grateful for what I have and to be thankful to my dear Lord above that life is not always about money,but the fulfillment life brings for each day I can spend on this earth with my loved ones . My family is number one motivation to being happy and to appreciate life’s true meaning.

  1153. Assistant Project Manager (Valet Manager)*

    Valet Manager at mid-size midwest parking company
    ~$35,000, 16 PTO, 7 company holidays, average 401k, average health insurance, and no bonus
    First-line manager for 60 valets and a small parking garage.

    Background:
    -2 years in current position, began as valet driver 2 years prior to that.
    Mathematics degree

  1154. Computer Analyst/Programmer*

    Mainly provide production support for users and some application development (J2ee).

    $57,000, solid health/dental benefits, matched pension, 4 weeks holidays
    Large private commodities company in Winnipeg, Canada
    7 Years working here
    Computer Analyst/Programmer Diploma

  1155. E-Learning Developer*

    Create elearning for different companies
    Southwest (but work from home)
    13 years of experience
    $220,000, health insurance, 401k
    I manage several companies at one time.

  1156. VP of Operations*

    VP of 30 year old rubber company. In charge for past 9 years. 25yrs of experience. Hard work but extremely worth it in the end. Last year total over 235k. Full benefits, 401k, company car.

  1160. Retail Asset Protection Investigator*

    asset protection/ loss prevention

    My age is 23-26. 3-5 years in the business. Big company. I do not have an university degree, yet.
    Salary is: euro 32k-36k/ USD ~ 38.000
    Located in germany.
    Great work atmosphere, perks and compensation are pretty poor though.
    40h/week

    Cheers

  1161. Tired of Ramen Noods and Student loans*

    Job: QC Lab Assistant
    Experience: Coming up on 2 years at this company. First full time job out of school
    Salary: My W-2 says 30k year (includes overtime and shift differentials)
    Decent medical, dental, vision, and 4% matching 401k
    Education: I have a B.A. in Biological Sciences
    I am a minority female living in Boca Raton FL
    Considering going back to school then I remembered how much I hated memorizing textbooks and regurgitating information.

    I’m seriously sitting at my desk silently crying at what I make. I just found out I am 1 of 2 people who make the lowest in the entire company. The cleaning guy with no education makes more than me. Makes me wonder what am I good at? Will I ever be able to afford to rent an apt by myself? Should I even consider getting married or having kids because I can’t afford a wedding or hospital bills. Last night I just stayed home and cried as I packed my things to move back in with my mom. Feel like such a failure. Q_Q

    I’m so sick of this.

  1162. Motion Graphics Designer*

    29 years old
    large financial services company
    A.A.S. Degree in Graphic Design
    2 years employed
    49,000 Annually.
    United States, Midwest.

    I was hired mainly to do motion graphics animation for a variety of media. Weirdly enough, I spend most of my days editing email templates and landing pages. I’d like to find something different with more of a focus on motion design, but those kinds of jobs are slim to none in the Midwest. Pay is also below industry standard, but you cant beat the cost of living here. Been looking for a senior role in motion design, but those jobs only seem to exist on the west coast. Seriously considering taking that step if only to keep my sanity and see how far I can get career wise.

  1163. Justin*

    JOB: Truck Driver (Big Rigs) Fedex Ground Contractor
    LOC: Seattle
    HRS: 40/week
    PAY: $60k/year

  1165. rhonda*

    I am a 50 year old female, recently graduates with a masters degree in criminal justice of security administration. I have been a child care worker for 15 years, specializing in group home environments. I have worked with C.P.S. juveniles, probation juveniles, and private placements. I have worked for male offenders, female male offenders, and female offender with their infants. I was one of the first females hired to work with male sex offender’s, alone on a split shift. This meant for the first 5 hours I was with a male partner, and for the next 7 hours I worked alone with the inmates, or as we called them, ” clients”. My salary has ranged from first starting at 8 dollars an hour, to 15.00 dollars and hour. I’ve recently had to go out on disability to have a back surgery, I have had my fill of working with juveniles and want to do something different. Hear is my question, can anyone tell me out there what I can do besides being a correctional officer, policewoman, security guard? My job duties included dispensing meds, having group sessions, talking with clients indivually, teaching them basic house cleaning, tteaching them how to care for their infants. helping them find employment, helping them to get into college. Driving them to and from court, attending court hearing on clients behalf. These are just a few of the responsibilities required for this pisition. I was S.A.R.B. certified, C.P.R. serctified, first aid certified both in adult and child. Please someone out there give me some other suggestions as to what I can do when I recover from this surgery which I will have Sept, 1st, 2015. Sincerly,
    Child Care worker, looking for other employment opportunities

  1166. rhonda*

    I am a 50 year old female, recently graduates with a masters degree in criminal justice of security administration. I have been a child care worker for 15 years, specializing in group home environments. I have worked with C.P.S. juveniles, probation juveniles, and private placements. I have worked for male offenders, female male offenders, and female offender with their infants. I was one of the first females hired to work with male sex offender’s, alone on a split shift. This meant for the first 5 hours I was with a male partner, and for the next 7 hours I worked alone with the inmates, or as we called them, ” clients”. My salary has ranged from first starting at 8 dollars an hour, to 15.00 dollars and hour. I’ve recently had to go out on disability to have a back surgery, I have had my fill of working with juveniles and want to do something different. Hear is my question, can anyone tell me out there what I can do besides being a correctional officer, policewoman, security guard? My job duties included dispensing meds, having group sessions, talking with clients indivually, teaching them basic house cleaning, tteaching them how to care for their infants. helping them find employment, helping them to get into college. Driving them to and from court, attending court hearing on clients behalf. These are just a few of the responsibilities required for this pisition. I was S.A.R.B. certified, C.P.R. sercified, first aid certified both in adult and child. Please someone out there give me some other suggestions as to what I can do when I recover from this surgery which I will have Sept, 1st, 2015. Sincerly,
    Child Care worker, looking for other employment opportunities

  1167. Anoymous*

    Job: Real Time Power Trader
    Education: Math and Finance Dual Major from a top 35-50 Business program (regional)
    Midway through CFA completion
    5-6 years total experience mostly in trading and a couple short stints in IT related jobs
    Salary 85K + Bonus + Overtime + Benefits
    Its about 100K, but I just started with this department at the beginning of the year

    Still trying to get that 120K base salary…

  1168. Melissa*

    PROJECT COORDINATOR & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
    Yardley, PA area
    6 months at this job; 5 years relevant experience total
    $35000 per annum with good benefits (but high PPO)

    I serve as the point person for client relations between my company and different physician/authors. At any one time, I am working on 15-17 projects plus serving as an actual medical copy-editor (rather than an editorial assistant). The project or account managers have been gradually dumping all of the client services stuff on me while taking care of the financial aspect of the projects. It can be frustrating because, essentially, I am doing 3 people’s jobs: coordinator for Team 1, coordinator for Team 2, and assistant to Senior Editor.

  1170. Corporate Recruiter*

    Title: Corporate Recruiter (not a fortune 500 but close) – fill all kinds of positions including finance, marketing, IT, supply chain, etc.
    Geographic Area: Dallas, TX
    Years of Experience: 4
    Pay: $43.00/hr + health benefits + company stock

  1171. Bookstore Events*

    Job: Event and Marketing Co-ordinator for Independent Bookstore
    Geographic Area: Bay Area
    Years of experience: 3
    Pay: $12/hr + health, dental, and vision (which I don’t use due to being on my S.O.’s excellent heath care plan)

    My job is pretty fun–I was able to create it from scratch and do what I want with it. I’ve been able to make valuable connections in the writing/publishing field (I’m a wannabe writer :) ). The pay isn’t great, but you don’t work at a bookstore for money; you do it for love of books. I put on 12+ events each month, create all marketing materials, do the website and social media, create displays, and more, on a budget of almost nothing (just the costs it takes to print out posters). I came into the job with a background in event planning for a non-profit, plus had been heavily involved in the writing community in a volunteer capacity.

  1172. Administrator*

    Nursing Home Administrator for a 145 bed facility located in Virginia. My salary is 115,000/year plus bonuses (extra $10,000 to $15,000 annually). I have seven years experience as an administrator and nineteen years in long term care.

  1173. Eric J*

    Title: Marketing Coordinator (More like manager)
    Geographic Area: NYC
    Years of Experience: 8.5
    Pay: 66K + 7K bonus + benefits + 401k + 26 vacation days

  1174. IT Manager*

    Title: IT Manager
    Geo Area: Grand Canyon State
    Years Experience: 17, no college degree
    Pay: $107K + 15% bonus + terrible health insurance + 26 vacation days

  1175. Non-proft Program Manager*

    Title: Program Manager at regional level for national non-profit
    Geo Area: West Coast
    Years Experience: 2 years
    Pay: $48K + overtime+ good health insurance + vacation with PTO

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