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The Security Salary Reality

The critical dos, and some definite don'ts, for negotiating a great compensation package.

Conventional wisdom holds that you should never mention compensation until there's actually a job offer on the table. Nothing turns off a potential employer faster than someone who seems interested just in the money. But, as with most rules, there are some exceptions:

If a recruiter cold-calls you about a specific job. You can ask, right up front, what the pay range is. "At that point the recruiter has an incentive to tell you what the company is going to pay, because theyre trying to bring in top-quality candidates," says Paul Raines, who worked for several financial services firms before becoming CISO of a nonprofit U.N. group in the Netherlands.

If the employer brings it up. If you're leery of mentioning a number too soon and perhaps hemming yourself in, though, you can try to buy yourself some time. "You can say, 'Money isnt a primary motivator for me, and I would like to hold off on further discussion about compensation issues until we get further into this process,'" suggests recruiter Kathy Lavinder, executive director of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants.

If the job description seems misleading. "Sometimes corporations write very beautiful job descriptions" that dont at all match the actual job, says recruiter Jerry Brennan, managing director of Security Management Resources. During preliminary discussions, if you develop concerns that the job would be a less-than-lateral move for you, a careful conversation about compensation may help you assess whether the job is really an executive-level one.

DON'T be unrealistic in your salary and compensation expections (or forget that youre still being evaluated).

In general, recruiters say that candidates should not expect a pay increase of more than 10 percent to 15 percent for a promotional move, unless there are substantial differences in job responsibilities. "They're not going to pay you $250,000 if you're making $150,000," says Walker of the Foushee Group, where he is partner. If you've been underpaidperhaps because you've been working in the public sectortry to get the company to accelerate your compensation once you have a proven track record in the job. If you've been working as a consultant, you may see your hourly pay rate drop.

And if you're relocating and looking to negotiate a salary based on the information you found with a cost-of-living calculator, forget about it. "The executive market is a national market," Walker says. While you might be able to negotiate a sign-on bonus or, in rare cases, a housing allowance in high-priced areas such as New York City or Honolulu, don't expect the salary to buy you a house comparable to the five-bedroom Colonial you're giving up in Cleveland.