How to Work Out Your Minimum Salary for a New Role
This article is part of the Pay, Package and Work-Life Balance guide.
Your minimum salary for a new role is not what you would like to earn — it is the number below which a move does not make financial sense. Having this number clearly in mind before any recruitment conversation is one of the most practically useful things you can do.
How to calculate your minimum
Start with your current total compensation:
- Current base salary
- Plus vehicle allowance or company car value (typically £4,000–£8,000 for a mid-range vehicle)
- Plus employer pension contribution value
- Plus any regular overtime or bonus you can rely on
- Plus any other benefits with a cash equivalent
This is your current financial baseline.
Your minimum for a new role should be at least equal to this baseline — unless you are knowingly trading some financial value for non-financial improvement (less travel, better hours, better culture).
Account for the move’s costs
Moving jobs has a financial cost: potential gap between roles, travel changes, parking costs, the cost of new work clothing or equipment if relevant. Factor these into your minimum.
What to do with your minimum
Once you have your minimum, use it as a hard filter. Do not enter a recruitment process for a role that cannot meet it — your time is valuable and the negotiation will end in frustration for both sides.
State your minimum clearly to Optio and to any recruiter you work with. It saves time and produces better outcomes.
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