Justified Wage

Can you justify your wage? Because your wage can certainly justify you.

A justified wage is money earned that’s determined by your skills, education, and work experience in the open marketplace. Depending on the skills you’re supplying and the market demand there is for it, your wage will be high or low...and either way, justified.

It’s common to hear "justified wage" used when talking about the minimum wage. The justified wage is basically the market equilibrium wage, while the minimum wage is a type of price floor, setting the price for labor artificially high.

It can also be used in an employee-employer context. You can ask for a raise using market information from PayScale and Glassdoor, showing your boss that you deserve a higher wage: a justified wage. It’s justified because you have proof of the market demand and going wage rate for your job, given your experience and skills.