Is it ok to ask salary??

[Julissar04]

I got an email from this recruiter at an agency in NYC for an RN position @ a certain facility. I'm supposed to meet with her Monday but I've gotten a whole bunch of other emails and calls from other recruiters as well. Is it ok to ask how much they pay before meeting with them???? I'm kind of new at this and I don't want to make a wrong choice when I choose which offer to take

[needlesmcgeeRN, ASN, RN]

It is usually a terrible idea to solicit or even entertain the idea of a counter offer. No employer wants to be placed in a position of, figuratively speaking, being "held up" for more money, and they don't want to set a precedent for others to follow. I've seen a number of instances where someone accepted a counter offer, only to find that their previous employer was simply playing for time to hire their replacement. Then six weeks later it comes as a complete surprise when HR comes in, fires them on the spot and walks them out to the parking lot.

Exactly why I didn't take my employer up on their inquiry of whether I was open to discussion or if my decision was firm. Of course, I would love to stay at my current job and make as much as I have been offered for this other position, but I envisioned this scenario exactly. Haha.

[theradiantforce]

Unfortunately, salary remains a sticky topic. It is not proper to bring it up unless the interviewer does, even then, err on the side of caution. I wish salary was a more open topic because it's pretty much the most important factor for taking a job (unless we really REALLY love said job). Plus, I personally believe that the pay scale should be open knowledge when applying for a job. Here in Chicago, only union jobs post the pay scales, and new hires always start at grade 1 so, there's not much confusion. I wish more jobs did so, we could know what salary is fair based on our own experience, skills, etc.