Fair Market Value Salary: How to Know If You’re Underpaid (And What to Do About It)

The quiet question women keep asking themselves

“I don’t know if I’m underpaid… or just unappreciated.”

That uncertainty is exhausting.

You look at your workload.

Your scope.

Your results.

You hear praise, but the compensation does not move.

You take on more responsibility, but the salary stays the same.

And you start wondering if you are missing something or if this is just how it works.

Before you negotiate harder or start questioning your confidence, you need clarity.

Because feeling undervalued and being underpaid are not the same thing.

What fair market value actually means

Fair market value is not what you need.

It is not what feels fair.

It is not what you were hired at years ago.

Fair market value is what someone with your:

• Scope

• Responsibility

• Skill set

• Decision making authority

would reasonably earn if they were hired into your role today.

It is based on current demand, not loyalty.

And it changes faster than most companies adjust pay.

Why high performers are often the most underpaid

This is the part no one prepares you for.

High performers are rewarded with more responsibility long before they are rewarded with more pay.

You become:

• The go to person

• The safety net

• The unofficial lead

But compensation does not automatically follow contribution.

Over time, scope creeps forward while salary stands still.

That gap is where underpayment lives.

Signs you are likely underpaid, not just dissatisfied

Here are the indicators leaders rarely name out loud.

You are likely underpaid if:

• Your role has expanded, but your title and pay have not

• You are performing work that would command a higher salary externally

• New hires with less responsibility are coming in close to your pay

• You are labeled “critical” but compensation conversations keep getting delayed

• You are asked to mentor or lead without formal recognition

One of these alone might not mean much.

Several together tell a clearer story.

Internal value and external value are not the same

Why base pay is not the whole story (but it still matters)

Base salary is only one part of compensation.

Total compensation may include:

• Bonus or incentive pay

• Equity or long term incentives

• Benefits and perks

• Flexibility and autonomy

Total compensation can enhance an offer. It should not be used to permanently justify base pay that no longer matches your scope.

Here is the truth.

Companies often use total compensation to justify lower base pay. But base salary is what compounds over time. It influences future offers, raises, bonuses, and long term earning power.

A strong total package can be valuable. But it should not permanently replace fair base pay, especially when your scope and responsibility have grown.

When assessing whether you are underpaid, look at the full picture. But do not let “total compensation” become a reason to accept base pay that no longer matches your market value.

Many women try to assess pay using only internal signals.

That is incomplete data.

Internal value is shaped by:

• Budget constraints

• Pay bands

• Timing

• Manager advocacy

External value is shaped by:

• Market demand

• Scarcity of skill

• Business impact

• Willingness to pay

You need both to make a clear decision.

If your external value has outpaced your internal compensation, effort alone will not close that gap.

Why negotiation sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t

Negotiation is not magic.

It works best when:

• Your role aligns with higher level benchmarks

• There is budget flexibility

• Your manager is prepared to advocate for you

• The business sees risk in losing you

It struggles when:

• Pay bands are rigid

• Your role is mis leveled

• Budget decisions are already made

• Your value is not clearly articulated

This is why negotiating harder is not always the answer.

Sometimes the strategy needs to change.

When staying and negotiating makes sense

Negotiation makes sense when:

• Your role has clearly evolved

• Your manager agrees your scope has grown

• There is openness to recalibration

• You have documented impact tied to outcomes

In these cases, advocacy paired with clarity can move the needle.

This is where Salary Scripts are designed to help. They give you language that positions your ask around value, not emotion.

When clarity points toward a different move

Sometimes the data tells a harder truth.

If:

• Your scope is capped

• Compensation is locked

• Growth conversations stall

• Advocacy is weak or inconsistent

Then staying longer may cost you more than leaving.

This is not failure.

It is information.

Fair market value clarity helps you decide when to negotiate, reposition, or move on with confidence.

Why underpayment is expensive even when you stay

Being underpaid does not just affect your bank account.

It impacts:

• Confidence

• Energy

• Willingness to stretch

• Long term earning potential

Pay gaps compound over time.

Staying too long in a role that underprices you can quietly cost you hundreds of thousands over a career.

What to do once you know the truth

Once you have clarity, you have three paths.

1. Advocate for recalibration

2. Reposition your role internally

3. Explore external opportunities

The worst option is staying stuck in confusion.

Clarity restores agency.

How this fits inside The Vault

Inside The Vault, this is where strategy replaces stress.

We help women:

• Assess their market value realistically

• Understand when negotiation makes sense

• Build advocacy before asking

• Decide when alignment has expired

Because money decisions should be made from clarity, not fear.

The truth about fair pay

You do not earn fair market value by being patient.

You earn it by understanding your worth, positioning your impact, and making informed moves.

Whether that move is negotiating, repositioning, or leaving, clarity changes everything.

You are not asking for too much.

You are asking the right question.