Hello, so I'm currently working for a construction management business in Pennsylvania. I have been working on a particular job for 1 year 3 months now. The business I work for is all over the world. I technically work for their Boston, MA division...but my salary is definitely not a Boston, MA salary. I know a couple of friends who work for the same company as myself and they work in New York, which is pretty similar cost of living compared to Boston. Their salary is about $20k more than mine and we have the same job title "Project Engineer". I live in PA and was hired to work on this job in PA. I've been with them for about the same time period as my buddies. But I feel like they beat the system by hiring me to pay me less based off of COL. But if they hired a PE from New York and sent them to this job they would be getting paid a New York salary. Is this fair? I also don't get paid any overtime.
I suggest that you go to HR and ask them to analyze whether there is equity between your pay and that of people in equivalent positions. If they know their job they will use the established tools for this which appropriately weight qualifications, seniority, cost of living etc--and then make the necessary adjustments. Going through HR avoids making it personal between you and any other specific employee (their privacy is protected and it does not come down into a "who is worth more" argument). You might also want to bring up any protected category you are in as it will motivate them to ensure you are not being paid less based on even unconscious and non-deliberate discrimination (e.g. race, age, religion, minorities). HR take that seriously as it is a liability issue for the company under strict Federal laws (you could sue, and other people have sued over this and received large settlements). HR can also explain other things, like that most salaried position in the US do not pay overtime--but they should probably provide compensatory time off if you work a lot of extra hours on a project, and those hours should be recorded. I started on a lower salary when I transitioned from academia to industry because the job I was coming from provided relatively low pay, but based on an equity analysis I was adjusted up 30% a few years later.
You've a point, but then HR must be having their points as well. If the job type, work schedules, work areas and others are similar then the huge disparity what you've mentioned is certainly disappointing. You can have a talk with the employer, but then you know, fair things seldom happen in this peculiar place called earth.
Sometimes the cost of living can be different in different areas. For instance, a big salary in New York City might not be as big as it seems once you factor in the cost of rent. However, a person can get around this dilemma by living in New Jersey or some other neighboring area and commuting. Anyhow, on top of the cost of living, different areas are different in other ways too. For instance, a low-paying job at a beach might be better than a high paying one in a less fun place. However, then again, you can always save money at the average place and go to the beach for vacation.
It is hard to determine whether your job though it is project engineer comparable to that of New Yorker. I couldn't just guess and give the generalization of the point or of the job rationale. I do agree with the rest who mentioned that it would be better to talk it over to your company's HR officer and discuss with him about your salary. I think that is the possible way to settle your dissatisfaction about your present salary.
We can may be consider how long you've been working in that company as compared to your coworkers with the same duties. There is always a starting salary in every company which increases steadily as one stays with the company.So did you get hired at the same time or they were hired before you?
