---
name: salary-benchmarking
description: "Build a defensible salary range for a role — what it actually pays given the market, location, level, and your value — so you can ask, counter, or set pay with a real number. Use when asked what should I be paid, is my salary fair, research market pay for [role], or how much to ask for. Produces a structured way to research the range from multiple sources, the factors that move your number (level, location, industry, skills, company size), where you likely sit in the band, and how to frame the number — flagging that pay data varies and should be triangulated, not taken from one source. Not the same as running the negotiation."
homepage: https://mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills/skill/salary-benchmarking.html
metadata:
  {
    "openclaw": { "emoji": "🧭" }
  }
---

# Salary Benchmarking

"Am I underpaid?" and "what should I ask for?" both need the same thing: a defensible number, not a guess or a single glassdoor figure. This builds that range by triangulating sources and adjusting for the factors that actually move pay — level, location, industry, skills, company size — then places you within the band and helps you frame it. (Making the ask itself is a separate negotiation skill.)

## What This Skill Produces

- **A research method** — how to build a range from multiple sources (surveys, aggregators, postings, peers, recruiters) rather than one figure
- **The adjusting factors** — how level/seniority, location/cost-of-living, industry, in-demand skills, and company size/stage shift the number
- **Your position in the band** — a reasoned estimate of where you likely sit (and why), given your experience and value
- **A defensible range** — a low/target/high you can justify with the factors behind it
- **Framing guidance** — how to state the number and the evidence, without overclaiming
- **A triangulation caveat** — pay data is noisy and often stale; cross-check, and adjust for your specifics

## Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:
- **The role** — title, level/seniority, and field
- **Location** — and whether the role is remote (which market applies)
- **Your profile** — years, key/in-demand skills, notable results
- **Context** — current pay, company size/industry, and the goal (raise, offer, new role)
- **Sources seen** — any numbers you already have

## Framework: Triangulate, Adjust, Position

1. **Use multiple sources.** No single site is truth — combine salary surveys, aggregators, live job postings, peer/recruiter input, and community data to form a range.
2. **Adjust for the real drivers.** Level, location/cost-of-living, industry, scarce skills, and company size/stage can each shift pay substantially — apply them to the raw range.
3. **Place yourself honestly.** Position within the band based on your actual experience, skills, and results — not aspiration or imposter-driven lowballing.
4. **Build a defensible range.** Produce a low/target/high with the reasoning, so the number survives scrutiny.
5. **Frame with evidence, not entitlement.** Present the number tied to market data and your value; avoid a single cherry-picked figure or an unbacked demand.
6. **Caveat the data.** It's noisy and can lag the market — triangulate and adjust rather than trusting one source or a stale number.

## Output Format

### Salary benchmark: [role/level] · [location/remote] · [industry]

**Research from:** [surveys · aggregators · live postings · peers · recruiters].
**Adjust for:** level [x] · location/COL [y] · industry · scarce skills · company size/stage.
**Your position in the band:** [where + why — experience/skills/results].
**Defensible range:** low [ ] · target [ ] · high [ ] — justified by [factors].
**How to frame it:** [number + evidence, tied to value].

> Pay data is noisy and can be stale — triangulate multiple sources and adjust for your specifics. (Running the negotiation itself is a separate step.)

## Quality Checks
- [ ] Builds the range from multiple sources, not one
- [ ] Adjusts for level, location, industry, skills, and company size
- [ ] Positions the person honestly within the band
- [ ] Produces a defensible low/target/high with reasoning
- [ ] Frames the number with evidence, not entitlement
- [ ] Caveats data noise/staleness and triangulation

## Anti-Patterns
- **A single-source number** treated as truth.
- **Ignoring location/level/industry** adjustments.
- **Aspirational or imposter-driven** self-positioning.
- **A number with no justification.**
- **Trusting stale data** without triangulating.

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "What should someone in my role actually be paid?"
- "Am I underpaid? Help me research the market."
- "How much should I ask for in this new role?"
- "Build me a defensible salary range for a mid-level [role] in [city]."
- "Is this job offer's salary fair for my experience?"