# How much should I be asking for for Engineering Job #1?



## Foxxo (May 17, 2022)

I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering... or I _think_ I have one; the proof hasn't gone out yet.

My previous work experience is McDonald's.

And no, I have not bought Bitcoin before.


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## namelesstacotruck (May 17, 2022)

Use levels.fyi for the location to get an idea of what the place pays people.


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## wtfNeedSignUp (May 17, 2022)

Ask friends who are already working for the average salary for your degree, then increase it by around 10% when asked since you might get lucky.

Also don't be a fucking moron and spend a day writing a good CV in LaTeX.

Edit: Also aim depending on the place size. You are probably wasting your time thinking it if you go to anything corporate, unless you have god tier grade.
But anything above a start up will might give you 10% more, if it's a place swimming in money try even 20%.


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## Scale Smerch (May 17, 2022)

Depends, sounds like you're looking for a junior role so don't be expecting a huge amount. Something in the range of ~$50-70k is typical from my experience, with the exact amount coming from industry type, location, and prior experience. Ideally you would have acquired some internship experience before graduation, but given you apparently lack that spend a lot of time tuning your resume and cover letter to the job postings - you'll need the effort to help stand out from your peers who can reference direct engineering experience.


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## Retink (May 18, 2022)

Really depends on location and industry but usually 50-60k$ would be reasonable. You might get lucky and find something north of 70k$ but that's usually after you've had a few years and switch jobs. Really what you want is a couple years of actual experience.


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## Puff (May 18, 2022)

If you're willing to move, north of 70k is easily doable now since the dollar is worth jack shit. 
My first job a few years back started right at 75k (in the automotive sector) , but I moved 9 hours for that. In my home state I'd likely have been at 55k-65k. All of our young engineers keep getting snatched up by our competitors paying more. I can't imagine how, because I'm making significantly higher than starting after like 3 years.


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## BelUwUga (May 26, 2022)

Honestly your starting wage is BS or it really should be within 12 months of starting somewhere. Getting your foot in the door at a lower starting wage with clear goals to get a more desirable one at a predetermined date will make you far more hire-able. It also sets the tone that you expect to perform and meet your goals and while you expect to be rewarded you are upfront and rational in how you go about it. The hiring manager sees a young professional hungry and eager to cut their teeth. Someone demanding a high wage with no relevant experience and a fresh credential screams entitled primadonna.


Spoiler: Numbers



On an application I would but 5-10% above the mean in your area. Everyone knows this is negotiable here and you don't want to come across as someone that _needs _ to undercut the competition. I would suggest (and did myself) 15-25% above my "survival" income needed so I had some safety margin. _But_ if I delivered on time and under budget for the project I was supposed to complete in 90 days, I was _locked in_ at what the upper 5% of my area expect to make after a year of experience. I had little more than my degree walking in to the interview but I knew I could rise to the occasion. Them paying me more was a no-brainer if I delivered as I'd be earning them multiple times what that would cost with one project. Getting that 270 days early put my annual income above the upper bound of starting wages in my area.

Taxes: W2/W4- married? Kids? No and no- no deductions (everyone else skippy skip), nothing exceptional with withholding, the form is really that easy. Keep your pay statements somewhere, file your taxes after January and before April, the government will send you a check a couple weeks after you do. 1099: 1/3 of the money in your paycheck _is not yours._ Every quarter you will need to fill out a form and send Uncle Sam a check for 1/4-1/3 of your wages. If you do not do this or don't pay enough, there is a penalty percentage added at the end of the year. _Do not spend what's left of that 1/3, it is not yours yet. _After January, but before April, file your taxes. Once Uncle Sam says they owe you that year or you don't owe them, _then_ that money is yours. Hold on to those statements for 7 years, if you made an honest/good-faith effort even with the worst audit outcome the potential damage is _very limited._ The IRS wants you employed and making some agreed-upon payments, jail and terror are counterintuitive.


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