Meanwhile, in Denmark, I'm a member of an engineering / IT union called IDA. They offer detailed salary statistics, with breakdowns by role, experience, educat

Meanwhile, in Denmark, I'm a member of an engineering / IT union called IDA. They offer detailed salary statistics, with breakdowns by role, experience, education, etc. - bringing these into negotiations have already paid for my union dues like 100x. Wages aren't about the absolute amount; they're about what the market rates are for your skills, which have nothing to do with arbitrary thresholds like $100k+. They also offer contract / offer review to help you understand if an offer is legal and fair. They have social events, workshops, wine clubs (!), etc. They'll provide advice on continuing education paths and what's likely to be relevant. When layoffs started, they sent out special newsletters reminding people of legal severance minimums if you're laid off, and of your rights when you suddenly find yourself handling extra responsibilities if you weren't. (Here that can be considered a constructive change in role, which can force a re-negotiation of salary upwards.) Since unions are well established here, there's no risk to joining one; practically everyone does. For all this (and other things), I pay...about $15/mo equivalent. Pretty worth it, IMHO.