All profit is based on exploitation. Surplus value is extracted in absolute and relative terms. Absolute surplus value is increasing the amount of time worked per worker. Relative surplus value is extracted by reducing wages or increasing productivity and intensity.

With that orientation explicitly stated, I work in tech and I find discussing salary extremely difficult. Recruiters and hiring managers ask: "What is your salary expectation?" I have no idea how to respond and because I am desperate for a job, respond with what my friends later tell me is "a low ball". It is a wild wild west, with ignorant HR people looking for buzzwords, unrealistic tech stacks, and a lot of bait and switch.

How to approach salary questions? Should I give them a number first? My neoliberal friends tell me "how much value you think you generate", and I respond "enough so I don't have to work anymore".

    • thethirdgracchi [he/him, they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Actually yeah that's a good point. Just choose a little bit above the band you're assuming they're using and you're good.

      • GrouchoMarxist [comrade/them,use name]
        ·
        4 years ago

        This is the right answer. Figure out comparable rates for similar jobs, use stuff like Glassdoor for research, and then add like 5-10k on top of that and judge how they react. If they act like it's impossible/a big deal to ask that much, just run for the hills

        • AutonomistMarxist [none/use name]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Problem is, a term like full-stack developer has a lot of variance. On Glassdoor, full-stack developer has a low of 72,000 and a high of 145,000. The average is 105,813.

          • thethirdgracchi [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            4 years ago

            You gotta look for either the salaries for similar jobs at that company, or salaries for companies like that company in the same general geographic area. If you live in, for example, New York City and say you want $85k for a full-stack developer salary they'll hire you on the spot because you're waaaaaay underselling yourself. Geography is key here.

          • GrouchoMarxist [comrade/them,use name]
            ·
            4 years ago

            Yeah it varies a lot, Glassdoor is good if you can find things specific to a company you're interviewing with. Like if you're lucky a few former full stack devs will have left reviews and if they were making 120k then you shouldn't start off at the 72k level. Dev pay is harder to nail down though, there's a lot of variables in those salaries

            • AutonomistMarxist [none/use name]
              ·
              4 years ago

              A couple of other websites I have found useful is h1b salary database. companies have to disclose what they paid for h1b roles https://h1bdata.info/ . Another interesting website, Blind, allows anonymous gossip for tech companies. you can only register if you have a verified corporate email account: https://www.teamblind.com/

          • the_river_cass [she/her]
            ·
            4 years ago

            depends on the company and how much experience you have within the band. if they like you, they'll start at average and happily go up to the top of the range. if they think you're a stretch, they'll start at the bottom of the range and begrudgingly work up to average.