Step-by-step salary check guide

Whether you’re starting a new job or moving your way up the seniority ladder, knowing salary benchmarks for your sector, skill set and experience level is key to making sure you get paid appropriately.

Take a look at our step-by-step guide to conducting a thorough Australian salary check.

Research average salaries for your job and sector

The first step in figuring out what you should be paid is seeing how you stack up against others in your sector. Use our salary comparison tool to see what other people in similar jobs in your industry are being paid on average. Armed with this knowledge, you can go into any salary negotiation process with reasonable expectations – and you’ll be able to back up a request for a pay rise with straight data.

Consider your skills and level of experience

If you have considerable experience or a specialised skill set, it’s fair that you can ask for more money than someone who is less experienced than you – even if they hold the same job title. Use our salary benchmark guide to check salaries for different positions based on years of experience and company size, so you can find salary range averages that apply to your specific circumstances.

Look at average salaries in your area

Don’t forget that average salaries can differ significantly based on job location – so it’s always best to check out typical wages in your city or region rather than country-wide averages or averages in other countries.

Calculate your take-home pay

Now that you’ve done a full salary check and decided on your salary expectations, use our salary calculator to calculate your new net income after a pay rise or after taking on a new role. This will give you a better idea of how much you can expect to receive in each paycheck after income tax has been taken out, and also how much superannuation you employer will need to pay on top of your base salary.

Prepare for salary negotiations

You’ve done the salary research. You’ve calculated your take-home pay. There’s just one thing left to do: start preparing to negotiate your new salary. Think about all the skills, experience and achievements you can tout during the negotiation process to back up your request, and don’t forget to make a note of those average salaries you checked earlier so that you have solid market data to support you.

Is it time to negotiate a new salary? Find out how to negotiate the salary you want and check out our free salary negotiation email templates.