What To Do If A Salary Comparison Reveals You're Being Paid Below Average?

Most people’s primary career motivation is to earn as much money as they can; it’s natural to strive for a higher salary as you progress through your career. Carrying out a salary comparison will reveal how your pay compares to others in similar positions and can provide you with a good starting point from which you can ask for a pay rise.

While many other factors impact career fulfilment and enjoyment, such as the people you work with, the impact your work has on the community, and your work-life balance, it is money (in other words, your salary) that makes the world go round.

This was confirmed in our recent global workplace study, involving over 3,400 professionals and 600+ employers found that 40% of professionals globally consider ‘higher salary’ the most when looking at moving roles and 43% of businesses outlined ‘Can’t compete on pay and benefits’ as the main reason they have lost out on hiring new talent in the last 6 months.

But what should you do if your salary comparison—through using benchmarking tools such as a salary guide—shows that you are being paid an amount that is below the industry average in your country?

Step 1: Decode how salaries are calculated

Firstly, it makes sense to understand how salaries are calculated.

Hiring organisations take into account nine main areas when figuring out what to pay their new employees:

• Hiring Budget: How much money does the organisation have for each specific hire? This includes all the potential costs involved, in addition to the salary.
• Type of Employment: The cost of making a permanent hire will differ from the cost of hiring a contractor. Your type of employment will influence the remuneration you receive.
• Average Salaries: Most organisations will benchmark what they offer new employees against the industry average. They often obtain that figure by using salary guides and speaking to recruiters.
• Education & Experience: The more experienced you are, and if you have relevant qualifications, the more likely you will be at the upper end of the salary bracket for your position.
• Industry: Salaries for the same role in different industries can vary enormously. How valuable the role is to your industry will dictate how much you are paid.
• Location: Where you are based for work affects your salary. Employers consider ‘cost of living’, so salaries in metropolitan areas are often higher than in rural locations.
• In-demand Skill Sets: Companies have shifted to a more skills-based hiring approach. If you have niche skills in demand, you’re likely to be of more value to an employer and, therefore, can command a higher salary.
• Supply & Demand: Similar to above, but more around the current situation rather than your skills, if your expertise is particularly relevant at the time of hiring, there’s a good chance you could be offered an above-average salary.
• Perks & Benefits: If you are offered a significant benefits package, it can impact your remuneration. The monetary costs of perks and benefits are incorporated into the total compensation package.

Now you understand more of how your current (or prospective) employer calculates how much to pay you. If that amount, as revealed by a salary comparison, turns out to be unsatisfactory when considered against industry averages, what do you do next?

Step 2: Consult a ‘salary coach’

Don’t worry; this isn’t an additional resource you need to find; it’s merely someone who can guide you in figuring out how to earn more.

In other words, you want to speak to a recruiter, a mentor, or someone more senior than yourself in your area of expertise.

You may want to elicit the assistance of a salary coach when:

• You’ve been offered a new role with a new employer
• You feel a raise is warranted in your current job
• You’re taking on a new role or more responsibilities at the same company

Once you’ve done a thorough salary comparison, a ‘salary coach’ will give you an external perspective that can help you recognise the true value you bring to your role and your organisation. Not only that, but they will guide you on how to communicate that value back in a discussion effectively.

They can also provide invaluable salary negotiation advice so you can maximise your pay package when you eventually have a conversation with your manager about a pay rise.

Recruiters, in particular, are a priceless asset here. They speak to multiple people across their industry daily, so they know more about what companies pay their employees than most.

Recruiters know the typical responses managers give to refuse a pay rise request and how you can combat them.

Asking for more money can be an awkward conversation. It’s one of the main reasons professionals stagnate in their current roles and become irritated with their remuneration package, often resulting in them applying for new jobs.

Speaking to a ‘salary coach’ will better equip you for that potentially tricky conversation and hopefully get you the outcome you deserve!

Step 3: Work your way up to a higher salary

If you have increased your responsibilities and can prove the additional value you have already brought to the business, then there’s a chance that you may get the increase you want.

But in many cases, it’s sadly not as straightforward as simply carrying out a salary comparison, asking for more money, and then receiving it; you will probably be given targets to reach and goals to achieve to earn your raise. These will vary depending on your job, but often they will be around:

• Generating more revenue for the business
• Winning new clients
• Better equipping your teams with skills and knowledge
• Optimising business processes to increase efficiency

Alongside the goals outlined by your manager or employer, there are a few proactive steps you can take, such as offering to help outside your remit, getting involved in the training/upskilling of other employees, and professionally developing yourself with new interpersonal skills and technical abilities—to name just a few.

Step 4: Negotiate non-financial rewards

In certain instances, your company might be in a financial position where they can’t offer you a pay raise. Sometimes, that’s just the way it is.

This can be disheartening and may drive you to look for another role (or drop out of the hiring process if it is for a new job), but it pays to remember that there are other aspects of your compensation package that they might be able to be more flexible with.

Here are examples of rewards to discuss:

• Flexible working arrangements (e.g., remote work or compressed workweeks).
• Additional annual leave.
• Funded professional development (e.g., training courses or certifications).
• Enhanced wellness benefits (e.g., gym memberships or childcare support).

According to our research, 43% of professionals prefer to work 1-2 days per week in the office, while 29% prefer to work 3–4 days. It seems that only 12% of people are content to spend the entire five working days at work. According to the survey, half of employees would forego a pay rise in exchange for the flexibility they desired.

Think about what’s important to you and whether there is anything besides money that would make you more content in your role.

Bonus Step: Avoid Common Salary Negotiation Mistakes

It’s not just about what you do—it’s also about what to avoid:

• Don’t make it personal: Avoid basing your request on personal financial struggles. Focus on your professional contributions.
• Don’t compare yourself to colleagues: Emphasise your value without referencing others’ pay.
• Don’t issue ultimatums: Saying "Give me a raise, or I’ll leave" can harm your reputation.
• Don’t skip preparation: Failing to back your request with data weakens your case.
• Don’t bring negative emotions: Approach the conversation calmly and constructively.

There is a lot of value in knowing what you’re worth...

It’s a shrewd move to regularly undertake a salary comparison so you keep up-to-date with whether there have been any significant changes to what people are being paid in your particular area of expertise.

Not only does it help you ensure you’re being paid fairly for the work you do, but it also shows you’re aware of what’s going on in your market - which is often highly valued by employers.