Should I be rewarded for the revenue I bring in?

Q. I have been an estimator for a plumbing and mechanical company for two years. I am also a project manager. I have produced about $747,000 in sales this year and am managing about $1 million in construction projects. My salary is $32,800 per year. Should I be outraged?

A. Maybe a little outraged.

Let's assume that when you were hired, you were not expected to bring in sales. But perhaps your job has changed a great deal since then. I recommend that you ask your supervisor to review your current job responsibilities.

Bringing in $747,000 is a significant amount of revenue. Typically, people responsible for sales are paid a commission, often a percentage of the sales they generate.

This is a good opportunity to research your job in the Salary Wizard and determine the appropriate salary. If your primary job responsibility is sales, then you talk to your manager about designing a compensation package that focuses on your total compensation, i.e., base plus variable incentive.

Good luck.

- Erisa Ojimba, Certified Compensation Consultant