How much do you want to get paid?

That’s always a tricky question, eh? So much of our self-worth in the USA is tied to how much money we make, yet we never talk about real numbers. In fact, some people think its illegal to publicly state your wage. Yet the top staff salaries at NGOs and public companies are a matter of public record.

How to negotiate for it?

There are whole books written on how to get a better salary, but don’t waste your time or money on them. Look at the science, which is now clear that you should set a specific “bolstering range” for a better starting salary.

That means setting a fairly ambitious number at the bottom range, equivalent to the one you would have used as a single point offer, and then a higher number as the top range. Wondering how? Read the article!

How to be happy?

Funny thing with money, it doesn’t buy happiness, though we act like it does. I’ll tell you a secret. It turns out that after $75K, you don’t get happier with more money. So if you are already past that point, think about what does make you happier.

Odds are that its more professional freedom or greater peer respect. If so, stop worring about money and focus on what does matter. You probably have more control over these two variables anyway.