The U.S. workforce knows its worth.
A new study from the California-based staffing firm Robert Half International shows 82% of professionals feel informed about the amount they should make in their current role while 73% compared their salary with market rates.
More than half (54%) admitted to comparing compensation with coworkers, the study found. Less than half (47%) feel they are paid enough for the work they do, even though the level of salary research is rising.
“Workers have more access to information about their salaries, roles and career options than ever before, arming them for conversations with current and potential employers,” Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half, said. “Managers must remain equally knowledgeable, regularly evaluating salaries to ensure they’re paying at or above market rates to recruit and retain highly skilled talent in today’s competitive hiring market.”
McDonald said talented employees are likely to stay at a company if they feel they’re fairly compensated.
Additional findings:
- More men (87%) feel well-informed about how much they should make than women (76%);
- Half of the women surveyed feel underpaid compared to only 41% of men;
- Nationally, 57% of professionals feel a stronger economy has helped their earning potential;
- About two thirds (67%) of workers 18-34 have talked about their salaries with colleagues, compared to 54% aged 35-54 and 38% for those 55+.
Over a thousand workers across the country and 2,800 in 28 U.S. markets were surveyed, Robert Half said.
