Dear Peak Money,
I’m interviewing for a new job, and I’m very excited! The only issue is that it’s in a different city, and the commute is long. I love the work I do, but the pay isn’t great. I want to negotiate a higher salary that factors in the time and money I’ll spend commuting, but how much is too much to ask for? Should I bring it up during final interviews or wait until I am hired?
Sincerely,
Compensated Commuter
Dear Compensated Commuter,
You should absolutely ask for more if you are going to be commuting. Some great articles outline just how much it will cost you, and there is also research to suggest that long commutes impact your happiness.
I would wait until you have the offer to start negotiating but don’t accept until you are comfortable with the salary.
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Say Less, Get More is a great negotiation book by a fellow Canadian, Fotini Iconomopolus, that I’d suggest picking up to help you with your upcoming negotiations.
- Waiting until you are hired will probably mean you won’t get anything until the next compensation cycle, which could be in a year.
It’s also essential to make sure that you don’t just look at salary but total compensation and perhaps negotiate other things that are important to you, like work-from-home days or increased vacation.
Happy Negotiating!
Janine Rogan is the Founder and CEO of The Wealth Building Academy, an award-winning Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), TEDx speaker, and the author of The Pink Tax. She also publishes weekly videos on Youtube and shares financial tips and tricks on Instagram.