One thing to add about the Game Industry Salary Survey.
When you look at a figure like "how much a programmer gets with up to 3 years experience" - that includes salaries of people with 3 years experience, averaged with people with 2 years experience and 1 year's experience... So someone right out of college should not expect to make the amount shown on that survey. It has to be less. After 3 years you could be making the amount shown on that survey. (Or you might be making a little less, or somewhat more. It's an average.)
Also, the amount you get paid is never what "you are worth." Do not equate salary with one's worth.
How do I gauge How much i'm worth?
Take that, add about $5,000 to $10,000 for some negotiating room and you have your answer.
I'm actually opposed to that method. I've always been very open about my expectations. A lot of employers appreciate that, even if they risk being shocked by the initial number. This generally means there won't be much back and forth, holding up on candidates, etc. Both parties come to the table with numbers in mind, and you set yours open. It is entirely up to them to accept or refuse, rather than try and probe your invisible hand.
As far as getting a raise is concerned, all you need to do is make yourself essential to the success of the company. When asked if other companies contacted you, be honest: yes they did. Tell no more than you need to. If they're affraid, they'll raise the bar. If not, then, I can't stress enough SimonForsman's advice:
2) After you get hired, keep track of your contribution to the business, if you can show your boss that the company will benefit more by giving you a raise than by replacing you with someone willing to work for less you're far more likely to get that raise you wanted.
The one way to really convince them you need a raise is to show that you understand the concerns they struggle with, elevate yourself to their level of consideration, their angle on the business. By doing so, and by really understanding your field, you can couple both knowledges and craft compelling arguments that will make your case.
My latest personal experience on this (as stated in a different thread) is that attempting to move up always pays off, even if it turns into stagnation.
One last note on the GDMag Salary survey (or any salary survey)
While a useful tool for getting some background info, it suffers from a couple signnificant issues, which tend to lead to higher numbers than might be accurate.
1) it's a survey, not a scientific poll. Self-reporters overweight non-reporters (by 100%!), and have a tendancy to slightly inflate their own salaries when reporting.
2) One or two outliers (very high earners) can skew the results (also to the high side)
3) many of the categories have relatively few respondents, making the data less reliable.
So while there is info to be gleaned from it, don't treat it as gospel or feel like ypu'r enecessarily being cheated if you're not making what an "average" similarily skilled worker does..
While a useful tool for getting some background info, it suffers from a couple signnificant issues, which tend to lead to higher numbers than might be accurate.
1) it's a survey, not a scientific poll. Self-reporters overweight non-reporters (by 100%!), and have a tendancy to slightly inflate their own salaries when reporting.
2) One or two outliers (very high earners) can skew the results (also to the high side)
3) many of the categories have relatively few respondents, making the data less reliable.
So while there is info to be gleaned from it, don't treat it as gospel or feel like ypu'r enecessarily being cheated if you're not making what an "average" similarily skilled worker does..
Author
Wow I truly appreciate all the responses and perspectives from you guys i know it may seem like a trivial question but growing as a developer in knowledge and skill and really in a discipline that's hard to quantify until we practice it makes it hard sometimes to figure out what i'd like to earn, what others like me earn, and what i should earn based on my skill set and how to balance those thoughts. but thank you all i truly appreciate the advice.
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