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Here's how to use NYC’s new pay transparency law to get a raise at work

Salary negotiating just got a lot easier for millions of jobseekers in the Big Apple.

New York City’s new pay transparency law went into effect Nov. 1 and any private-sector company with four or more employees and at least one employee working in the city must now include a “good faith” salary range for all job listings. Similar laws are already in effect in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland and Washington State, and the NYC law could put more pressure on other places to follow suit.

The most common question I’ve received as a career coach is what this means for salary negotiations. Here are some tips on how to use the transparency law to your best advantage.

(Photo: Getty Creative)

Take “good faith” with a grain of salt

Salary ranges for some jobs have been incredibly wide (like the objectively enormous $165,000 - $240,000 range offered for one recent Apple Bank district manager role in NYC). This means you should still focus on determining your own salary goals based on a combination of what you’re currently earning, research by surveying peers and available industry data, and what amount of compensation incentives you’re leaving on the table at your current firm.

You can still negotiate more than the top of the range

Don’t assume the top of the range is the maximum you can negotiate. Because the law only requires employers to list a range for the base salary, that leaves room on top to negotiate additional forms of compensation like 401(k) matching, health benefits, bonuses, and equity awards.

If the salary range is less than what you earn now, ask if it’s negotiable

If you earn more in your current role than the listed range, let the recruiter or hiring manager know and ask if the range is negotiable.

Use published salary ranges to make a case for a raise at work

Run a search to find the published salary ranges for jobs at similar firms and include sample ranges as one of the supporting reasons for your request. You could also combine that data with industry averages from sites like Glassdoor or Salary.com.

Remember to demonstrate your impact

Along with the salary data you collect, keep a running list of all your accomplishments at work so you can prove you deserve the raise you’re asking for. You might point out that time you found a way to reduce the timeline on an outstanding project that wound up saving the company $15,000 in expenses.

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Ready to negotiate more confidently and never leave money on the table again? Join me for a free live negotiating masterclass Nov. 8. Register at www.nailyournegotiation.com.

Mandi Woodruff-Santos a career coach, award-winning cohost of Brown Ambition and founder of the MandiMoney Makers™️, a one-of-a-kind career coaching community for women of color.