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Salary is often the first component to be considered in a job offer. To evaluate salary, you must have an idea of the range of pay for your position. You may need to consult several sources. Salary surveys are one important source for learning about pay rates. Many professional organizations conduct surveys that show salary ranges for different jobs. A helpful online salary survey can be found at www.JobStar.org.

How to research salaries

To learn what's a reasonable salary for a job, consult the following sources:

• Family members or friends who work in the industry.
• College alumni with jobs in similar organizations.
• Staff members in your college's job placement office.
• Salary ranges posted in help wanted ads.
• Salary surveys conducted by professional organizations.

To evaluate your salary, also consider the following:

• Overtime: When comparing job offers, be sure to ask whether your job pays overtime. If you won't be paid for overtime, how many hours will you be expected to work each week?
• Salary reviews: If you're just starting with a company, you'll probably earn a starting salary. This salary can increase as you stay with the company. Find out how often your company conducts salary reviews. Your salary should be reviewed on a regular basis, ideally once per year. How much can you expect to earn after you've been with the company a few more years?