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&lt;p&gt;You aced the first interview, and now you&#39;re pressing your suit for a second. The prospects are looking good—you have a feeling you might get an offer. But before you get too excited, make sure you know what you will (and won&#39;t) accept salary-wise--before you&#39;re in the room.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why? Because you might very well be asked to name your price. Budget is a big factor in hiring these days, and you need to be careful when about choosing your number: too high, and you may remove yourself from the running; too low, and the interviewers might start to wonder why you&#39;re undervaluing yourself (and if they take you up on it, you could lose out on thousands of dollars over the years).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thus, it&#39;s best to learn as much as possible about the workload, benefits, and advancement potential of the position before answering—and to factor that in when calculating the following three figures:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;1. The Average Pay for the Position&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is a necessity for orienting yourself in the current market and grounding your expectations in cold, hard reality. The average salary for a job title can be obtained from a variety of websites--like (ahem) this one--to the Department of Labor&#39;s online handbook. A general range should give you a loose number to begin playing with--the eventual goal being to factor in your&#172; years of experience and special skills for an &quot;asking price.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Remember: your location is a big factor in the wage equation, since cost of living varies from place to place (executive assistants, for example, make nearly double in New York City what those in a small town in middle America do). Be aware of this, especially if you&#39;re relocating, so that you&#39;re able to keep up your standard of living on the new salary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;2. Your Minimum&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now that you have your average pay range, take a look at the numbers on the low end of the spectrum. Make lists of big expenses like rent or mortgage payments down to weekly groceries and regular deposits to a savings account. Considering your budget, what&#39;s the smallest amount you could comfortably maintain your lifestyle on?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Consider too whether non-monetary benefits to a job may be worth adjusting your standards of living for. Would tuition reimbursement for your MBA be worth a pay-cut? What about great health coverage for your family? Maybe work/life flexibility like telecommuting or a shorter workday could be more valuable in the long run than a certain dollar amount.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;3. Your Desired Amount&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now the fun part: finding the highest salary you could justifiably ask for. Consider the difference between your average and minimum numbers to approximate. (For example, if your minimum is $80,000 and the average salary for the position is $90,000, you might consider $95,000-$100,000 a &quot;want&quot; range). As for the justification, write a few bullet points for the value you&#39;d add to the company that makes you worth the big bucks. Be sure to take into account any previous track record for success as well as other offers you&#39;ve received.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also important to know: would you be willing to accept a higher salary for fewer benefits? What about more hours at the office? Have a clear picture of your boundaries before the meeting so that you won&#39;t make promises you can&#39;t (or won&#39;t want to) keep.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Salary is never an easy or comfortable conversation to have, but being prepared to discuss it takes a lot of the anxiety out of the process. Just keep in mind that knowledge really is power: the more questions you can get answered about the position (its benefits as well as its pitfalls) before putting a number on the table, the more likely you are to suggest and receive a salary that everyone&#39;s satisfied with.&lt;/p&gt;

Cathryn Vandewater

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