Preparing to negotiate a salary increase

Answered by Suzanne Morgan, Founder, Print Buyers Online.com

Question:
I am getting ready to negotiate my salary increase for the year, but I have heard through the grapevine that the higher ups plan to present an article from an industry publication stating that production salaries have gone down this year.

Has Print Buyers Online.com conducted a salary survey for print buyers? I’d like to learn more about print buyer compensation based on geographic location, buying volume, and the average benefits including health insurance and bonuses. This information might be helpful in my negotiations.

It would also be great to know how much time on average a print buyer spends working on projects that fall outside of the job description. (I know I have spent many an hour performing MIS duties instead of sitting at my own desk approving proofs.)

C. V.

Answer:
Yes, PBO conducted our first Print Buyer Compensation Survey in February 2002. The results of survey are posted online here:
http://www.printbuyersonline.com/ShowContent.aspx?show=996

The results won’t answer all of your questions, but should be helpful. Given the number of respondents (less than 100), we were not able to determine salary information based on geographic location. Also, we don’t have information based on projects that fall outside the job description – but those are some great suggestions for this coming year’s survey.

In addition, you may find my article, "Preparing for a Job Review," useful. It contains specific advice on preparing for an effective review and negotiating salary increases. Here’s the link:
http://www.printbuyersonline.com/ShowContent.aspx?show=1101

Good luck with your review!

Suzanne
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