You’re probably paid less than you’re worth. These 10 jobs have the most leverage for a raise

Asking for a raise is scary. You don’t want to come across as ungrateful or overeager. Maybe you worry other colleagues are more deserving than you — or you’re concerned your company doesn’t have the budget to pay you more. There’s always some reason to postpone that awkward conversation.

But there’s a good chance you should set aside your fears. Why? It’s very likely you are being underpaid, at least according to a new study of compensation data from Glassdoor published on Wednesday.

On average, American workers are due a raise of more than $7,500, Glassdoor found, with even bigger gaps depending on profession, geography, and experience level. The company arrived at their data by comparing the market rate for different job positions with the median base salary people reported through Glassdoor’s compensation tools.

What gives? A big part of the problem, according to Glassdoor, is that people don’t even try negotiating their salaries at all. Factor in a healthy labor market, as Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain wrote in the study’s findings, and you have a recipe that’s ripe for undervalued employees.

“Three in five employees don’t negotiate their salary,” Glassdoor spokeswoman Sarah Stoddard said. “This data suggests that money is being left on the table.” Negotiation is easier said than done, but showing confidence and sharing a clear record of past accomplishments goes a long way.

Some other good tips — especially if you’re trying to bargain on a new job offer? Thursdays are a reportedly a good negotiating day, as hiring managers are typically more eager to wrap up offers before the end of the week. And whenever you do get an offer, no matter how good it is, always ask for a few days to think it over: That’ll give you time to do research on what others in the position make, and will keep you from looking too thirsty.

Particularly in one of the below 10 jobs, you might have more negotiating leverage than you know. Here are the positions with the most room to bargain, ranked by how much of a raise you could potentially get.

Thinking of making a career change? Check out our rankings of the highest paying jobs, the highest paying companies, and the jobs that strike a good balance between being both high-paying and reasonably chill.

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