Thoughts on starting salary?

[Kricket123]

Hi all,

I am finishing up my postdoc at the end of the month and have what I think is a great job offer. It's a private practice in a major U.S. city, salaried at $85K, but with a higher total compensation (so health insurance coverage and a few other things come out of the total comp, not my take home salary), 401K, and they pay malpractice.

My question is whether I should ask for a higher salary. With the health insurance taken out of the total comp, the salary offer is comparable to about 90K (i.e., I'd be taking home as much as someone working for 90K but who needs to then pay for insurance out of that).

The salary they offered me seems reasonable and I have no experience in private practice.

Any thoughts on starting salaries? Having never negotiated a salary, I'd appreciate some insight.

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[Justanothergrad]

Always negotiate.

 

[PsyDr]

My perspective: adding someone to a group health instance plan isn't as expensive as getting individual insurance. Asking 5k in lieu of the health insurance is gonna be a nonstarter.

The salary is gonna be wildly dependent on your productivity. Show up, see 5 pts/day and say things about needing time to process, and no one is gonna go up on salary. See 10 pts/day, and you're gonna have a much better position. Add on weekends and the world is your oyster. Last guy I fired worked nothing, and complained about a 4-5hr work day (assuming 100% productivity, 100% collection, 0% no show, a standard 35% overhead, meant I was losing 15k just having him in the office. And he wasn't doing any of those.). You're capable of looking up insurance few schedules and doing basic multiplication, so you can kinda see what money they are making off of you.

Depending on what you want, you can always negotiate for extra vacation, or 4/10hr days or whatever. I personally like when people ask for this. Tends to show a good work ethic.

Finally, I would be cautious about how aggressive you negotiate unless you have other options. It's an employers market out there.

 

[Cantab109]

Always always always always negotiate. ALWAYS.

Ask for what you want, in a professional and courteous way and they will either say yes or no. You could be missing out on more money or benefits simply because you don't ask.

You don't need to be aggressive, I've said something as simple as "I was hoping for XX/year, is there anyway to get closer to that?" Nobody is going to rescind an offer because you said that.

 

[deleted760483]

That does sounds like a pretty good offer, unless you're in a place with a very high cost of living. It's pretty close to my initial starting salary which I feel quite fortunate to have,

 

[smalltownpsych]

Sounds like a good starting point. I would focus the negotiation for what is available down the road more. After you have demonstrated productivity, what will be the incentive to continue to work hard and make them money?

 

[psych.meout]

Sounds like a good starting point. I would focus the negotiation for what is available down the road more. After you have demonstrated productivity, what will be the incentive to continue to work hard and make them money?

Yeah, and do they have a strict advancement, promotion, and pay increase schedule or is it more informal or entirely unset? How often do they make these reviews and decisions? Is that negotiable and something you could explore now in lieu of getting current increases in pay or benefits?

 

[Sanman]

My perspective: adding someone to a group health instance plan isn't as expensive as getting individual insurance. Asking 5k in lieu of the health insurance is gonna be a nonstarter.

The salary is gonna be wildly dependent on your productivity. Show up, see 5 pts/day and say things about needing time to process, and no one is gonna go up on salary. See 10 pts/day, and you're gonna have a much better position. Add on weekends and the world is your oyster. Last guy I fired worked nothing, and complained about a 4-5hr work day (assuming 100% productivity, 100% collection, 0% no show, a standard 35% overhead, meant I was losing 15k just having him in the office. And he wasn't doing any of those.). You're capable of looking up insurance few schedules and doing basic multiplication, so you can kinda see what money they are making off of you.

Depending on what you want, you can always negotiate for extra vacation, or 4/10hr days or whatever. I personally like when people ask for this. Tends to show a good work ethic.

Finally, I would be cautious about how aggressive you negotiate unless you have other options. It's an employers market out there.

This, whether that is a good deal is entirely dependent on the productivity expectations that you are expected to have. 85k for seeing 5 patients a day is very different from 85k for 12.

 

[ela]

Bump.

Any input on reasonable rates for part time (non-benefitted) per-diem clinical work? Large coastal city. Seems to be a wide range....I'd appreciate any first-hand accounts.

 

[bcliff]

On a recent div12 listserv email I saw a posting for a neuropsychologist/director of behavioral medicine position mentioned. I'm curious to see what others' thoughts are on the expected/likely salary range for a position like this -- It seems a lot like the kind of work I'd like to do in the future, but I was a little taken aback by how insistent they are on being interested in early career psychologists.

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I am reposting this position announcement for a neuropsychologist at Western State Hospital, and want to make it clear that we welcome applications from early career psychologists. Please feel free to forward to any interested individuals. Information about the position and the application process can be found below.

Clinical Neuropsychologist / Director, Division of Behavioral Medicine

Position

Western State Hospital is seeking a Clinical Neuropsychologist to serve as Director of the hospital’s Division of Behavioral Medicine and to provide a full range of neuropsychological services to individuals with serious mental disorders. The incumbent in this position has responsibility for neuropsychological and forensic assessments, consultations, administration of the Division of Behavioral Medicine which includes neuropsychology and audiology, oversight of the cognitive remediation section of the hospital-wide psychosocial rehabilitation program, training of postdoctoral fellows in neuropsychology in collaboration with the Neurocognitive Assessment Laboratory at the University of Virginia, supervision of graduate students in psychology, and training hospital staff. There are optional opportunities to conduct clinical research in relevant areas.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

On a recent div12 listserv email I saw a posting for a neuropsychologist/director of behavioral medicine position mentioned. I'm curious to see what others' thoughts are on the expected/likely salary range for a position like this -- It seems a lot like the kind of work I'd like to do in the future, but I was a little taken aback by how insistent they are on being interested in early career psychologists.

They could want to solicit a wider range of applicants and not just people who are established and/or have previously served as a Director at some people. However, I think it is more likely the position is more title and work for less $. You can be the "Director", but do the same amount of work and have the same responsibilities. Of course, they could also prefer an early career person because they want to mentor you? That probably isn't applicable here, but it's a consideration at some places. I actually took my current job because it was a very senior faculty that I thought I could benefit from working with/around/in proximity.

No idea about salary…if it's a public job, you can probably look it up. I'm not too familiar with the corrections system, so YMMV.

 

[Ollie123]

I would guess they are either looking to lowball the salary offer or are having extreme difficulties recruiting (though its in Seattle area so the latter doesn't seem too likely). Would seem weird to me to emphasize mentorship in a director position. Director can mean a lot of extra unpaid work or it can be complete BS (i.e. "I am director of X and also the only employee of X so basically just have to direct myself into the office everyday"). That said, I wouldn't hesitate to apply if I was interested since the above is pure speculation.

Even if it is a bogus title...sometimes those positions are stepping stones.

 

[WisNeuro]

I would guess they are either looking to lowball the salary offer or are having extreme difficulties recruiting (though its in Seattle area so the latter doesn't seem too likely). Would seem weird to me to emphasize mentorship in a director position. Director can mean a lot of extra unpaid work or it can be complete BS (i.e. "I am director of X and also the only employee of X so basically just have to direct myself into the office everyday"). That said, I wouldn't hesitate to apply if I was interested since the above is pure speculation.

Even if it is a bogus title...sometimes those positions are stepping stones.

I believe this particular posting is actually for a different WSH in Virginia. Although, even living in the Seattle area, I'm not sure I'd be wanting the job at the WSH there either, even with decent pay.

 

[Ollie123]

I believe this particular posting is actually for a different WSH in Virginia. Although, even living in the Seattle area, I'm not sure I'd be wanting the job at the WSH there either, even with decent pay.

...Staunton, Virginia.

In that case, I can totally see them opening it up to junior people due to difficulty recruiting.