Determine What You're Worth

Determining your worth is an essential first step in your job search.

Once you know the salary you can command, you can decide which jobs fall into your desired range and could be right for you.

Your salary research can also come in handy during the interview process, should the subject of salary come up. And it'll definitely be helpful if you get a job offer and want to negotiate salary.

Use this advice to figure out what your skills and experience are worth to a potential employer.

Information at Your Fingertips

Your salary expectations should be realistic.

Every position has a general salary range, based on what professionals in that job are currently earning. Research the range for your position before you start your job search.

Look online for the most accessible and up-to-date salary information. Salary Wizard lets you research salary by industry and location.

Go to the Source

Once you've researched the average salary for the job you're seeking, it's then time to go deeper.

You need to consider the job market in your industry as well as the value of unique knowledge and skills you may have.

Talk to people who work in the industry you're targeting. It's not always appropriate to discuss salary -- especially with people you don't know well -- so choose your contacts carefully. If you're working with a recruiter, he should be willing to share salary information. You can also ask advice of a mentor or close friend in the industry.

Finally, online communities and message boards are a useful and anonymous way to research salary.

Worth Is Subjective

What you're worth to a potential employer can vary. You may be more valuable to an employer if there's a shortage of people with your skills. You'll also likely be worth more in a market with a labor shortage or in a location with a small number of qualified job seekers.

Because a company will consider candidates with a range of skills and experience, they probably won't decide upon a specific salary for a position. Instead, they'll come up with a range that they're willing to pay.

You should think in terms of a salary range too. Determine the low and high salary that you're most comfortable with. And then assume that you'll probably end up somewhere in the middle.

More Than Simply Salary

So you've calculated your worth as an employee in the current market. And you've come up with a salary range that you're comfortable with. But there's one more thing to consider: Benefits.

Understand that your worth to a company is reflected in more than simply your salary. When a company decides what to pay an employee, it counts benefits as part of that compensation.

Companies include health insurance, 401(k) accounts and stock options in employee compensation. They also count perks like car allowances, vacation time and flexible schedules in a prospective employee's compensation package.

So when you're considering a job, think about the whole compensation and benefits package. And then decide if a company is truly giving you what you're worth.