HOW TO BENCHMARK YOUR SALARY PROPERLY
Before walking into a salary conversation, confidence, clarity and market data matters.
The strongest pay discussions are grounded in data, not emotion. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to understand what the market is actually paying, not what you hope it might be.
Here’s our RÈLIER-verified guide on how to benchmark your salary properly. T’s crossed, I’s dotted.
Image: Maggi Marilyn Store.
1. Speak to a Trusted Recruiter
A recruiter working actively in your market can tell you what is genuinely being offered right now. Not last year and not hypothetically, but current, live ranges. This is especially important in fashion, where salary bands can shift quickly depending on demand, location and brand maturity.
2. Compare Like for Like
Benchmark against businesses with a similar turnover, team size and growth stage.
A $20M founder-led brand will pay very differently to a $200M global group.
Context matters, and here’s where your trusted recruiter becomes even more important. By comparing your salary to like for like market offers, you’re reducing the ‘banding’ significantly and presenting a realistic dollar value in the conversation.
3. Cross-Reference Multiple Salary Guides
Agencies release updated salary guides annually. Do not rely on just one, because all agencies specialise in different realms, even within the fashion space specifically.|
Review 2 - 3 to identify a realistic range and where you sit within it based on experience and impact.
4. Use Public Platforms Strategically
Platforms such as SEEK, Glassdoor and What’s the Salary can provide great salary insights, logged by employers or former employees directly. Use these sites to look at what your own company is advertising similar roles for.
If the range differs significantly from your current package, that is important information.
5. Review the Wage Price Index (WPI)
The Wage Price Index provides a realistic benchmark for annual increases when remaining in the same role (you can access this annually via the Australian Bureau of Statistics). If you are expecting a large jump without a change in scope, title or impact, the WPI will help calibrate expectations properly.
