How To Tell If You're Being Underpaid (& What To Do About It)

It is a tough time for many people to consider whether they're being underpaid, what with so many people not being paid at all, and so much instability in the job market and in the world at large. And for many people who feel the sword of Damocles hovering just above whatever sense of security they have, it truly may not be the best time to try to shake things up. 

There are some asterisks, to throw in this mix, though. If you are one of those truly non-fungible workers, you still may be in a strong position to make demands of your employer. And also, there's a scope-creep-thing that happens when corporate belts get tightened, or when there's some sudden spike in attrition, but there is still much work that needs to be done - slack that needs to be "picked up" by whoever is still working and scared of losing their job - and if you are going to be assuming greater responsibilities it would be wise to reconsider compensation and expectations. If you have lost your job (or feel you are about to) you may already be thinking about what will make the next role more rewarding.

There's no hard rule for whether this moment is the best time for you to even think about if you're underpaid - it will depend, of course, on your unique situation and mix of circumstances. But if you are in the position to take a step back and look at whether you're being compensated appropriately, this could be a good time to review some of the tips I recently contributed to an article on StudentLoanHero to help you determine if you're being underpaid and what you can do about it.