I am thinking about switching careers from a financial analyst to an SAP trainer within the same company. Seeing as how this is a new position for the company and me, we are both exploring salary possibilities. Is there a standard salary for a new SAP trainer? I would have to be overseas for close to a year to be trained; and then be expected to return and train the end users the following year. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
QUESTION POSED ON: 04 JUN 2006
QUESTION ANSWERED BY: Jon Reed, Years 2002-2008
You asked a good question about standard salaries. Many people are under the impression that you can state a clear figure for what SAP professionals are paid on a salaried basis. But the fact of the matter is that salaries vary from company to company. When you talk about a standard SAP salary, what you're really talking about is a salary range, which is ultimately a balance between several things.
- What consultants with certain skills expect to make.
- What the demand for particular skills are.
- A company's own pay scale and salary structure.
A company is not going to upset employees who have paid their dues for a decade by hiring someone on salary at a level beyond what has been defined. So that explains why an SAP person can go out and interview for permanent positions and receive offers that vary by as much as $20K or $30K. Having said that, we can certainly specify a salary range for SAP trainers, and I would put it between $50K and $70K, depending on the area of the country, amount of experience and other factors.
SAP training can be a decent career, but keep in mind that the demand and budget for trainers is always lower than the rates for implementation consultants. However, I do know trainers who don't mind making less money because they love what they do. If I were you, I would see if you could negotiate a pay structure with a reasonable base salary and a number of milestone bonuses based on either performance or materials delivery.
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