New York City will make it mandatory for companies to post salaries on job ads
I actually disagree with this on the premise that all aspects of hiring are a two-way street.  I&#x27;ve worked at quite a few different companies in different roles, and now I&#x27;m in a senior management position.  I feel that these types of rules tend to place companies in a negative light - like their primary goal is to focus on company profits and screw over anyone that might be getting in their way.  In my experience, this just isn&#x27;t how it works.  When I prepare an offer, I take into consideration a lot of factors that center around how much worth someone brings to the table (expertise, self-learning ability, attitude, flexibility to juggle diverse tasks, etc.).  I then work out a range I&#x27;m comfortable offering.  I then typically offer closer to the lower end of the range because I&#x27;m open to a counter offer (so long as it doesn&#x27;t exceed the max rate I calculated).<p>I then fully expect that person to counter, because I feel that it&#x27;s on them to do the market research to determine how much they&#x27;re worth.  That&#x27;s what I&#x27;ve done through my career and I&#x27;ve been happy with the result.<p>I see applying&#x2F;hiring as a game where the company is trying to find a way to afford as much talent as possible AND ensuring they can continue to pay that rate when times get tough and projects are cancelled&#x2F;postponed.  I also factor in annual bonuses for other employees, R&amp;D budgets, etc.  At the same time, applicants should be prepared knowing what they&#x27;re worth.  That takes some research, but it&#x27;s not overly difficult.  As they determine what they&#x27;re worth, they also gain an understanding of a skillset they can work toward to reach the next rung of the ladder.<p>At the end of the day, I really believe that the only person someone should compete against is himself.  If comparing rates is THE issue, then I think the focus is misaligned.  If rates are a concern, then start a dialog with your manager.  Most managers are willing to go to bat to help out an employee if they really feel they deserve a higher wage.  Just be prepared to make your case if you do that, explain WHY you deserve a higher rate - and it should be more than &quot;well so and so is paid more than me.&quot;  If in the end you&#x27;re still unhappy with your rate&#x2F;benefits, then consider a move, but be prepared to grow in your skillset if that&#x27;s what&#x27;s needed to reach your financial goals.<p>Handle it professionally and communicate... Those are my thoughts.