My company current has a job listing out for my exact same job (there are many of us and always need more) but the top end salary rate is 13,000 more than i make!

26 Comments

1. Katherine Halton BernsJune 15,2022 at 3:11PM UTC

   Yes.
   And please let us know. :-)

2. AnonymousJune 15,2022 at 3:50PM UTC

   This depends on how your organization manages pay ranges. If the top end posted is a starting salary, that's good. If the top end is the maximum for the position, that's something else. I've worked with people who maxed out the salary in their position. They no longer can get a base pay raise unless they take a new role.

3. Tracey MorrisJune 15,2022 at 4:18PM UTC

   Most jobs are assigned a range so that the hiring manager can account for different years of experience or specific knowledge a new hire brings to the position. That top level of salary might be for someone with extensive experience or a specialized skill. I would not assume that new hires are receiving the top of the range.

4. Mary WeigleJune 15,2022 at 4:45PM UTC

   do it!

5. AnonymousJune 15,2022 at 5:21PM UTC

   Of course. Ask for what you want.

6. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 15,2022 at 5:33PM UTC

   Just because a salary range is listed, that doesn't mean someone is going to get the top of the range.

   Say the salary range is $80k to $120k - in many companies, HR will not let an offer go out above the midpoint of the range, so $100k. The target might be $95k.

7. AnonymousJune 15,2022 at 10:39PM UTC

   The top end salary cap is just a cap. And it is there for a reason that is not necessarily advertised. If you have been in your role for 2-3 years, but someone interviews for your same role with 5+ years that could be their justification for providing the upper limit salary. It could also be there to attract someone who might be overqualified for the job but still willing to take the role.

   You can apply and see. But unless that role is advertised at a higher tier than you currently are, I am not sure if you will accomplish your end goal. Sometimes it is just because of inflation, and sometimes an employer does not raise everyones salary at the same time, which I get is unfair. But it is also very common.

   Do you have a good rapport with your manager? If so, talk to him/her, even if the solution does not give you that role, maybe you expressing your interest will cause them to give you some pointers on how to prepare for leadership roles or more challenging roles if that interest you.

8. AnonymousJune 16,2022 at 12:21AM UTC

   Compare yourself to the low end, not the top end (unless you have put in many, many years). Newcomers are very unlikely to get the top salary without a lot of experience.

9. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 12:38PM UTC

   Not to be a downer, but how do you anticipate this process will go? Is it an internal posting for a similar position elsewhere in the company? If so, applying makes sense. If it’s an external posting, all you do is advertise that you’re looking, and you put your existing job at risk.

10. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 12:45PM UTC

    No - because applying for the job you already have doesn’t make a lot of sense from a HR perspective. What you should do instead is have a conversation with your manager or HR about a compensation increase. You’ll want to go into that conversation educated on why you deserve a higher amount (not just because you want it… everyone wants to be at the top of the range). Focus on metrics, experience, past successes, tenure (however, as a HR person myself, I rarely think tenure along warrants a large increase) and growth.

11. Maria Scutaro-MullenJune 18,2022 at 1:12PM UTC

    Do you have the experience to be at the top of the range? Did you when you started?

12. Nancy Kutz CornetteJune 18,2022 at 1:14PM UTC

    Absolutely not!! What is missing from this post is an understanding of how salary ranges work. The midpoint of the range should equal the current market value for the job for a well qualified candidate with multiple years of experience. Most companies want to bring in a new hire below or at the midpoint of the range. The top of the range is the end of the road salary-wise. Once it’s reached there will be no more base salary increases until the company decides to redo its salary structure. This usually happens every 5-10 years. It is exceedingly rare for a company to hire at the top of the range and only then it would have to be a super-star. Why would anyone want to start a new job knowing there would be no room for salary growth!

    A better approach for you would be to put together a case for why you believe you deserve a raise and present it to your management.

13. LisaJune 18,2022 at 6:28PM UTC

    Came here to say this, but couldn’t have said it better than you. People aren’t brought in at the high end. It’s the max achievement for that position. I read it as where someone could go in that role over time. When hiring for positions, we usually bring people in at mid-range so they have room for growth. If they come in at the high end, we expect them to grow out of the role quickly.

14. Clydene HorriganJune 21,2022 at 10:45PM UTC

    Great response. Most people don’t earn the high- end of a salary range - ever. If you’re approaching the high end you should be looking at a promotion or you’ll be priced out of the job.

15. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 1:35PM UTC

    I would talk to your manager and find out what experience qualifies for the top end of the range and see how you compare. Realistically re-applying doesn’t make much sense for the exact same job.

16. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 1:57PM UTC

    I wouldn’t be cute about it.

    If you’re confident in your skill set, talk to you manager.

    Want a little assurance? Apply for positions OUTSIDE your organization. If you find a similar role willing to pay you what you feel is your worth, go there. At the very least let it give you the confidence to ask for more when you currently are.

17. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 3:08PM UTC

    Do you have the experience and work record to be paid the top salary rate? If so, then speak with your manager and ask for it. Don't be a game player. Don't "apply" for the job. Be direct and ask. You don't tell us enough here regarding how long you've been there, your performance record, and what the industry is offering elsewhere. On the other hand, do you know the LOW pay rate for this same position???? You might discover that you are right in the middle pay range, and you fit that criteria for that pay. Is there a corporate scale, or is this all variable and subjective? What, what what? Find out, ask, be direct and also, be fair and understanding. Certainly a curious situation.

18. bethJune 18,2022 at 3:34PM UTC

    agree with all the comments about talking to your manager. If it's something that would be welcome, you could learn more about the process by offering to be part of the interview process.

19. LORI-ANN BURLINGAMEJune 18,2022 at 4:53PM UTC

    Unfortunately, many companies will increase a salary range to attract a large candidate pool. However, it does not mean that they are willing to pay that salary range. They could be "fishing."

    I agree, speak with your manager and tell them that you saw the employment ad and have some questions.

20. Joyce GioiaJune 18,2022 at 7:03PM UTC

    Right on, Melanie. Perfect answer.

21. AnonymousJune 18,2022 at 7:45PM UTC

    Check into your company's pay policies also. Something similar happened where I used to work. They hired two new people a level below myself and many of my coworkers (we were level 6 and the two new employee were level 5), but at the top of the range for their level. This resulted in the new employees being paid more than those of us at higher levels, who had been there longer and who were doing a stellar job according to performance evaluations. This violated our written and readable pay policy that no new employees within our classification of roles would be brought in anywhere above mid-level of the range. You bet your sweet patoot that when myself and my coworkers found out about this (the company was a public institution and salaries were readily available for viewing) we marched to our managers and HR to question them. We received a lame excuse that it was because these roles were support roles for VP's, but one of my coworkers supported someone one level higher than the VP's and she was still making less! We all received a small increase, but it really crushed morale. Fishing is NOT a good practice - even if the company won't end up paying a new hire the salary they list in the job posting. It's a deceptive practice for the new hire, and it kills existing employee morale and engagement. Company's don't want employees playing these kinds of games - they shouldn't play games with potential or existing employees either. These relationships, like any other, are 2-way streets. If you want to attract people to roles, take a look at your values - are you living them in the organization? Take a look at your total rewards - are they competitive with company's in your same industry? Take a look at your culture - is it a culture that will attract employees or is there toxicity or outdated cultural values that should be updated to this century? You attract people with your integrity and concern for them, not by lying to them from the very beginning. Would you start a personal relationship like that??

22. Lisa MarieJune 18,2022 at 9:38PM UTC

    Follow the advice of the majority responders and have a conversation with your manager, or HR - whomever is most appropriate and you feel most comfortable with (some managers don't know other people's pay!)

    BUT... THIS. This scenario right here, is one of the "reasons" some employers cite for not wanting to post salary ranges with open job listings

    Be truly cognizant that being in a role for X number of years does not always translate to being completely qualified or doing the absolute best in the role.

    Others have mentioned all the questions one needs to ask themself to determine if they are truly deserving of the top end of the advertised range (am I truly qualified at that level / do I really perform at a level that warrants top end pay, etc.)

23. Bernadette M MartinezJune 20,2022 at 7:40PM UTC

    If they are willing to offer it to new employees, the company should AUTOMATICALLY adjust current employee salaries to match that range. The cloak and dagger secrecy to hide pay disparities is archaic nonsense anyway.

    This is why people will leave companies without a second thought. If they're not going to be paid what they are actually worth, why stay? They can go elsewhere and earn far more.

24. Kristie WhiteJune 22,2022 at 6:05PM UTC

    In this tight labor market, many hiring scales are not based on what the work is "worth" but the supply and demand equation. It is easy to say that companies should automatically increase the rates of pay of everyone - and certainly, pay equity is the goal - but that also adds to the ongoing fixed budget and the company may be able to afford to purchase an additional hire at an overstated rate but unable to afford the entire pay equity structure. Plus, the market is driving the current price - not the skill set of the hire. It's no different from buying a house in a hot housing market - you overpay because of the shortage of supplies.

25. AnonymousJune 22,2022 at 8:59PM UTC

    Hiring a new person with a lot of experience or a higher skill set would warrant a higher pay and would not in ay way require the company to raise everyone up. You raise pay levels across the board when your base pay or entry level pay goes up.

26. Kristie WhiteJune 19,2022 at 8:01PM UTC

    Many organizations find themselves in this situation when the hiring market changes. It's why it is SOO important to negotiate for the best rate when you are being hired or promoted. That is when you have leverage. Once you are in a role, you are stuck with the "merit" increases that come down the line unless the position is realigned.

    Your company is competing in a market where they need additional labor and the price of that labor has exploded. If they move to make the pay equitable (the most ethical thing to do), they are adding expense but not more labor resources. In order for them to do that - they would have to do it for every person in that position. And they would still only have the total number of resources they have now.

    So this is an economic and market driven issue that your company has to deal with, not necessarily something where they are trying to treat you badly. Your choice is to try and negotiate with your boss - but it is unlikely they will increase your pay by much and only if you are at STAR that they don't want to lose. It is highly unlikely that even a STAR will get a $13,000 increase. The only way to leverage this market condition in your direction is to go out to the market yourself and find a job during this highly competitive time. That boost in income will help you now and for a long time into the future. But it is your choice and many employers know that most employees will grumble but not make the effort to change jobs.