I read this line in a sales employment ad this past weekend:
Actual Year 1 average earnings – $100,000 – $200,000 ++ REALISTIC
A $100K spread? You know, this type of line is an immediate red flag for a jobseeker. It may be true, but most salespeople will be skeptical. They will put a multiplier of <1.0 on the number.
The sad part of this ad is that it was posted by a sales recruiting company. The best bet in these ads is to be somewhat conservative on the compensation and keep a tight range on the potential.