This afternoon I was checking out salary.com trying determine what I should be making. When I searched for "Electrical Engineer" the pay scales are broken down into how many years of experience a person has.
"...2-4 years of experience in the field or in a related area..."
"...4-6 years of experience in the field or in a related area..."
"...6-8 years of experience in the field or in a related area..."
I have been gaining software and hardware experience since about age 16 and I started my own tech based business when I was 17. Programming and working with hardware have developed my skills over the years. This seems to be close to 12 years of experience in the field or in a related area to what I am doing now. ( Software/Hardware )
What I am not clear on is what is appropriate to include for experience when negotiating salary? I didn't get my degree in engineering until
2003 resulting in more serious jobs and more technical growth. After college with a degree I have about 3.5 years experience working. Should I include the more serious jobs after college or all my work experience?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
-DM