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It will only let me put a numerical answer. (Usually I write "Will discuss if offered position.") Would it be bad if I put zero?

I am fresh out of college, and have not gotten a professional job yet.

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I would like for this question to be generic. Although, if need be, I am located in Wisconsin, have two summer internships worth of experience and have a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering from an ABET accredited university. For 2020, from searching online, I would say a reasonable range of salary is $61-72k for entry level. I do not want to put the minimum. For all I know, the positions I'm applying to could offer $70k+ as standard.

adamaero
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  • What's wrong with just putting what you think is your desired salary? – Aida Paul Aug 02 '20 at 15:04
  • Overshooting or undershooting. Electrical engineering is a very diverse field. A test engineer just about anyone with a bachelors in engineering can do. Then RF design, PCB design, etc are disciplines few are qualified to do. So I'll either be going too low or probably too high. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 15:54
  • You are reading a bit too much into it IMO. It's a desired salary, so you put in a number that you would be happy to work for, not your minimum. Does that mean that maybe, potentially, you will be under their budget? Sure. But then, so what, since the pay works for you? – Aida Paul Aug 02 '20 at 15:56
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    @gnat No, but thanks. Salary should not be disclosed, even a desired salary, until the job is offered. That's the root of the problem. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 16:06
  • from your question it wasn't clear, but this is also thoroughly covered already, see How to respond to a direct ask of salary earned and expectations? and 48 similar questions linked to it – gnat Aug 02 '20 at 16:21
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    This question almost exactly is my question. Although, no answers seem to see that we're asking about filling out a form. The answers deal with discussing and negotiating (e.g., "at the start of the process, and say"). I can delete the question, but there aren't real answers about it. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 16:49
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    Welp, I can't delete the question. "Does this answer your question?" appears. No, not really. But I guess, since most employers don't respond anyway, it doesn't matter what I put down on one generic fillable form. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 16:52
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    @adamaero I'm an electrical engineer as well. Sounds like you're new to the industry. I would definitely do some research on how much an entry level in the job's location would make. You also have to determine how much you think you're worth. Are you worth more than 70k+? (Frankly, I don't think entry level EE's are worth that much unless they really know their stuff and/or have a Master's degree.) –  Aug 03 '20 at 05:19
  • @KingDuken "For 2020, from searching online, I would say a reasonable range of salary is $61-72k for entry level." This is the research. – adamaero Aug 03 '20 at 12:21
  • @adamaero That salary range is extremely wide and likely based on where you live. Here in Texas, an entry level new grad EE is $65k. In California, it might be more because of their costs of living being higher. I started with $68k because I was going to grad school at the time and I was working for a Fortune 100 company... so there are many factors of what your salary could be. This is why I say that you need to figure out what you think you're worth. What are you skills? What are your experiences? Can you do more than what the job responsibilities say? –  Aug 03 '20 at 16:58
  • But I would give some advise: Don't undershoot your salary expectations because companies will take advantage of that. I typically ask a little higher than I think I'm worth. For instance, I'm interviewing for a new job right now and I said that I expect my salary to be my current salary but I have proof that I am currently in line to get promoted so I would like a little more than what I'm making now. They have been open to that so far. –  Aug 03 '20 at 17:05

2 Answers2

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If you must put in a value, put in a value. Indeed, glassdoor, linkedin, et cet, all have salary calculators to give a very good estimate at what you can expect for a salary.

Look at them, then enter that amount.

If they have ranges, then as someone fresh out of school, you should enter something near the bottom. If you have any related experience, adjust it upwards slightly.

Old_Lamplighter
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    The issue is that the ranges are for entry level. I'm not valued at the bottom. I would think that'd be a terrible idea. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 15:51
  • @adamaero as this is your first job how is this not an entry level position? – Aida Paul Aug 02 '20 at 16:01
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    I have internship experience directly related to the position. I think you haven't thoroughly read the question from this and your previous question. – adamaero Aug 02 '20 at 16:38
  • Additionally, electrical technicians--even so far as different disciplines like electricians--are often lumped with electrical engineering jobs. This negatively skews the distribution (that is already exclusively for entry level). Picking at the low end of this range is poor advice on multiple levels. – adamaero Aug 03 '20 at 12:19
  • Yes, I am not HR sifting through potential electrical engineers. The salary range for (1) entry level is (2) negatively skewed. (3) A 10k range is ample given the very wide variety of electrical engineering occupations: everything between, but not including, electricians/techs to physicists. This includes test engineers (lower end), power engineers (assortment of disciplines), firmware engineers (many different languages), design engineers (wider assortment), etc. If given the chance to write the range, I do. However, this one particular application, of 50-100+, allowed one numeric value. – adamaero Aug 03 '20 at 14:13
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Well, you have to take care you don’t price yourself out of the market - you put 70k and someone else with the same qualifications put 65k...

They have to decide who to invite to interview...

But if you price yourself too low that is bad as well. Too low a price can be an indicator you don’t value yourself in terms of confidence, but that is also an opinion.

Solar Mike
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  • Most people don't realize that too low can price them out of the market. I don't want to step on your answer, but if you could explain why too low can knock them out of the box, it would really improve this answer. – Old_Lamplighter Aug 02 '20 at 15:15
  • I don't think pricing yourself low as very first job is going to ever be seen as negative. For someone seasoned, sure. – Aida Paul Aug 02 '20 at 16:01
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    @TymoteuszPaul of course it is. Who wants to hire someone who doesn't know their own worth – Old_Lamplighter Aug 02 '20 at 16:33