What Kind of Pay Might I expect?

While you may really be interested in a job, you want to find out what it pays. You don’t want to bring it up immediately though. Still, you don’t want to waste your time with interviews and getting a job offer and then you decline it due to the low pay. After all, you have to make it worth your while and to pay for your living expenses.

Bringing up the issue of pay is important. If you see a job description that doesn’t tell you, do some homework. Call the receptionist for the location and ask if they can give you a pay range. If it is a larger company, call the human resources department. You can also look around online to see what the going pay is for that position in a given area based on the zip code.

Of course many jobs say that the pay depends on experience, and so you should be ready for the pay to be offered at the lower end. Until you have proven yourself on the job, you may not be able to get much more than that. The economy is tough, and employers are doing all they can to cut overhead expenses.

One tactful way to get to the bottom of it is to ask what range the pay scale is in.  You want to know what the low and here ends are of the range.  

That question flushes them out.  They can't hide behind the "it depends' thing.  

You might be asked how much pay you need, or would find acceptable.  if you've already discussed the responsibilities, you might counter with, "what's the position  pay?"

"Well, it depends ..."

"Well, then what's the range?"

It pays between $20 and $28 per hour.

Your correct answer, then, should be, "I'll need to be at the high end of the range."

Hopefully, if they are really interested in hiring you, they will bring up the issue of the pay so that you don’t have to. A good employer realizes that this is a big part of you deciding to take the job or not. If the job interview is going very well, chances are they will ask you if you have any questions. This is a good time to consider bringing up the pay scale. If you get the feeling that they are going to set you up for a second interview or offer you the job, it is worth finding out.

Bringing it up doesn’t have to be difficult, but you do want to be professional about it. Make sure you convey the message that you are interested in the job and not only the pay. You don’t want to turn them off by giving the impression that you that you are only interested in making money. 

For more info:  Salary Negotiations