diagnosis · evidence-based answer
How do I decide what to pay for a job?
The short answer
Match the role to a market benchmark by scope and level, not by title — titles are inconsistent across employers, so title-matching systematically mis-prices work. Choose a percentile posture (are you targeting the median, or leading at the 75th to win scarce talent?), adjust for the geography where the work is performed, and document the choice. What you pay is a deliberate position against a defensible benchmark, not a single number pulled from one survey.
The problem underneath
Title-based benchmarking mis-prices roles because titles are inconsistent across companies; leaders need to match on scope, not label.
Go deeper
Related questions
- How do I benchmark a salary for a role?
- What is the right pay for a position?
Stop re-deriving this by hand. Benchmark a role against market data — Match on scope and level, pick a percentile posture, adjust for geography.