Why salary research matters before you apply
Knowing the market rate for a role before you apply gives you three advantages:
1. You can screen out low-budget roles before wasting time on applications and interviews
2. You anchor correctly when asked about salary expectations (see our salary expectations guide)
3. You negotiate with confidence — because you know whether the offer is fair
Most candidates skip salary research or do it superficially. A 30-minute research session before applying can be worth thousands of dollars.
The 7 best free salary research tools
1. Glassdoor Salaries
Self-reported by employees at specific companies. Best for: company-specific ranges. Limitation: skewed toward tech and office workers; less useful for blue-collar, healthcare, or government roles.
2. LinkedIn Salary
Aggregated from LinkedIn members. Useful for level-based comparisons (entry, mid, senior). Requires a free LinkedIn account.
3. Levels.fyi
The gold standard for software engineering compensation — includes base, bonus, equity, and total comp. Verified by pay stubs in many cases. Only covers tech.
4. Payscale
Good for a wide range of industries and job titles. Allows filtering by experience, location, and education.
5. Salary.com
Used by many HR departments to set salary bands. Particularly reliable for non-tech professional roles.
6. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics
Government data on median wages by occupation. Slower to update but highly reliable for median market rates. Free at bls.gov.
7. Indeed Salary
Aggregated from job postings. Useful because it reflects what employers are currently paying, not just what employees report.
How to triangulate an accurate salary range
No single source is reliable on its own. Use at least three sources and triangulate:
Step 1: Search your exact job title (or close equivalent) on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and Indeed Salary.
Step 2: Filter by your metro area or "remote" if the role is remote.
Step 3: Filter by experience level (years of experience or seniority label).
Step 4: Note the median and 75th percentile across all three sources.
Step 5: Adjust for company size — large enterprises often pay 10–20% more than the market median; startups often less (but may offer equity).
Step 6: Check 2–3 recent job postings for the same title in your area — an increasing number of states and cities require salary disclosure in job postings (California, Colorado, New York, Washington, etc.).
Your target range: 50th to 75th percentile of what you found. Your floor is 25th percentile.
Adjustments to make to raw salary data
Raw salary data rarely applies perfectly to your situation. Common adjustments:
Location adjustment: Salaries in San Francisco and New York City are typically 20–40% above the national median. Salaries in the Midwest and Southeast are typically 10–20% below. Remote roles often pay based on the employer's HQ market or the candidate's location — clarify this during the process.
Company stage adjustment: Series A/B startups may pay 10–25% below market base but offer equity. Public companies and enterprises pay closer to or above market base. Government and nonprofit roles often pay below market base but offer stronger benefits and job security.
Total compensation vs base: Always ask for total compensation figures, not just base salary. Bonus, equity (RSU/options), 401k match, health insurance premiums, and PTO all affect the real value of an offer.