Everyone needs to earn as much as possible for a specific job. You can do a few things to make sure that your job salary is as high as possible. Remember, most raises, involving promotional raises, are deployed on a percentage of your current salary. So, a higher salary today means a higher salary tomorrow.

Do your research. Before you even apply for a job, do little research into what a reasonable job salary is for such a position. Do not show up with a big “I have no idea” in your brain. This also prevents you from making an unreasonable salary demand.

Being unreasonable can eradicate you from consideration. Furthermore, if you do not do your research, you might accept a lot less money than they would have been willing to pay you.

Negotiate. If they say, “We’d like to offer you the position of HR Assistant at $35,000 a year,” you can just say, “okay,” but you will likely lose out – not just for this job, but for raises in the future, too.

Now, few managers (and some companies) don’t negotiate salary. It is a one and done offer.

But, several do. And rational managers aren’t offended by a salary negotiation. So, take that same $35,000 a year offer and ask for $38,500. Asking for $45,000 is ridiculous, but asking for 5 to 10% more is normal. If they say no, they say no. Then, you can make your decision.

Be ready to indicate your skills.  Most jobs have a list of critical skills that the employer is seeking. The new hire must be capable of doing all of these things. Usually, an employer also has a list of nice to have skills.

If you have any of these nice to haves, make certain that you bring them up when you’re negotiating salary. For example, do you speak another language? Can you do statistical analysis? Do you have a certificate in an additional programming language? Depending on the job, these extras may well bump your starting job salary up.

Keep other aspects in mind. Sure, you need a high starting job salary, but is there something else that you value more? Some people valuable flexibility, or extra vacation, or the option of telecommuting more than a high salary.

Few companies might permit for the negotiation of free parking, subsidized bus passes or a gym membership. These perks don’t put cash in your wallet, but they keep cash in your wallet.

If you planned to purchase a gym membership anyway, a freebie from the company is like a little raise. Tuition reimbursement is another huge aspect that not just gets you free schooling but makes you qualified for the next bump up the career ladder.

For Managers

The key to starting job salary is to keep your compensation competitive so that you pursue and retain the most qualified workers who fit your culture. You can try to save money by skimping on starting salary, but it’ll hurt you in the long run. You need the best people, and the best people are worth more.