Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamp Grads Can Build Salary Transparency Into Their Career Switch
Transcript
- Lucas: If you're coming out of a coding bootcamp and your first tech job offer comes in, there's a decent chance you're leaving money on the table — not because you're bad at negotiating, but because you don't have the same data the hiring manager has. Luna: And that data gap is actually closing, right? We've seen more states pass pay transparency laws over the past couple years. The question is whether bootcamp grads know how to use them. Lucas: Exactly. So today I want to drill into salary transparency as a tool for career changers. It's not just about knowing the law — it's about using posted salary ranges to anchor your ask higher, with confidence, even when you don't have a computer science degree. Luna: Give us a real example. What does the data actually show for bootcamp grads? Lucas: Sure. Let's take New York, where the law requiring salary ranges in job postings went into effect late 2022. A study from Levels.fyi — that's a site where employees anonymously share compensation — looked at offers reported by bootcamp grads in New York versus states without transparency laws. The median offer for a bootcamp grad in New York was about $95,000. In states without the law, it was closer to $82,000. That's a thirteen thousand dollar gap. Luna: And that's just the starting point. The interesting part is whether candidates actually use the range in the negotiation. Lucas: Right. So Levels.fyi also tracked something they call 'range-aware negotiation.' Candidates who specifically mentioned seeing the posted salary range in their initial conversation got an average of 7 to 12 percent more than those who didn't. And the effect was even stronger for people without a traditional four-year degree. Luna: Because they're more likely to undervalue themselves, maybe? Lucas: Exactly. There's a well-known anchoring bias in negotiation — if you don't have a strong reference point, you tend to anchor to the first number you hear, which is often the lowest number the company is willing to pay. But if you come in having already seen the range on the job posting, you can anchor to the top third instead of the bottom. Luna: So the first step is literally just checking the job posting before you even apply. But not every state has these laws yet. Lucas: Right. As of May 2026, we have New York, California, Colorado, Washington, and a handful of others. But even if you're applying to a remote job from a state without a law, the posting might still be covered if the company has an office in one of those states. Many companies just post ranges nationwide to stay consistent. Luna: What about tools beyond the job posting itself? Because sometimes the range posted is really wide, like seventy to one hundred forty thousand. Lucas: That's a great point. A wide range tells you something — it means the company is sorting candidates into different levels. Your job is to figure out which level you're being considered for. That's where sites like Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and even the H1B salary database come in. The H1B database is public and shows exactly what companies paid foreign workers for specific roles. It's a great reality check. Luna: I've used that. It's surprisingly detailed. You can search by company, job title, and year. It's raw government data. Lucas: Exactly. So a bootcamp grad going for a junior frontend role at a mid-size tech company could look up that company's H1B filings for 'software developer' and see that they paid between $85,000 and $110,000 in 2025. That's a much tighter range than what might be on the job posting. Luna: So you're not guessing. You have actual salary data from the same company. Lucas: Right. And that's the key — you're not asking for a favor. You're asking for a number that the company has already paid someone else for similar work. The transparency laws just make it easier to start that conversation. Luna: Let's talk about the narrative part. How do you bring this up without sounding like you're just citing regulations? Lucas: You don't lead with the law. You lead with the value you bring. But when the conversation turns to salary, you can say something like, 'I noticed the posted range for this role is $90,000 to $110,000. Based on my portfolio and the skills I've built through my bootcamp and projects, I'm targeting the top end of that range.' That's direct, confident, and backed by a number they already published. Luna: And if they say the range is flexible or that the top end is only for people with more experience? Lucas: Then you ask: 'What specific experience would justify the top of the range? Is that something I could demonstrate in my first six months?' That turns it into a performance conversation. Some companies will agree to a review after six months with a bump to the top end. Not ideal, but it's better than taking the bottom. Luna: I want to talk about one risk — anchoring too low because you're grateful to even have an offer. I've seen bootcamp grads accept $75,000 for roles that normally pay $100,000 just because they're thrilled to break into tech. Lucas: It's real. And it's costly over the long term because your next job's salary is often based on your current one. If you take a lowball offer, you're setting your career trajectory back years. Luna: Yeah, the compounding effect is huge. A $20,000 difference in your first year can mean hundreds of thousands over a career, especially if you factor in bonuses and future raises. Lucas: Exactly. So here's a concrete framework. Three steps. First, find the range — use the job posting, Levels.fyi, H1B data, and Glassdoor to triangulate a number. Second, build your narrative — connect your bootcamp projects and any prior work experience to the job requirements. Third, ask for the top third of the range, not the bottom. And if they push back, ask what it would take to get there. Luna: That's a solid playbook. And it doesn't require any special access — just a few hours of research. Lucas: And that research is exactly the kind of thing we try to help with on this show. You know, we've been doing this podcast for a while now, and we deliberately keep it ad-free. No sponsors, no commercials. It's just us and the topic. If you've found value in episodes like this one — maybe it helped you think through a career move or a negotiation — and you want to support that choice, there's a link. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Totally optional, but it helps keep the show independent and focused on what matters. Luna: Yeah, I think that's part of why the show feels genuine. We're not trying to sell you anything. Just sharing what we learn. So if that resonates, great. Lucas: Alright, back to the framework. So step three is asking for the top third. Let me give you a specific example. Say the range is $80,000 to $110,000. The top third would be $100,000 to $110,000. You ask for $105,000. Even if they come down to $100,000, you're still at the top end. That's a much better starting point than $80,000. Luna: And what about benefits? Because sometimes companies offer a lower base but better equity or bonuses. Lucas: Great catch. Total compensation matters. So in your research, look for total comp data, not just base salary. Levels.fyi includes equity and bonuses. For bootcamp grads, especially at startups, equity can be a big part of the package. But personally, I'd prioritize base salary early in your career because it's guaranteed and it sets your floor. Luna: Agreed. Cash is king when you're just starting out. You can take more risk later. Lucas: One more thing — don't forget to factor in location. Even remote jobs often adjust pay based on where you live. If you're in a lower cost of living area, the range might be lower. But you can still use the transparency data from the company's filings to argue for a fair number within that adjusted range. Luna: So the bottom line is: salary transparency laws give bootcamp grads a powerful tool, but only if they actually use it. The data is out there. The key is to do the homework before you even get the offer. Lucas: Exactly. And I think the bigger picture is that the job market is slowly becoming more equitable because of these laws. If you're a career changer, you have as much right to that information as anyone. Use it. Luna: Alright, that's a wrap on salary transparency. Next time, we'll talk about how bootcamp grads can navigate the new world of ai assisted interviews — the good, the bad, and the ethical gray areas. Lucas: Looking forward to it. Thanks for listening.