When you get a new job, ideally you get new wages.

And ideally, they are higher than at your previous gig.

But that only appears to be the case in about half of new hires.

A new survey by staffing firm Robert Half finds that 54 percent of chief financial officers in the largest 20 U.S. metropolitan areas said that they offered new hires higher pay than the applicant received in prior employment.

A large portion of the 2,200 CFOs polled––36 percent––said they typically offer new hires the same money they were making at their old job.

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Another 5 percent said they offer the job candidate a salary decrease. Hopefully those companies have generous benefits.

Among CFOs who offer salary increases, the average pay hike is 10 percent.

The good news is that two-thirds of CFOs said that the salaries they are offering workers are at least somewhat higher than they were two years ago.

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From the perspective of the average worker in search of better pay, the survey results probably don’t appear to suggest there are boundless opportunities to get rich.

But Robert Half framed the survey results as evidence of an increasingly competitive climate for employers.

"Employers who want to improve their odds of securing skilled talent are offering highly attractive starting salaries right now," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "Companies are competing not just with other businesses that are hiring but also with the applicant's current employer, who may make a counteroffer to retain the services of a valued employee."

Read: Over half of workers won't be able to cover retirement expenses

"Professional job seekers with in-demand skills are receiving multiple job offers," McDonald added. "Employers need to put their best bid on the table--and do so quickly--or they risk losing good talent."

Instant Insights /

New hires getting higher wage offers than at previous jobs

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