This is a sample. Fictional persona (Sarah Chen, Google) — your report uses your real employer and accomplishments.
What the $29 Salary Evidence Report actually looks like
Below is a complete example generated for a fictional Senior Software Engineer at Google. Every number — BLS medians, Google's H1B filings, the California cost-of-living index — is real. The personalized talking points and objection playbook show how your actual accomplishments and manager's style shape the output.
Your report will look identical to this — except it will be about you.
Sample Report — Fictional Data
Software Engineer, Senior
Google · California · Generated April 18, 2026
1. Your Market Position
Your current salary is $21,920 (16%) above the BLS national median for Software Engineers. Adjusted for California's cost-of-living index of 143.1 (US avg = 100), the local market equivalent is $190,436 — 19% above where you currently sit.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024 (national median). MERIC 2025 Annual Cost of Living Index (state adjustment). Cost-of-living adjustment is a directional indicator — local market variance can exceed this figure.
2. What Google Pays
Google submitted 3,697 Labor Condition Applications certifying a median salary of $182,000 for Software Engineer roles. Your salary is $27,000 below what your employer legally attests as the standard rate for this position.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2025 Q2. Certified wages are legally-attested employer submissions.
3. Peer Company Benchmark
| Company | H1B Certified Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | $188,000 | 2,140 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | $171,000 | 4,821 |
| Apple Inc. | $178,000 | 1,985 |
Source: DOL OFLC LCA FY2025 Q2. Peers are top 3 employers by filing volume for this role (excluding your current employer).
4. Market Demand
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034.
5. Compounded Earnings Impact
If your current gap to market persists, you forfeit approximately $35,436/year. Over 5 years — accounting for the fact that percentage raises compound on a lower base — you lose roughly $194,898 in forgone earnings. Over a full career, the figure is substantially larger.
This is the clearest argument for closing the gap today rather than waiting for next review cycle.
6. Your Negotiation Case
Recommended ask range
Anchored on: Google H1B certified median
At Google's certified H1B median of $182K, you're $27K below where the company itself attests Senior Software Engineers should be paid. Your 'exceeds' performance rating plus documented high-leverage infrastructure work (92% MTTR reduction, +4.2pt retention) anchor the top of the range as defensible, not aspirational.
Talking points — use these in order
1. Lead with Google's own filings
"Looking at Google's Labor Condition Application filings this year, the company has certified $182,000 as the median salary for Software Engineers across 3,697 visa sponsorships. My current $155K is 15% below that. I'd like to discuss bringing my compensation in line with what the company itself legally attests is fair market rate for this role."
2. Anchor to measurable impact
"When I led the EKS-to-GKE migration last quarter, we cut incident recovery from 40 minutes to 3 minutes — a 92% reduction in MTTR. The personalization work in Q3 moved user retention +4.2 points. My most recent review was 'exceeds expectations.' I'd like my compensation to reflect that I'm operating well above the 'meets' bar."
3. Frame the market context
"BLS is projecting 15.8% growth in software engineering roles through 2034. California's cost of living runs 43% above the national average, putting the local-market-adjusted median around $190K. I'd rather have this conversation now, on our terms, than when external offers start appearing."
7. Objection Playbook
When your manager says…
"We don't have budget this quarter."
You say: "I understand. Can we agree on a specific milestone — like the next planning cycle — where we'll revisit? I want this conversation anchored to a timeline, not closed."
"Let's revisit at your next performance review."
You say: "My last review was 4 months ago and I rated as 'exceeds.' Waiting another 8 months puts me 12 months behind market. Can we at least agree on the target range today so the review starts from there?"
"HR sets the bands, not me."
You say: "Understood. Can we look at where I am in the band together? If I'm near the top, that tells me something about growth here. If I'm near the bottom, it tells me something else."
"We just raised you a year ago."
You say: "That was a 5% raise, below the 6–7% market average for Senior SWEs in 2024. At Google's certified H1B median of $182K, I'm still $27K below standard. A catch-up adjustment is distinct from an annual increase."
"The market has softened — we're tightening spend."
You say: "Tech hiring is softer, yes, but BLS is still projecting 15.8% long-term growth for this role. And Google's most recent H1B filings show no reduction in the median compensation certified. Softening sentiment doesn't match the filing data."
"You need to show more before we can justify it."
You say: "I'd welcome the specifics — what would 'more' look like? If it's a concrete project or metric, I'll target it explicitly. But I want to have the pay conversation in parallel, because the market data says this is overdue regardless of incremental work."
"That number is above our band."
You say: "Can we review the band together? Google's H1B filings this year include 3,697 Software Engineer certifications at a $182K median — a large share of engineers are being paid at or above that. I'd like to understand how the internal band reconciles with the external filings."
"Can you take equity or a title change instead?"
You say: "I'm open to it, but let's price the total-comp package against market. If equity vesting plus bonus closes the gap to $182K within 12 months, I can work with that. If it's a deferral in disguise, I'd prefer to address base salary now."
Data Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2024 — Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National wage data (SOC-based classification).
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 — Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Training Administration.
- DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure FY2025 Q2 — Employer-certified prevailing wages from H-1B Labor Condition Applications.
- MERIC Cost of Living Index 2025 Annual — Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Used for state-level cost-of-living adjustment.
- O*NET 30.0 — National Center for O*NET Development. Occupational Information Network, U.S. Dept. of Labor/ETA. Licensed CC-BY 4.0.
Generated on April 18, 2026. Salary figures are national or state-level medians; actual local market rates vary by metro, specialization, and employer.
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