Negotiate your salary in your salary dialogue

Make sure your manager knows what you do and how well you do it. Keep a record of what you do and when you receive positive feedback, reach milestones or are given greater responsibility.

Be specific and give examples of how your performance, competence and results correspond to the goals that you and your manager have agreed.

If you have local union representatives, talk to them about the salary levels at your workplace. They know the local situation and conditions.

The Saco Lönesök salary database contains the salaries of 74,000 engineers, so you can see how you compare with others in the same profession. Create room for negotiation and raise your salary demands. The 90th percentile in the salary statistics may also be a reasonable market-level salary for you. Use the salary statistics.

Aim high and prepare your arguments for a higher salary. Emphasise the good things you have done during the year and how your results and goal fulfilment matches the salary criteria at the workplace. Be clear about the salary increase you expect and how it reflects your work and results during the year.

As well as the discussion about your performance, you should receive a specific proposal regarding a new salary from your salary-setting manager. If your manager does not propose a salary increase, you should raise the matter yourself. Therefore, make sure you have prepared a specific proposal for the salary increase you want.

When you prepare your arguments, start with what you have achieved during the year and what salary development you believe corresponds to your performance and results.

Leave personal aspects out of the discussion. High or low inflation, interest rates and other costs are not relevant arguments when discussing your salary development, even though they obviously impact your financial situation.

Ask for feedback. You have the right to an explanation and to know the basis on which your salary is set, and what you can do to increase it. What does your manager think of your work? What do you need to do to ensure good salary development?

If all salary adjustments are saved for the salary review, there is a danger that your total salary increase will be lower. It is therefore important to differentiate between the annual salary review and salary increases due to major changes in your position or a promotion. Think salary all year round. The salary dialogue is about your performance during the year. It is where you can give feedback on your employer's assessment of your performance and goal fulfilment linked to the salary criteria at the workplace.

Your employer has the primary responsibility for setting salaries at your workplace. The employer is responsible for ensuring that the collective bargaining agreement on pay is applied correctly, that salary criteria are known in the workplace and that all employees understand the basis on which their salary is set.

Employers with collective bargaining agreements are obliged to conduct annual salary dialogues. If there is no collective bargaining agreement at your workplace, the employer may have included the option to have an annual salary dialogue in your employment contract.

Your primary responsibility is to do a good job, because your salary is based on your work and your results. In the salary dialogue, you need to be active and well prepared and to make demands of your salary-setting manager. You must understand the criteria for setting your salary and what you can do to increase it.

It is also your responsibility to tell your salary-setting manager if you are dissatisfied with the salary dialogue or proposal. If there are union representatives at your workplace, they also need to know that you are dissatisfied. By working together, you can have greater influence on the employer. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to decide how important your salary and salary development are and to act accordingly. Does your salary influence your decision about whether to stay at your current workplace? Are other factors more important and make you want to stay? If you are thinking about looking for opportunities elsewhere, we have advice on how to negotiate your salary when you change jobs.

The responsibility of the elected union representatives is to represent you as a member. Their role includes working to ensure that you have the right conditions for good salary development.

The union representatives participate in different stages of the salary-setting process, both before and after the salary dialogues take place. They can influence the process and will follow up to ensure the salary agreement is followed. The union representatives need to know the members' opinions about both the salary dialogues and salary levels in order to put pressure on the employer. 

The role of Engineers of Sweden is to create good conditions for members to be able to influence their salary levels and salary development. We do this by negotiating collective bargaining agreements and salary agreements, through individual consultations on salaries with members and by providing professional advice ahead of individual salary negotiations. Our goal is that you will be able to influence your salary level and salary development throughout your working life - if and when you wish.