A free tool from Alfa AI
Salary benchmarking tool
Research permanent salaries or contract day rates for a role and location, with an estimated range, named employer examples and the sources behind them.
What the salary benchmarking tool does
It researches published pay for a job title and location and returns an estimated average and typical range in the local currency: annual base salary for permanent roles, or day rates for contract roles. Where it finds pay published by named employers, it lists them, each linked to its source.
It is free to use, and you do not need an Alfa AI account.
How it works
Choose the pay type
Pick "Permanent salary" or "Contract day rate".
Enter the job title and location
The job title is required. Leave the location blank for United States figures.
Lisa researches the market
She searches the web for published pay: job ads that name the employer, company salary pages and public salary benchmarks.
She turns the research into an estimate
You get a rounded average and range with a short note on how they were reached. When exact data is thin, she uses a related role or a nearby market, and when little pay is published at all, she gives a broad market estimate. The note says which.
Check the sources
Each employer example links to its source, and the full source list sits under the result.
What the result shows
Pay depends on the role, the location and the date, so this page shows the format of a result rather than sample figures. Run the tool for current estimates.
- Heading and context
- The job title and location, then the pay type, the currency code and the research date.
- Average and range
- Average annual salary and Annual salary range for permanent roles, or Average day rate and Day rate range for contracts. A Contract day rate or Hourly rate figure is added only when the research supports one.
- About these estimates
- One or two sentences on what the estimate is based on, including any related role or nearby market used, or that it is a broad market estimate because little pay was published.
- Company benchmarks
- Up to three named employers, with the published role title and pay, each linked to its source. This part is left out when no published employer pay was found.
- Sources
- Links to the pages the research drew on.
Limits to know
- These are estimates, not survey data. The tool researches public web pages each time it runs. It does not use a salary survey or hiring data from Alfa.
- Permanent figures are base pay only. They leave out bonuses, equity and allowances.
- Results can change between runs, because each run reads the web again.
- For rare roles or small locations, the estimate leans on related roles or the nearest larger market. When little pay is published, the result is a broad market estimate rather than published figures. The "About these estimates" note under the result says which.
- Contract day rates are researched from contractor rates, not calculated by dividing an annual salary into days. For UK roles, the note says whether a rate is inside or outside IR35 when the sources say so.
- Use the result as one input. Check it against your own pay data and current job ads before you set a salary.
Frequently asked questions
What is salary benchmarking?
Salary benchmarking compares the pay for a role with what other employers pay for similar roles in the same market. Employers use it to set a competitive range for a new role, review existing pay and answer questions from candidates about salary.
Where does the salary data come from?
The tool searches the web for published pay: job ads that name the employer, company salary pages and public salary benchmarks. The sources are listed under each result. When little pay is published, the result is a broad market estimate rather than published figures, and the note under the result says so. It is not a salary survey.
Is the salary benchmarking tool free?
Yes. It is free and you do not need an account. Usage is rate limited to keep it fast for everyone, so if a request fails, wait a few minutes and try again.
Can I benchmark contract day rates?
Yes. Choose "Contract day rate". The tool researches contractor rates rather than dividing an annual salary into days, and for UK roles it notes inside or outside IR35 when the sources say so.
Which countries and currencies does it cover?
You can enter any city, region or country, and results come back in the local currency. Leave the location blank for United States figures. Estimates are stronger where many employers publish pay.
How accurate are the figures?
They are rounded, indicative estimates, not guaranteed offers. Check the sources and the "About these estimates" note under the result. It says when the tool used a related role or a nearby market, or gave a broad market estimate because little pay was published.
