How To Navigate 8 Tricky Salary Situations

At age 25, the average college-educated American millennial woman earns 10% less than her male counterpart. By age 37, that gap rises to 27%, or a whopping $172,728 in lost income. If things continue at this pace, by age 60, we will see a 40% gender wage gap with women missing out on — wait for it — more than $1 million in income. And we are not here for it.

After all, no one ever said, “You know what I want? To have a million less dollars.” And although it is certainly not up to women alone to solve this problem, we need to fight for ourselves — and the salaries we deserve. That's why, with the wisdom of career coach Lisa Lewis, we’re giving you the tools to ask the tricky questions that may be tripping you up when it comes to fattening your paycheck. What kind of salary jump is fair to expect between jobs? How can you effectively talk salary with your coworkers? What prompts a company to match another offer?

Read on for answers and, if all goes well, a bank-account balance that makes you not just breathe a little easier, but smile. That grin? It’s what getting what you’re worth looks like.