Negotiate salary with potential US employer

[usinca]

Do they convert your most recent Canadian salary into US dollar? 1:1?

Thx

[agnelson]

Salaries in US bear no relation to Cdn salaries. Even the exchange rate doesn't enter into it.

My salary went up 100% when I moved here 10 years ago. I suspect now it would rise 20%.

You need to find out the market rate for your job description in the area where you are going to work.

[usinca]

Thanks. Agreed with what you said.

The issue is that there is a wide range in salary.com. Also for a particular job grade in a company, target salary range is in tens of thousands. Usually they would use your current rate as a basis.

So I am trying to do the math from the bottom up, by converting my canadian money in T.O. to american money in a proxy city,e.g. Chicago (right?). I can then make cost of living adjustments to other cities/states depending on a job's location. I am hoping such approach would also be helpful to employers who may or may not know much about things up north

[agnelson]

I'm just saying that your previous salary shouldn't be a basis for THEIR decision. I would never give my current salary to a potential employer until after a lowball offer. Have a figure in YOUR mind based on your research, and then ask for that + X.

[Dremani]

agnelson wrote:
I'm just saying that your previous salary shouldn't be a basis for THEIR decision. I would never give my current salary to a potential employer until after a lowball offer. Have a figure in YOUR mind based on your research, and then ask for that + X.

Good point!

[Reba]

Do the Big Mac test. I know some international companies (I used to work for one) that would base the cost of living in a city by the cost of a Big Mac.

The company I was working for did that when the Toronto office hired me full time as receptionist (back in 1991) at a much higher rate than they were paying the receptionist in Littleton, CO. Based on the cost of living differences between the 2 cities, they approved the higher rate. Then did the Big Mac test world wide.

Seemed to work for them.

[usinca]

Here is where I am coming from -
When I moved from MI to TO, I got a higher rate on the ground of exchange rate/big mac index and cost of living.

Now I am moving back - not to either coast, I don't want to get a pay cut. On the other hand, I don't want to price myself out of the market , either.

So I try to use a proxy city in the US so as to first get a sense of how much I would be making if I were in the US. Some suggested Buffalo instead of Chicago. I looked up salary.com. Surprisingly, rates in TO and Buffalo are the same - in local currencies. It kind of makes sense to me. Otherwise many people can make a living smuggling. Thoughts?

Thanks!

[agnelson]

Smuggling what? Big macs?

have afigure in mind, dertmined by you, and see if the firm matches it or exceeds it. If not, then you've got some negociations to do.

Do do their work.