How much money do I ask for?

I've been at the same company for the past 17 years, and worked my way from a UNIX admin to running a NOC and doing network infrastructure planning and now cybersecurity audit. I've got my CISSP and my CISM, and I'm finishing my MSISA from Norwich in June (but classes finish in three weeks).

I have an interview on Thursday with a company in DC, for a position that is exactly what I want (building a vulnerability management/pen testing program from the ground up).

Commuting to DC is easily a 3 hour round trip proposition. The vast majority of that would be on the train, or one of the commuter buses. I also would have the option of driving in if that's what I wanted. The idea of a commute that long is sucky, but I also would be able to listen to those hundreds of podcasts everyone keeps sending me. (My current commute is 3 miles, so, yeah, big change.)

How much do I ask for? Do I figure it out from my base salary, or do I include my annual bonus? How much is commuting worth? How do I get them to pay for the tuition assistance I received for 2017 and would need to pay back to my current employer?

Also, any advice on how to interview would be welcome. I have a ton of questions for them but obviously that's not how it's supposed to go. I'm going to be talking to two senior vice presidents, and I'm getting nervous.

Talk to me!

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Comments

soccarplayer29

I'll answer some of those questions:

Check out indeed and payscale to compare salaries and get an idea of what to expect. A rough range I'd guestimate would be 100-150k base+bonus.
Is a 3 hour commute what you want?
Ask about tuition reimbursement, training, etc. during your interview and see what they offer and factor that into the total compensation. Also ask about commuter reimbursement

There are tons of companies is need of that sort of skillset---I wouldn't limit yourself to just the company with the 3 hour commute--I know that I couldn't do that.

paul78

Another way to talk about it is to discuss total compensation - until you know about their compensation structure, it's a premature discussion. But it can at least let you signal what you are thinking. But personally, I try to wait it out if it makes sense - I usually don't bring up compensation.

Good luck.

chmod

That is up to you, what you want in life.

3 hours commute sounds crazy to me, unless is a crazy amount of money and a job i really want i would not take it. But again, for each his own, is up to you.

Dont take money as the only thing to consider, education, flexibility, bonuses, development path within company. Ask for a very good increase because of the commute and the lose of stability as you have been in your curreny company for a long time, then take into consideration the other things i mentioned then asses if it is worth it.

p@r0tuXus

First of all, I think the OP said it's a 3 hour round trip commute. Some of it by Train, some by bus, so he's not driving all that way. Probably saving a little money compared to paying for gas. I know that I live about 11 miles from where I work and due to traffic conditions if I leave at the wrong time of day, it can take up to 45 minutes to get to work. That's 1-way. Incredibly stupid and inefficient, but such is life in the city. It'd be worse if I took the metro system (bus) to get where I needed to go. So distance isn't always relative to time, but maybe it's the situation the OP is living in. Maybe a little while into this job they can afford to move closer. Who knows. Good luck OP!

pevangel

Other factors to consider are flexible work schedules and the ability to work from home. I went from a 3 mile commute to a 50-60 mile commute and being able to come in late or early in order to avoid traffic made it bearable. I was also able to work from home most days.

Did a recruiter or HR personnel setup the interview for you? Ask them about benefits, salary range, and what to expect from the interview. It may not be appropriate to bring up benefits and salary during a strictly technical interview.

scaredoftests

3 hour commute to DC? Believe me, it would take longer. Why don't you move up to DC, then it would be worth your while (if you can't negotiate working from home).

TechGromit

With a CISSP? 100k minimum. 120k sounds pretty good to me, but people are right, you have to move closer, 3 hours commuting is just unmanageable in the long run. One car accident or depressed person throws themselves onto the tracks, and your 2 hours late to work.

asianredneck

3hours? That's a long drive

mdhisapro

Didn't the OP say round trip 3 hours, meaning an hour and a half each way? That's not too absurd. I have worked with plenty of people who drive to my current locale, from PA; and their commutes range from an hour to an hour and a half in regular traffic. Most of them have been making the drive 4+ years at least.

gespenstern

It is certainly six figures, main factors are experience, CISSP and DC area. If they aren't really cheap it is way above 100k. Like, close to 150k.

beads

DC is renown for being expensive. Best bet is to get the employer to make the first move. They have the budget card and it puts you in a stronger position to counter offer.

- b/eads

devilbones

I would say at least $150k in the DC/NoVA area if you do what you say you do.

fullcrowmoon

I ended up asking for a 15% raise based on my current base rate and bonus. They offered me the job but low-balled me on the offer, so I'm negotiating now.

powerfool

For the DC area, a well-established senior person with a CISSP and a graduate degree (for the sake of discussion), I would say $120k, minimum.

fullcrowmoon

powerfool wrote: »

For the DC area, a well-established senior person with a CISSP and a graduate degree (for the sake of discussion), I would say $120k, minimum.

Ok, now I don't feel so greedy. Thank you!