Don’t Ask Do Tell

This October, New York City joined Massachusetts and Philadelphia in barring employers from asking about a job applicant’s current salary and pay history. More than 20 states are considering similar legislation. Women earned 79.6 cents for every dollar men made in 2015, according to Census Bureau data. The bill passed partially in response to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that employers are allowed to pay women less than men based on salary history. Our industry has very different salaries and titles depending on the company, location, and applicant’s experience. Determining compensation is a challenge, especially since a majority of real estate companies have 15 full-time employees or less, with not a lot of duplication of roles. Average CRE salary information may represent huge variables. What’s a job seeker to do? Help the HR person go to bat for you and tell them what you make and your compensation goals “after you prove your awesome value to the company of course.”