A larger salary can be attractive. It is still worth understanding the work, hours and support attached to it before deciding whether an offer is better for you.
Make sure you are comparing the same figure
Ask whether the quoted amount is base salary or a package that includes superannuation or other components. Confirm what is fixed and what depends on performance, commission or a discretionary payment.
If there is a bonus, ask how it is calculated, when it is assessed and which conditions apply. Treat an uncertain payment differently from guaranteed remuneration when comparing offers.
Put the portfolio beside the pay
Ask about the number and complexity of schemes, major projects, inherited work and likely portfolio growth. Find out what administrative, accounts and senior management support is available.
Two roles with similar salaries may have very different demands. A well-supported portfolio close to home may fit your priorities better than a higher figure attached to frequent travel and substantial work outside your preferred hours.
Discuss meetings and availability
Clarify ordinary working hours, evening meeting expectations, travel and contact outside agreed hours. Ask how additional commitments are managed under the proposed arrangement and get any agreed flexibility recorded.
For part-time work, compare the actual hours and duties as well as any full-time equivalent figure. Reducing paid days is not useful flexibility if the same portfolio still requires attention throughout the week.
Compare temporary and ongoing work carefully
An hourly assignment and an annual salary should not be compared by multiplying one number and ignoring the terms. Ask about the engagement type, expected hours, assignment duration, applicable entitlements, superannuation and any expenses.
For temporary work, also understand what happens when an assignment ends or changes. The appeal may be the timing or scope of the work, rather than a simple comparison of headline rates.
Build a short offer comparison
- Base pay, superannuation and any conditional payments.
- Days, hours, meeting nights and travel expectations.
- Portfolio condition, complexity and planned growth.
- Administrative support, supervision and escalation.
- Training, professional development and agreed flexibility.
- Engagement terms and anything still to be confirmed.
Download the role comparison checklist to record the details in one place. Use current written offers and clearly dated market information rather than treating an old advertised range as a guaranteed benchmark.
Tell us what would make a move worthwhile
This is an offer-comparison guide, not a salary survey. We have not published a market range without a defined, current evidence base.
Register your interest confidentially and share your salary expectations alongside your preferred hours, location and responsibilities. That gives us a more useful brief than salary alone.