Career Research Guide:
Salaries

The most current sources for salary information by profession most likely are:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/)
• Trade or professional associations 
• Actual job listings

Key Resources:

American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries (Tables of average salaries and discussion of future prospects)
GENERAL REFERENCE HD8038.U5 W74

Area Wage Surveys / Bureau of Labor Statistics (Reports on earnings in 70 major metropolitan areas for clerical, professional, technical, maintenance, custodial and material movement occupations.)
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS L2.3
Also see Wages, earning and benefits data: http://www.bls.gov/ 

National Compensation Survey (Wage calculator) / Bureau of Labor Statistics

National Survey of Professional, Administrative, Technical, and Clerical Pay. Private Service Industries / U.S. Department of labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS L 2.3/13-2 (Ask staff about online format and updates)

Occupational Outlook Handbook / Bureau of Labor Statistics
Electronic version: http://www.bls.gov/oco/
GENERAL REFERENCE HD8051.A62 (latest ed.)

Occupational Outlook Quarterly / Bureau of Labor Statistics (supplements handbook with updated information)
Electronic Version: http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/ooqhome.htm
CURRENT PERIODICALS, M-LEVEL  LC1045.U51 (for latest ed.)

 Identifying Trade or Professional Associations: 

1) Use these resources to identify associations by profession or industry.

Directory of Business Information Resources
GENERAL REFERENCE HF 54.52 U5 D567

Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources
GENERAL REFERENCE HF 5353 .E8

-- two excellent print directories that organize, by industry or topic, a wealth of information sources, including trade journals, websites, statistical sources and professional organizations.  Some associations may require membership, but the publications may be available through a library resource.

2) Contact the association directly for more information or view its website for job openings, lists of its publications, or salary data or surveys.

3) Check a library catalog, the List of E-Journals, or the Lexis-Nexis Statistical database below to identify if access to those publications is possible.  Ask a librarian for verification. 

Articles:

Search on a profession and combine with either the term salaries or wages in a newspaper or article index.

Salary Negotiations:

To Locate Information on Salary Negotiation:

1) Search under the "Negotiation" link in Wetfeet for articles. Download Wetfeet's in-depth guides for more extensive information on negotiating salaries.

2) Perform an Advanced general keyword search on this topic in the JHU Catalog or another library catalog.

Sample JHU Catalog search results for salar* AND negotiat*

3) Run similar searches within the article index databases listed on this page.

4) Consult resources on Employment Interviewing for more about this aspect.