You’re browsing job opportunities and see something you like the look of. But how can you tell whether this great looking role is going to be paying at the right level for you? Our top five tips for finding out the salary range are here to help:
#1 – Ask for salary information
Simple right? Don’t be afraid to give the recruiter or hiring manager a call or drop them an email to enquire about the salary range on offer. There’s nothing wrong with being informed before making the decision to apply, and understanding salary information is a key part of that. We also have some tips on how to navigate answering questions about your salary expectations if it comes up at interview or as part of an application screening call here.
#2 – Utilise job board filters
Anyone familiar with browsing job boards will know that some offer you the option to input a minimum and maximum salary range to help narrow down opportunities that might suit. Utilising these filters can be a good way of figuring out where a salary range might be pitched. An employer listing a vacancy on Seek for example, must provide a salary band as part of the listing; but it is optional whether this is visible or not. Adjusting the salary filter higher and lower will give you a rough indication of where the role sits. If you find the job you’re interested in suddenly drops off when you raise the salary range in your search parameters, you’ll know it’s exceeded the band that the employer has provided.
Keep in mind that salary filters on job boards are not always an exact match for what the role is actually paying, if it’s a role that’s really of interest to you – see tip #1!
#3 – Look to alternative job boards
It’s not unusual for roles to be listed on multiple job boards, depending on the sector and role type, so it pays to look around to see if the vacancy is listed elsewhere with the salary or package information included. Don’t forget to check the organisation’s website directly too.
#4 – Use salary guides
If you’re trying to get a general sense of what a particular type of role is paying, there are New Zealand based salary guides available that get updated every year:
Hays Salary Guide
Careers New Zealand Salary Guide
Trade Me Salary Guide
There are more salary guides available, some specific to their respective industry or sector. Doing an online search will give you options to choose from.
#5 – Do salary-finder websites work?
You may have come across websites that promise to show you the salary band of a listing by pasting the job ad’s URL or ID number into their search bar. While this can be a handy tool for getting a sense of where the role might be pitched, our experience has shown that the information provided is not always accurate. We’ve tested a couple of different sites using our vacancies and have been given salary bands that are much wider than what we’d provided when listing the role. So while these websites can be useful for getting a rough idea of what the band might be, don’t rely on them to be completely on point!
If you’re looking for accurate salary information and it’s not publicly listed, it’s always best to enquire directly. If you think the salary range for a vacancy you’re interested in does fall below your expectations, we encourage you to still get in touch as you never know, there may be flexibility on the salary band for the right applicant – but you won’t know till you ask!
Good luck,
Kirsty and Nikki
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