Career & Salary FAQs: Job Offers, Pay and Benefits
Researching and negotiating pay, salary expectations, total compensation, accepting or declining an offer, and changing careers.
Pay, job offers and career changes: researching salary, negotiating, salary expectations, total compensation, accepting or turning down an offer, and how to change or choose a career. Return to the Resume & Career FAQs for other topics.
Career & Salary questions
How do I research salary before applying?
To research salary, compare several sources: government pay data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, current job postings that list pay, and figures for your location, experience level and industry. Titles and pay structures vary, so look for a range rather than a single number.
How do I negotiate salary?
To negotiate salary, research the market, look at the whole offer including benefits, decide on a realistic range and explain the value behind your request. Keep it professional and tied to the offer in front of you.
How do I change careers without starting over?
To change careers without starting over, target roles where part of your experience still applies, and describe it in terms the new field uses, such as budgets, scheduling or client management. Build proof for the rest with targeted projects, certifications and a resume written for the new role.
What is the best resume format for a career change?
A hybrid often works well as the resume format for a career change: it leads with transferable skills and evidence for the new role while still showing a dated work history.
How do I choose a new career?
To choose a new career, start with what to keep and leave behind, then explore nearby roles that use your strengths and talk to people doing the work.
What should I put for salary expectations on a job application?
On a job application, you can write "Negotiable" or "Open to discussion" if the salary field is optional or accepts text, and talk numbers once you know more about the role. If the form requires a number, give a researched range if it allows one, and make the low end an amount you'd be happy to accept. If it takes only one figure, enter the number your research supports. If the posting lists a pay range, use it as your guide, and see how to research salary before applying for where to find current pay data.
Should I include salary requirements in a cover letter?
Include salary requirements in a cover letter only when the job posting asks for them. Otherwise, save pay for the interview or offer stage. When they're requested, add one sentence near the end that gives a researched range and says you're open to discussing the full package. Leaving out something the posting asked for can make an application look incomplete.
What does total compensation include?
Total compensation is the full value of what you get from an employer, not only your base salary. Depending on the job, it can include bonuses, commission, overtime pay, the employer's contributions to your retirement plan and health insurance, paid time off, equity and allowances such as training or remote-work budgets. When you compare offers, list each part side by side, because a lower salary with stronger benefits can be worth more overall.
How do I accept a job offer?
Accept a job offer in writing, even if you first say yes on a call. Thank the employer, confirm the job title, pay, start date and any terms you agreed, and ask about next steps. If you need time before you answer, ask for a specific date to reply. Wait to resign from your current job until you have the offer in writing and any conditions, such as a background check, are cleared.
How do I turn down a job offer politely?
To turn down a job offer politely, reply promptly, by phone or email, so the employer can move on to other candidates. Thank them for the offer and their time, give a short reason if you want to, such as accepting another role, and say you'd be glad to stay in touch. You don't need to explain in detail, and a gracious reply can keep the door open for future roles.
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