You’ve had a look at salary survey graphs and the salary ranges salary survey results reveal for your job. Based on this range, you go on and determine the salary figure you would quote. But, simply concluding a salary figure for yourself from a salary survey graph does not guarantee that you will get it.

Here are a few tips that should aid you during salary negotiations:

1. Appeal to the company’s fairness: Most companies wish to be fair in their dealings. You could appeal to their fairness by quoting the various qualifications you have and how the salary you are asking for is justified. Some cities do have higher costs of living and that could be another point you could put forward when asking for fair dealings.

2. Keep them guessing: By not revealing the compensation you want, you place yourself in a very enviable position. The employer does not know what kind of salary it would take to employ you. If you fit their needs to the T, the offer they make will possibly be their best one.

3. Prioritize: It’s not always about winning. Sometimes you can compromise on the salary you want by asking for perks or other benefits or bonuses.

4. Quit when you are ahead: You should know when to quit salary negotiations. You’ll come a point when almost all your expectations are being reasonably met. Thank the employer and accept the position. If you go on negotiating, you’ll appear greedy and the deal may fall off.

Salary negotiations can be a bit overwhelming and anxiety ridden, but with the right approach and knowledge you can achieve the salary you’re looking for.

Sometimes one of the more uncomfortable parts about an interview is the negotiation of salary. Here are 5 salary mistakes people make during interviews:

1. Claim to have no expectations: Some applicants, when asked about the salary they want, say, “You can give me whatever you want.”, “I know you’ll give me a decent salary.” or “I just want to gain experience.” This is a not the way to go. Be assertive and state what you want.

2. Walk in without having referred to a salary wizard: A salary wizard can give you information on the salary range operative for your job. It also mentions the average salary others in that job make. Referring to a salary wizard will give you an idea about the salary you can safely quote without exceeding industry standards. If you walk in without having consulted a salary calculator you’ll end up mentioning a ballpark figure, which might be quite below the average for your job or so above the average that it gets rejected.

3. Initiate a salary discussion: You should not initiate salary discussions during an interview. It is the prerogative of the interviewer. If you begin salary discussions, they could think you are money-oriented.

4. Appear eager or desperate for the job: Do not appear too eager for the job. If you do, you lose your bargaining power. You should find the correct balance between appearing interested in the job and not coming across as too eager.

5. Fudge their salary history: It is very easy for interviewers to look into your salary history and find out if it has been fudged. Attempting to fudge your salary is a sure shot way to be booted out of the interview process.

With these tips, hopefully, any salary negotiations that you have in your interviews will go smoothly.

A very important part of any job interview is the time when you negotiate your expected salary with the interviewer. Some applicants tend to say that they have no expectations at all and will accept whatever salary is offered. They justify it by assuming they will get a raise or a bonus. However, this is not necessarily the right thing to do. You may be stuck with the salary you quote (or do not quote) for years to come. So how do you go about getting the salary you deserve?

First, know what you want. Some people are of the opinion that the satisfaction they derive from their job is enough. However, there’s no reason why you can’t have both; a good salary and an enjoyable job. There’s always some good you can put that extra money to. So knowing what salary you are going to quote at the interview and quoting it is important. “You can give me what you want”, should be avoided.

How do you know what salary to quote? Refer to a salary guide. A salary guide can offer information on the average salary enjoyed by others in your profession. This can give you an idea about what is below and above average and you can decide on a salary accordingly.

Use the information you’ve gained from the salary guide by citing it as a reference during the interview. You can mention your experiences and skills and use it to justify your decision to ask for a salary that’s above average. Don’t settle for second best when you can have the best.

Some people can enjoy true satisfaction in a job only if you are acknowledged for the amount of effort they put in. The form of acknowledgement that is widely recognized is the salary that they earn. If it is not equivalent to the kind of work the job demands, then they might not be motivated to stick around and go the extra mile for a company.

If you feel you are being shortchanged, there’s no need to take things lying down. Many employers can be very receptive to those who wish to approach them for negotiating salary as long as the demands the employee puts forward are justified. Even if you think your employer won’t be receptive, it is not difficult to convince them that your request is rational and fair, provided you have done your research.

You might be unsure whether the amount you wish to ask for is too high or too low, during an interview or during a review with your employer. However, a salary calculator can help you sort out this doubt and take that first critical step towards negotiating salary in a convincing manner. With such a calculator you can find out what is the lowest, average and highest salary of individuals with your same job title or a similar one in your industry. Of course, you’ll want to keep in mind that someone in New York City will most likely make more than someone that lives in Oklahoma City, for example. Why? The cost of living in those two cities is drastically different and a wage calculator can help you figure out those differences as well.

For instance, if a Senior Economic Analyst earns $90,000 in a year, then they’ll want to meet with their boss to negotiate their salary. The average salary for individuals in such a position is $102,159 and the highest is $140,124. Armed with this knowledge and the amount of work that a Senior Economic Analyst does can be a great argument to land a pay raise.