It is important to know one's value/worth as a worker.
A quick reality check of evaluating oneself in the broader organization is to ask the question: Do I Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Divide value to the social fabric which I am woven into? Do not be a subtracter and divider. Best is to be a multiplier (Note on multipliers: they amplify their environment, so they make sense in positive constructive environments).
Your compensation needs to be relative the value you provide for a business and you need to take ownership of negotiating the compensation you want. Nobody knows your situation as well as you do and nearly everybody is more worried about their situation than yours.
A few rules of thumb:
In the public sector:
Ones 'market value' increases by between 3k-5k per year for the majority of roles
Individual Contributor roles cap at 75k-110k, depending on skills requirements
For specialist roles, compensation is usually 70-80% of private market rate
In the private sector:
Ones 'market value' increases by between 3k-7k per year
For specialist skillsets, market value increases by between 8k-15k per year
Individual Contributor roles cap at 90k-130k, and then one is required to contribute to business development (i.e. originating sales, generating net new revenue, fundraising)
The sectors that do not subscribe to the above are those which contribute value in a scalable manner or are poorly understood (note: this is fleeting): Business Development, Management Consulting, Capital Markets, and Technological Specialists (non-operational roles).
