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How realistic are the (free) salary figures on Salary.com. Is the website a useful guide in my job search?

Pursuing a position as an entry-level MEDICAL WRITER.

Public Comments

1. they are realtively accurate. they give the low, median and high of the industry. they are compiled with actual salaries from people working in that field so your pay will be within the specified range. might be on the lower end at first but willl be there. all take into account different costs of living around the country as well
2. I wish it weren't, because it means I'm woefully underpaid. But, in fact, it seems reasonable. Don't know about the medical writing field, but in mine, there is a HIGH variation in salaries, so it doesn't seem that helpful.
3. As a Human Resources Consultant, I can tell you that they are a bit inflated. To give you an example, if Salary.com says the average salary for a certain position is 55k, 50-52k is really the norm. I'm not in any way associated with Salary.com or any similiar website -- this is just my experience in my 15 year HR career.
4. The free service is great just for a general ballpark figure, however I highly suggest paying the $$ for a personalized report if you're going to be negotiating your salary. It takes much more into consideration. about your personal background, target company size, etc. They allow you to go back and make changes 1 time for no charge.