Anyone else seeing very low salary offers?

[Anonymous]

Just got an interview for a job in program management for a federal contractor that required:
- 15+ years of experience in fed systems integration
- MBA
- PMP certification
- Active secret clearance
- SME knowledge in data centers

All hard and fast requirements.

This would be simultaneously managing 10+ data center equipment installations in the IC world.

Okay, so far so good. The salary they had budgeted? $115k.

Is anyone else seeing offered salaries ground down to 90s levels? Maybe due to the flood of ex-feds in the marketplace?

[Anonymous]

We are getting hundreds of resumes for even entry level positions, we can afford to reduce salary and pick someone from the middle of the pack.

[Anonymous]

It’s a seller’s market and federal funding can’t be relied upon long term. What do you expect?

[Anonymous]

Yep, I did when I was interviewing (just started a new job earlier this month though). I was laid off in May from my 150K Sr Project Manager job.

Many, many places didn't disclose salary range on the job posting. I interviewed for a Sr IT Project Manager position with a top salary point of $65k! What are they smoking?

And they're not the only ones. It was really really tough finding jobs that paid similar to my previous position but i did get one finally, and it pays more than my last position. It just took a long time to get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are getting hundreds of resumes for even entry level positions, we can afford to reduce salary and pick someone from the middle of the pack.

Ugh. Hope you don't like your programs actually managed with expertise.
Everything will grind to a standstill.

[Anonymous]

Within the contractor universe, the government sets requirements and reimbursement rates and sometimes they have no connection with reality. That's always been the case. I get tons of recruiter spam that I would never respond to, and I've been on the govie side seeing how hard it was to fill a role with someone competent.

Is is possible it's worse now either because the market is bad for job-seekers, or because the uncertainty of shutdown etc. means companies are keeping more of the rate they're taking in? Sure.

[Anonymous]

Didn't Booze Allen just get a ton of contracts cancelled? There's going to be a ton of people looking for new jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are getting hundreds of resumes for even entry level positions, we can afford to reduce salary and pick someone from the middle of the pack.

Ugh. Hope you don't like your programs actually managed with expertise.
Everything will grind to a standstill.

The government wants everything to grind to a standstill, so why pay a contractor lots of money? Why not take that expertise and work for a private company that isn't focused on federal contracts?

[Anonymous]

JP Morgan Chase just gave out raises for 2026. Was posted a lot about by employees on line. Raises were often only 1 percent this. year and bounses lower. The CEO is hesitant to give better raises as AI is going to start reducing headcount in next 1-3 years so healthy attritition is fine. Plus the job market is not on fire like 2021-2023 in boom era. Plus a lot of JPM bonus is RSUs that vest over 4 years. The RSUs are way up in value as Chase stock has doubled since vesting for many. So they wont leave anyhow prevesting and if they do Chase gets back the shares.

My last job I got zero percent raise as did everyone in the company two years running. Our RSUs that vest over 3 years tripled so folks were not leaving so why give it. And if let go for cause or poor performance or just laid off you lost the remaning RSUs so people worked very very hard every day in jobs with zero raises

Different dyamics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are getting hundreds of resumes for even entry level positions, we can afford to reduce salary and pick someone from the middle of the pack.

Ugh. Hope you don't like your programs actually managed with expertise.
Everything will grind to a standstill.

We still get experience from the middle of the pack. We aren't looking for someone to reinvent the wheel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, I did when I was interviewing (just started a new job earlier this month though). I was laid off in May from my 150K Sr Project Manager job.

Many, many places didn't disclose salary range on the job posting. I interviewed for a Sr IT Project Manager position with a top salary point of $65k! What are they smoking?

And they're not the only ones. It was really really tough finding jobs that paid similar to my previous position but i did get one finally, and it pays more than my last position. It just took a long time to get it.

My old company did not discuss salary at all till offer letter and it was take it our leave it. In many cases after your nine interviews and your take home task HR tallies up results, circles back with hiring manager and decides whats YOU are worth. I see jobs that had ranges of 120K to 200K. They were not lowballing. Plus can job be done in another country. Or are you in a HCOL. I did not think unfair. It is take it or leave it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, I did when I was interviewing (just started a new job earlier this month though). I was laid off in May from my 150K Sr Project Manager job.

Many, many places didn't disclose salary range on the job posting. I interviewed for a Sr IT Project Manager position with a top salary point of $65k! What are they smoking?

And they're not the only ones. It was really really tough finding jobs that paid similar to my previous position but i did get one finally, and it pays more than my last position. It just took a long time to get it.

My old company did not discuss salary at all till offer letter and it was take it our leave it. In many cases after your nine interviews and your take home task HR tallies up results, circles back with hiring manager and decides whats YOU are worth. I see jobs that had ranges of 120K to 200K. They were not lowballing. Plus can job be done in another country. Or are you in a HCOL. I did not think unfair. It is take it or leave it.

It's a federal contractor job requiring a clearance. It can't be done outside the country.

[Anonymous]

Salaries are really low. I interviewed all fall after being given notice at my job and most were going to be a $50k-$100k pay cut. I ended up taking the job with the higher pay but in office requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are getting hundreds of resumes for even entry level positions, we can afford to reduce salary and pick someone from the middle of the pack.

Ugh. Hope you don't like your programs actually managed with expertise.
Everything will grind to a standstill.

We still get experience from the middle of the pack. We aren't looking for someone to reinvent the wheel.

But OP mentions certain expertise. If you don't need that for your Program Management, fine.
The position in the OP wants 15+ years of experience in fed systems integration, SME knowledge in data centers among other things. So they are lowballing for what they want.

[Anonymous]

YES.