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how to check average pay for your job level
Knowing the average pay for your job level is no longer a luxury—it’s a career necessity. Whether you’re eyeing a promotion, switching industries, or simply renegotiating your current compensation, accurate salary data empowers you to make data‑driven decisions. In this guide we’ll walk through every step you need to check average pay for your job level, from reliable data sources to actionable checklists, and we’ll show you how Resumly’s free tools can streamline the process.
Why Knowing Your Average Pay Matters
- Negotiation Power – Armed with concrete numbers, you can argue for a fair offer rather than relying on vague expectations.
- Career Planning – Salary trends reveal which roles are growing and which are stagnating, helping you choose the right path.
- Equity Assessment – Comparing your pay to industry averages highlights potential gender or racial pay gaps.
- Job Search Efficiency – Targeting roles that meet your compensation goals saves time and reduces interview fatigue.
“Salary transparency is the new competitive advantage.” – HR Trend Report 2023
Reliable Sources for Salary Data
| Source | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) | Government‑verified, national coverage | May lag 1‑2 years, broad occupational categories |
| Glassdoor | Employee‑reported, includes bonuses | Self‑selection bias, occasional outliers |
| LinkedIn Salary | Granular by location, industry, and seniority | Requires LinkedIn profile, limited to members |
| Payscale | Detailed compensation breakdowns | Free tier limited to summary data |
| Resumly Salary Guide | Curated AI‑enhanced data, integrates with job‑match engine | Still emerging, best used alongside other sources |
Using Resumly Free Tools
- AI Career Clock – Visualizes salary growth over time for your role.
- Salary Guide – Offers up‑to‑date average pay tables by title, level, and region.
- Job‑Search Keywords – Helps you discover high‑paying keywords to include in your resume.
These tools complement traditional sources and give you a single pane of glass for compensation research.
Step‑by‑Step Guide: How to Check Average Pay for Your Job Level
- Pinpoint Your Exact Job Title
- Use the O*NET taxonomy or your company’s internal title hierarchy.
- Example: Software Engineer II vs. Software Engineer – Front End.
- Determine Your Seniority Level
- Entry‑level, Mid‑level, Senior, Lead, Director, VP.
- Many sites let you filter by “years of experience” – use that as a proxy.
- Select Your Geographic Market
- Salary varies dramatically by city, state, and country.
- For remote roles, consider the “home‑based” market or the company’s headquarters.
- Gather Data from Multiple Sources
- Pull the median, 25th percentile, and 75th percentile from at least three sources (e.g., BLS, Glassdoor, Resumly Salary Guide).
- Adjust for Experience, Education, and Certifications
- Add a 5‑10% premium for each additional year of relevant experience beyond the median.
- Factor in high‑value certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect adds ~8%).
- Calculate a Weighted Average
- Assign higher weight to sources you trust most (e.g., 0.4 to Resumly, 0.3 to Glassdoor, 0.3 to BLS).
- Formula:
(Weight1*Salary1 + Weight2*Salary2 + Weight3*Salary3) / (Weight1+Weight2+Weight3).
- Document Your Findings
- Create a simple spreadsheet with columns: Source, Median, 25th, 75th, Adjustments, Final Figure.
- Keep URLs for future reference.
Quick Checklist
- Identify precise job title and level
- Choose geographic market
- Collect data from at least three reputable sources
- Adjust for experience, education, certifications
- Compute weighted average
- Save documentation for negotiation
Do’s and Don’ts When Researching Salary
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Cross‑verify numbers across multiple platforms | Rely on a single source (it may be outdated) |
| Use recent data (within 12 months) | Use data older than two years without adjustment |
| Consider total compensation (base, bonus, equity) | Focus only on base salary |
| Document assumptions (e.g., “+5% for 3 extra years”) | Guess and forget to record your rationale |
| Leverage AI tools like Resumly’s Salary Guide for faster aggregation | Manually copy‑paste without sanity checks |
Leveraging Resumly to Strengthen Your Salary Negotiation
Resumly isn’t just an AI resume builder; it’s a career‑growth platform that can turn your salary research into a compelling narrative.
- AI Resume Builder – Tailor your resume with the exact keywords that match high‑paying roles identified in the Job‑Search Keywords tool.
- Interview Practice – Simulate salary‑negotiation questions and receive AI‑generated feedback.
- Application Tracker – Keep tabs on which companies you’ve applied to and the salary ranges they advertised.
- Auto‑Apply & Job Match – Target jobs that meet or exceed your calculated average pay, saving you from low‑ball offers.
By integrating the average pay data you gathered with Resumly’s tools, you can craft a data‑backed pitch that reads:
“Based on the 2024 Resumly Salary Guide, the median total compensation for a Senior Product Manager in Austin, TX is $150k. My experience leading three cross‑functional product launches aligns with the top 25% of that range, and I bring an additional AWS certification that typically adds $10k. I’m seeking a package in the $155k‑$165k band.”
Real‑World Example: From Research to Offer
Profile: Maya, a 4‑year‑experienced UX Designer living in Denver, looking to move from a mid‑level role to a senior position.
- Title Identification – “Senior UX Designer”.
- Geography – Denver metro area.
- Data Collection
- BLS (2023): $95k median.
- Glassdoor (2024): $102k median, $120k 75th percentile.
- Resumly Salary Guide (2024): $108k median, $130k 75th percentile.
- Adjustments – Maya has a Master’s in HCI (+5%) and two published case studies (+3%).
- Weighted Average
- BLS weight 0.25 → $95k *0.25 = $23.75k
- Glassdoor weight 0.35 → $102k *0.35 = $35.7k
- Resumly weight 0.40 → $108k *0.40 = $43.2k
- Total = $102.65k (rounded to $103k).
- Negotiation Pitch – Maya used Resumly’s AI Cover Letter feature to embed the figure and her unique value proposition.
- Outcome – Received an offer of $115k base + $15k equity, 12% above her calculated average.
Takeaway: Combining multiple data points, applying thoughtful adjustments, and presenting the numbers with confidence can significantly improve your offer.
Mini‑Conclusion: The Power of Accurate Pay Checks
Every time you check average pay for your job level, you gain a strategic advantage. The process is systematic: define, source, adjust, calculate, and document. When paired with Resumly’s AI‑driven career tools, you turn raw numbers into a compelling story that recruiters and hiring managers can’t ignore.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How often should I update my salary research?
Salary data shifts each year, especially in fast‑growing tech hubs. Refresh your numbers at least once every 12 months or before any major career move.
2. What if the sources give wildly different numbers?
Use a weighted average and investigate why. Outliers often stem from niche industries or atypical locations. Cross‑checking with Resumly’s Salary Guide can help normalize the data.
3. Do remote jobs follow the same pay scales as on‑site roles?
Remote compensation often aligns with the company’s headquarters market, but many firms now adjust for the employee’s cost‑of‑living. Look for “remote‑adjusted” filters on Glassdoor or ask recruiters directly.
4. How do bonuses and equity factor into the average pay?
Include them in total compensation calculations. For equity, use the latest valuation to estimate annualized value. Resumly’s Career Clock visualizes these components over time.
5. Can I rely on Resumly’s free tools for the entire research?
Absolutely for a solid baseline, but best practice is to triangulate with at least one external source like BLS or Glassdoor.
6. What if I’m changing industries entirely?
Identify transferable skills, then look up the closest comparable titles in the new field. Resumly’s Job Match feature can suggest equivalent roles and their pay ranges.
Final Thoughts
Mastering the art of how to check average pay for your job level is a cornerstone of modern career management. By following the step‑by‑step guide, using the provided checklist, and leveraging Resumly’s AI‑powered tools, you’ll walk into every salary conversation armed with confidence and data. Remember: the more precise your research, the stronger your negotiating position—and the faster you’ll close the gap between where you are and where you deserve to be.
Ready to put your new knowledge into action? Visit the Resumly homepage to explore the full suite of AI career tools and start building the future you deserve.
