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 Most
professionals want to have the ideal job with
excellent benefits, balance between work and family,
good working environments and competitive salaries.
Money, of course, is very important, which is
why it is so crucial for job seekers to know how
much they are worth.
Employment
Review's® Annual Salary Survey asked professionals
what they earn - and the response was incredible.
An amazing 17,749 people from more than 43 industries
took part in the survey, hosted on BestJobsUSA.com.
Some of the topics included experience, education
and raises.
More
than twice as many respondents participated in
this year's survey as in last year's, representing
every state as well as Canada and the international
community. As would be expected, the largest number
of respondents came from California, Florida,
New York and Texas. Illinois, Georgia and Massachusetts
also displayed a strong showing.
Once
again more men responded to the survey than women
did; however, the margin was fairly close. According
to the results, 58 percent of the respondents
were men while 42 percent were women. The 21-
to 30-year-old age range had the largest number
of participants with 36 percent, followed by the
31- to 40-year-old age range, which garnered 33
percent.
Education
has a great impact on an individual's earning
potential. The survey reports that 46 percent,
about the same amount as last year, earned bachelor's
degrees. Also, 22 percent received high school
diplomas, 16 percent have master's degrees, 13
percent have gone to technical/trade schools and
just 3 percent have doctoral degrees.
While
each of us wants to know what our colleagues are
earning, it is interesting to see how others are
doing in different locales. For instance, a software
engineer with 11 to 20 years work experience in
the Northeast earns $81,000 per year in Massachusetts
while a person in New York with the same experience
garners $69,000 per year. Change careers and locations
to a retail manager living in the Mid-Atlantic
region of the country. Here is an individual with
three to five years of experience and earning
$56,000 in Virginia while in New Jersey a person
receives $27,000 and a professional in Pennsylvania
brings home only $19,100.
 The
difference in compensation from one city to another
in the same region can be astronomical. For instance,
in the Southeast a healthcare administrative assistant
with 11 to 20 years of experience can earn as
little as $14,500 per year in Florida and as much
as $33,000 per year in North Carolina. An accountant
with just a small amount of experience, zero to
two years, in the South Central region of the
country makes $25,000 to $32,500 per year in Missouri
and $30,000 to $45,000 per year in Texas. On the
West Coast, a computer technician with three to
five years of experience in Arizona earns $26,000
per year, $50,000 in California and $65,000 in
Washington.
 When
comparing professionals in different regions,
the results were quite intriguing. A telecommunications
sales professional with six to 10 years of experience
in the South Central region earns $38,000 to $48,600.
Meanwhile, if this person lived in the West he
could receive $65,000 to $100,000 per year.
 A
computer analyst with zero to two years under
his belt can earn as little as $35,000 and as
much as $81,000 - it just depends on what coast
he likes best. In the Mid-Atlantic region a computer
analyst garners $35,000, in the Northeast $40,000
to $55,000 per year and in the West $51,000 to
$81,000 per year. Also, a software engineer with
zero to two years' experience can gross $33,000
to $38,500 in the Midwest compared to $50,000
in the South Central region.
 In
the retail industry, a manager's salary has everything
to do with location. Employment Review's® survey
found that a manager with 11 to 20 years of experience
can earn $43,000 per year on the West Coast; $25,000
to $48,000 in the South Central region; $48,900
to $61,000 in the Mid-Atlantic; $42,000 to $62,000
in the Southeast; and $36,000 to $71,000 in the
Midwest. The Northeast had the highest salary
level at $80,000.
 When
asked if their salaries are competitive, a large
portion of the men said yes - 47 percent. Meanwhile,
42 percent of the women believe their salaries
are competitive. Did respondents feel their earnings
are based on how well they do their jobs? According
to the survey, the answer is yes. Eighty percent
of the men and 75 percent of the women say their
raises are based on their ability.
 As
far as raises are concerned, respondents were
able to choose from four categories: annual, automatic,
performance or other. Not surprisingly, as in
last year's survey, both male and female participants
report that they receive raises annually: 53 percent
of men (5,467) and 53 per cent of women (3,960).
Raises based on performance evaluations received
2,506 (24 percent) male responses and 1,667 (22
percent) female responses. Automatic raises garnered
824 (8 percent) male responses and 683 (9 percent)
female responses, while other earned 1,522 (15
percent) male participants and 1,119 (15 percent)
female participants.
Undoubtedly,
people are still struggling to find that balance
between work and family. According to the survey
results, a total of 10,135 respondents (57percent)
work 40 hours, 6,600 participants (37 percent)
work more than 40 hours and only 1,013 people
(6 percent) work fewer than 40 hours. To break
it down even more thoroughly, 5,376 males (52
percent) work 40 hours while 4,759 females (64
percent) work 40 hours. Furthermore, 4,568 males
(44 percent) work more than 40 hours and 2,032
women (27 percent) work 40-plus hours.
For
those who are interested in finding out more about
salary levels across the board, take a look at
Employment Review's® most comprehensive Annual
Salary Survey online at BestJobsUSA.com. Having
the inside track on what other people across the
country earn will only make you a more successful
professional in the long run. - SHERRI PFEIL,
Staff Writer
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