Is Salary.com widely used in the workplace?

Question

My boss says that nobody ever really goes by salary.com, or at least small companies do not. I really think she is saying that to justify not paying the employees what they are worth. If anyone has the time, can they look up what they are supposed to be earning on Salary.com and see if they are within the range given? That will give me a better idea if my boss is full of it. Thanks.

Answer 1

Compensation & Salary data is multi-million dollar industry. Large companies spend thousands and have entire divisions devoted to nothing but analyzing Salary data. There are lots of major players - both online and off line. Any small business who isn't using comp data is crazy - and headed for bankruptcy. A boss who claims online sources are wrong is uninformed. Check out this recent article in the New York Times.

Answer 2

At the company I work for our salaries are determined by a lot of factors and not an outside website. I use demographic reports every 3 months to take a look at what the area is paying etc. Our company hires a demographic company to investigate.

Answer 3

well I think the site is high but can be used as a good negotiating tool- I negotiated my pay on the low end or 25% end for a small business(I manage 45-50 people).

of course I still feel like I am worth alot more...

Answer 4

sorry to say but your boss is right.... No one is ever paid what they should be paid no matter how much you give. In my line of work I should be making $25,000 or more per year but unfortunately I am making a LOT less.... It is good to get an idea to what you are supposed to get but getting paid that is always up to your employer.

Answer 5

It is not used by anyone I know, and I know a lot of people.

I had to deal with it legally once. My ex wanted to assign me wages based on that, instead of what I actually earned. The web site was much higher. The ex shut up when I suggested that we BOTH use their wages, as his was much higher as well.