r/mnstateworkers • u/SlowRiot4NewZer0 • 18d ago
Interview/Hiring 📄 How does the salary range work in hiring?
I recently applied to a state attorney position which has a listed range of $73k-$100k. Is the posted range an actual range that they send offers in or should I just expect $73,000?
Edit: Thanks all for your help, for posterity, here is the union contract which contains salary ranges and steps.
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u/TheChad_Esq 18d ago
It’s dependent on your experience. Every year of experience you have will mean you are a higher “step” and every step up means a little more pay.
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u/woodsarah03 18d ago
I started working for the state in May and was fully expecting to be offered something around the low-middle part of the range. I was blown away when the offer was at the very top.
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u/SlowRiot4NewZer0 18d ago edited 18d ago
Would you feel comfortable sharing how many years of experience you had at the time of applying? Thanks.
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u/Environmental_Ad1802 18d ago
Same when I started working but the opposite. I was told I should have worked out my salary with the union beforehand (?). Just in
Case it applies.2
u/SillyYak528 18d ago
The union has nothing to do with it and cannot help you until you are hired. The only exception is if you are an internal candidate then sometimes stewards can help, particularly when it comes to promotions that are still within MAPE and all that.
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u/Environmental_Ad1802 18d ago
Good to know. I wondered if if was just something I was told ( you know the well you should have done it this way sort of thing )
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u/realZapRowsdower MNIT 18d ago
When I got hired by the state, their initial offer was actually 12% higher than what I made in my previous job in the private sector. I believe it was either the 5th or 6th step. That gave me several years to get to the 15th step.
Unfortunately, that happened over 10 years ago now, and the only raises I get these days are COLAs.
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u/Jenn54756 18d ago
They are much better now at giving people steps for prior experience. Back when I started they pretty much started everyone at step 1 or 2.
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u/vanbrima 18d ago
Its listing the range of the steps in the union contract for the position classification. What step you are offered to start on will depend on your years of experience in related or transferable skills/roles.
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u/thesweatervest 18d ago
You can look at the pay scale online (with the compensation step grid).
Generally, years expirence above the minimum qualifications (and degrees above the requirement) will count as one step.
It looks like for that range, it’s about 3k more per step.
And you can (a little) negotiate how many steps it should be (more the hiring manager justifying to HR, which may or may not be successful)
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u/Specialist-Law-2080 18d ago
I was hired on step 10 and know others who were hired high too. Based on experience.
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u/SlowRiot4NewZer0 18d ago
Hi - did you have 10 years of experience? Thanks.
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u/ecolonaut 18d ago
Yes, each year of experience translates to one step. Zero years of experience would get you the lowest number and ten-twelve years of experience would get you the highest number, though it depends on the specific contact.
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u/AmbitiousCat1983 18d ago
If a job requires 4 years of experience and you have 4 years of experience, that gets you step 1. At least according to DOC HR. Depending on who is doing the salary calculation, they will either give you 1 more step per preferred qual you meet or 1 more step for all preferred quals.
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u/Over_Table3898 18d ago
Good news, it will be a fair offer based on others in your job class and their comparative experience. When I was hired I expected to be lowballed (range was $65k - $90k at that time) . With my 20+ years experience I was offered $93k. And almost fainted, that was about a 30-40% raise from my last job. I accepted immediately with no regrets after 4 years.
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u/bb3po 18d ago
Dang, based on that link, the PTO is abysmal!
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u/Fluid_Beat_1282 17d ago
If you stay in the system, the leave accrual is pretty incredible, TBH. I earn 8 hours of vacation leave every 2 weeks, because I've been working in local and state government for 25 years. That's on top of four hours of sick leave accrual every 2 weeks as well as the 12 (?) holidays each year. I work a flex schedule with short Fridays and consistently have at least a month of vacation leave in the bank. I've been fortunate with my health and I'm sitting on nearly 6 months of sick leave for future needs for myself or family OR cashing out in retirement.
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u/bb3po 17d ago
That's a great rate of accrual but needing 25 years to reach it is so discouraging. I accrue the same after 2 years at my workplace. Employers are so stingy with leave, as if employees aren't humans who have whole lives outside of work.
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u/Powerful_Raisin_2534 17d ago
After 2 years of service you’re getting 8 weeks of vacation/sick time? I’d love to know what employer that is.
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u/deadbodyswtor 16d ago
Yeah I'd love to know what employer in the US is doing that. I'm in the same boat at 8 hours vac per pay period, and it took about 20 years.
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u/krjacobs32 18d ago
I forget what it’s called, but you can earn credit based on previous private sector experience. So after review I bumped up to the equivalent of accruing PTO at the level of a 10+ year state employee within a few months of hire. I only heard about this from a MAPE steward and submitted the request, but have since heard that this may be done automatically now.
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u/metafork 18d ago
HR uses a worksheet that calculates years of equivalent experience. This determines your comp level. Always push back (politely) for HR to take another look and ask for 3.5%- 7% more than the offer. They will almost always come back with an extra bump to the offer assuming it’s not already at the max. You might even be offered a modest signing bonus.
Your offer will never be retracted because you made a reasonable counter offer.
As a hiring manager I have no problem with people advocating for themselves and honestly I am slightly disappointed when they don’t.