By Corey Schuler
Our economy has shifted significantly over the last decade. Housing, interest rates, remote work versus in-person, artificial intelligence… with so many moving factors, asking ourselves every now and then what constitutes a living wage is a helpful way to navigate these major life changes.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has made this easy for you with their Living Wage Calculator. You can look up where you live to see how your budget and paycheck align with the cost of living in your area and explore other parts of the country.
This is such vital information for our day-to-day lives, and especially when we are considering a new job opportunity. Understanding the economy of an area helps inform your salary negotiations and prepare for those budgetary changes ahead of time.
Salary negotiation is a crucial part of ensuring you can pay the bills and still live life to the fullest. There is nothing wrong with knowing your worth and how to leverage your skills for compensation. Employers are looking for competent contributors and would rather invest more on a stellar employee than spend less on mediocre performance.
Keep in mind our skills-based hiring process includes salary preferences! When you’re looking for work with Talents ASCEND, we filter positions based on salary and location, ensuring that when you’re matched with a job through our program, you know your needs are already met from the start.