huge salary range posted, but HR says only the bottom is possible

[Anonymous]

Applied for a job at a university where the range posted is 90-170k and median is 135 ish.

I understand that I wouldn't come in at the top--many people stay on forever--but the HR person I talked to (I'm a finalist this is a screening) said that it would really be starting in the 90s or low 100s. Its a little annoying that they would post a huge range, but not be able to go over the bottom 15 percent. Is this typical?

I don't know how these ranges work, if there's years of service, etc, but right now I make 96k and with my next step increase I'd be making a bit more and I'd be moving to Cambridge area, which is a slightly higher COL. I also have about 4 years more than the minimum 8 required for this position. Trying to figure out whether I can negotiate more, whether its worth it, etc. Ultimately the top of the range is higher than what I'd be making here in federal service, even if I did get promoted, in a few years, to GS 14.

[Anonymous]

Actually, the median is near a GS 14 step 10....Is it a 9 month or 12 mo salary? You said academic....

[Anonymous]

If it is a university in a high income neighborhood, that is not surprising. For some reason it can't pay people competitive salaries and it likes to lowball prospective faculty.

[Anonymous]

12 month salary. professional position, but not professor, at Harvard. Not like the university is poor.

[Anonymous]

You discuss this with them after you receive the offer.

[Anonymous]

They always do this at Universities (and sometimes in state government, in my experience.)

I agree with 10:29 that you need to negotiate for salary (or any benefits, if applicable) after you receive the offer. If you try to negotiate before, they could just offer the position to someone else.

I worked at state universities, so would agree that Harvard probably has some money somewhere they can pay you; it's just a question of--is it worth to them to put more money in the position? There may be lots of people willing to take a pay cut to work at Harvard, or there may not be. Discuss after you receive the offer.

[Anonymous]

I agree, OP, that that is a ridiculous range to post for a job.

If they aren't able to offer more than 100k, then they should post the range in a different way (starting 90-100, promotion potential) or something like that.

But I think it is intentional. It is so that they get really high-quality candidates who likely wouldn't even apply if they didn't think it was over a certain amount. And then they try to talk the prestige angle.

Don't discuss salary until you have an offer. Then negotiate. Decide for yourself what your floor is salary-wise.

I wouldn't count on promotions and raises in a university setting. I used to work in academia, and there is nothing like a step increase or a guaranteed upward movement. It seemed to me that you had to really push hard for raises. People stayed in positions for years without much salary movement.

Academic also comes with its own set of complicated workplace politics. You will realize that your promotion potential and salary potential are highly dependent on personalities and getting in with the right people.

So don't base your decision on the notion that you'll actually ever make it up to the 170k number. Base it on the overall package they offer *right now* compared with what you have. Also if they make an offer, ASK what the process is for COL increases and raises. If there is no process, then that means "you have to beg."

[Anonymous]

I know that in some of the private companies I've worked at, that they will post a range, but candidates need certain criteria to qualify for higher end. For example, one position may post a range of $85-150K but those without advanced degrees are limited to $85-100K, those with MS in an applicable field (we're in Science and Engineering, so a Masters in any of the arts or social sciences would not be applicable, but math, tech, IT, engineering, sciences, etc would be) would be eligible for up to about $125 and those with PhDs in an applicable field would be eligible for the full range. For the specifics, they would discuss prior salary, years of applicable experience, etc to determine where to make the offer. But those without the right criteria would not be eligible for higher salaries regardless of the negotiation.

[Anonymous]

Give them a range back. They are less likely to give you the bottom of YOUR range.

[Anonymous]

Oh, Harvard? Demand everything in writing down to the last details.

Over the years I have known several foreign visiting faculty there, and you wouldn't believe the lack of ethics of that university. Since most foreign employees come for the prestige, Harvard lures them in with a visa and then does their best not to pay them, or ends up paying them less than what was originally agreed to. One Korean acquaintance with an MD ended up not being paid for his 2 year stint there. An Indonesian acquaintance recently negotiated that moving expenses etc be put into his package, only to be told after the fact that he would, after all, not be reimbursed for his move.
As a foreign research scientist, I can sadly report that research universities completely abuse their foreign grad students on visas as well. Harvard just elevates that to an art form, and plays that game with distinguished professors coming from abroad.

You're an American, so will be treated better. But use caution nevertheless.