Base salary
Base salary is the fixed pay agreed for your ordinary work before additional payments and personal deductions.
An offer may quote an annual or monthly base alongside other payments. Establish which amounts are included in the stated figure. A target bonus depends on its terms and should be listed separately when you compare offers. Also check the hours the salary covers and whether the figure is for your actual schedule or a full-time equivalent.
Legal definitions of basic pay can differ. In Australia, Fair Work guidance defines the base rate under an enterprise agreement by reference to ordinary hours and excludes bonuses, allowances and overtime. Read the salary clause and ask payroll to explain unfamiliar components before treating a headline amount as fixed pay.
Example
An offer lists €48,000 annual base salary, paid in twelve instalments, plus a possible €4,000 bonus. The monthly base is €4,000 before deductions; the bonus has its own conditions.
What to check
- What currency, payment period and ordinary hours does the figure cover?
- Which bonuses, allowances or commissions sit outside base salary?
- Is the quoted amount your actual salary or a full-time equivalent?