Name: Dr. Sharron Mee
Job Title: Urologist
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Employer: Private Practice
Years of Experience: 19
Education: BA Biology and Physical Education - UCSF, Medical School - UCSF
Salary: See PayScale's Research Center for different doctor salaries, including the average urologist salary.

Doctor Salaries: Female Urologist On Call

There are a million jokes about urology out there, but Dr. Sharron Mee’s journey was anything but funny, it was hard work. She entered medical school late in life and at a time when female urologists were rare; few women were even being accepted into medical school. If you have ever wondered about the field of urology, female urologists, or different doctor salaries, you don't want to miss this interview with Dr. Mee. She told us how she overcame ageism and sexism to become one of the early female urologists, long before the era of blogging female urologists such as Keagirl.

Dr. Mee also spoke with us about her experience working as a female urologist, factors that affect different doctor salaries, urology business trends, working in a urology clinic, urology surgery and urology procedures. While the different doctors' salaries in this field are strong, there are several other reasons why urology is one of the top ten jobs in the medical field. Urology offers more than just well-paying doctor salaries, as Dr. Mee explains, it's also very rewarding on a personal level.

Name: Barry Fisher
Job Title: Crime Lab Director
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Employer: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Years of Experience: 38 of Forensic Science experience
Forensic Science Education: BA Chemistry - City College of New York, Masters Organic Chemistry - Purdue University, MBA - Cal State at Northridge
Forensic Scientist Salary: $125,000

Forensic Scientist's Salary: A Real Life CSI TV Show

Thanks to the popularity of the CSI TV show, more and more people are wondering about the requirements to become a forensic scientist or want more info on a career in forensic science. And nearly everyone is curious about a forensic scientist’s salary. Many Americans may think the requirements to become a forensic scientist can be picked up simply by watching the CSI Miami Cast, mentioned on Spoilerbuzz.com, but in reality, that's not the case. A career in forensic science requires both academic preparation and training specific to becoming a forensic scientist.

We recently interviewed Barry Fisher, Crime Lab Director for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Barry gave us the latest info on a forensic scientist’s salary, requirements to become a forensic scientist, forensic scientist education, how cases solved by forensics in real life differ from the CSI TV show and the low-down on a forensic scientist job - a vocation recently blogged on sarahq.livejournal.com.

If you've ever watched the CSI TV Show, you know that a career in forensic science looks exciting. But what is it really like to become a forensic scientist? What factors will influence a forensic scientist's salary? And what classes are part of a forensic scientist education? This Salary Story will answer your questions and solve the mystery...

Name: Tricia Trimble
Job Title: Recruiter
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Employer: Various Firms
Years of Experience: 9
Education: BS Accounting from Santa Clara University, CPA Certification
Salary: Commission based recruiter – typically $100K and up

Career Salaries: Recruiting for a Living

Recruiting, or “head hunting” as it’s sometimes called, is a special niche in human resources. Instead of the candidate searching for the company, the company searches for the candidate. They do this by hiring a recruiting firm or an independent recruiter. If you enjoy articles about starting a new career, salary negotiation, recruitment and selection, recruiter career salaries or online employment recruiters, keep reading!

In this salary story, we meet Tricia Trimble, an independent recruiter who gives us the inside scoop on headhunters, changing careers, salaries, interview and resume tips, starting a recruiter career and recruiter career salaries. Tricia is one of the many executive recruiters California will keep busy in 2007, according to costa-mesa-california.org. Before you leap into this profession and Google “head hunter Beverly Hills,” read what this down-to-earth gal has to say about recruiter career salaries and how to become an executive recruiter.

Name: Shane Gaither
Job Title: Area Manager, Forestry for a wood pulp mill, Woodchip Quality Consultant
Where: Jessup, GA
Years of Experience: 2 years as Area Manager, 10 years in the forestry industry
Salary: $70K + (For consulting my pay rate is $1350 per day)
Employer: Rayonier Performance Fibers
Education: MS Forestry Degree, University of Tennessee (and of course, the education that only raising two sons can provide)

Forestry Careers: Manager Salary

Forestry careers offer managers the opportunity to work outside the traditional office setting. Shane Gaither, who works in the forestry industry as an Area Manager for a wood pulp mill, knew he didn't want to sit in a cubicle all day. While in college, Shane became interested in forestry careers and is now in charge of a crew of workers and woodchip screening equipment. He recently took a break from the woods to speak with us about forestry careers, the advantages of forestry industry jobs, forestry degrees and working as a manager in the forestry industry.

In his second annual report, Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts advocated an increase in federal judges’ annual salary, as reported on scotusblog.com. Roberts warned that federal judges’ annual salary “has now reached the level of a constitutional crisis that threatens to undermine the strength and independence of the federal judiciary.” Pretty strong words, but does he have a case? Is the federal judges’ annual salary actually smaller than a Baltimore SUV accident lawyer, Ohio crime defense lawyer, or even AZ administrative law judges?

Justice Roberts says that since 1969 the national average wage rate has risen by 17.8 percent, while the average salary for federal judges has dropped by 23.9 percent. Roberts claimed that because of this “dramatic erosion of judicial compensation” it was “clear that the time is ripe for our nation’s judges to receive a substantial salary increase.” According to Roberts, the failure to increase the federal judges’ annual salary lies at the feet of Congress.

How does your annual salary stand up in court? Get the judgment with our salary calculator.

Names: Andy and Traici Crutchfield
Job Title: Private Investigators, Private Detectives
Where: Atlanta, GA
Employer: Self - Covert Operations, Inc.
Years of Experience: Andy 20+, Traici 4
Education: Andy - PI School: Gwinnett Tech
Traici - Kennesaw State University: BS Public and Social Service/Sociology, Art Institute of Atlanta: BFA Interior Design, PI School: North Metro Tech.
Salary: Minimum of $300 a day

Salary of a Private Investigator

Imagining the life of a private investigator conjures up visions of TV detectives solving a crime in less than an hour and cashing in big paychecks, but in reality, the tasks of a private investigator can involve hours of administrative work. Plus, the salary of a private investigator can vary, depending on the case and how long it takes to solve.

In this salary story, we interviewed a husband and wife private detective team that finds lost loves and performs bounty hunter services. This normal suburban couple shares their detective resources and techniques, sheds some light on the requirements to become a bounty hunter, describes the administrative tasks of a private investigator, and explains the factors that determine a private investigator salary.

Name: Lance Haun
Job Title: Human Resources Manager
Where: Walla Walla, WA
Employer: QualitySmith, Inc.
Years of Experience: 4
Education: Bachelors in Business Administration (Washington State)
Salary: Human Resources Managers with my level of experience have a salary range of 30-70k, depending on additional education and locale. (Use PayScale's Resource Center to research salaries for Human Resources Managers, and HR Executive Salaries.)

Human Resources Salaries: YourHRGuy.com Tells All

When the question is asked, "What is a Human Resource Manager?" some people may think of Office Space movie sound clips on YouTube.com. However, Human Resources Manager is a top job for those who want to be a part of shaping their workplace.

We could bore you with articles about "HR's role in organizational change management" and "motivational strategies for the workplace," but thought it would be more fun to interview Lance Haun, the guy behind YourHRGuy.com, which gives readers the latest information on a human resources career, compensation, interviewing, and current and future issues for human resource managers. We asked about the duties of a human resources manager, what it's like to work in human resources, resume tricks, funny moments and human resources salaries. Find out how Lance built his own human resources resume and why being an HR manager can be both challenging and rewarding.

Still in his 20's, Internet-celeb Matt Harding, creator of the where the hell is matt Web site has had an interesting career path that included him taking two major trips around the world. Not too many people go from video game store sales clerk to video game designer and eventually to world traveler and online video dancing sensation.

In a recent PayScale Salary Story, Matt recalled his path from high school to traveling around the world. This trip is what resulted in the original where the hell is matt dancing video.

Does your job have the potential to pay as much as a video game designer salary, so you could travel the world too? Take our salary survey to find out.

Name: Timea Majorova
Job Title: Personal Trainer
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Employer: Self-Employed
Years of Experience: 9
Education: Slovakian Medical School - Physical Therapy
Salary: A personal trainer salary is often between $80 and $250 an hour

Personal Trainer Salary: How to Become a Personal Trainer

Weight loss is a billion dollar industry, there seems to be no end to the "magic solutions" on the market: low carb weight loss, colonic irrigation and weight loss, probiotics for weight loss, and many others. But are these methods effective diet and exercise plans? In this Salary Story about becoming a personal trainer, we learn about the average personal trainer salary as well as what it's like to be a professional athlete and trainer. Plus, we get tips on how to lose weight using truly effective methods from a personal trainer who just happens to be a fitness champion.

Timea Majorova has won numerous national and international fitness competitions. For dieters who want to know the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercises, or have ever asked "What are effective diet and exercise plans for me?" this fitness champ has the answers. Many people have a hard time just getting to the gym, let alone taking the steps toward becoming a personal trainer. This career requires hard work and a dedication to health and fitness. But, becoming a personal trainer isn't only about staying active - it's an opportunity to help others acheive their athletic goals.

We can't promise that you'll end up in the Women's Fitness Hall of Fame, but in this interview you'll learn about the requirements for becoming a personal trainer, some useful tips to shed those holiday pounds, and information on the average personal trainer salary.

Post by Dr. Al Lee, Payscale.com

Most people in the US work force have the heard the terms “exempt” and “non-exempt,” but what do they mean? While many web sites talk about pay rate, there is not a whole lot of explanation regarding exempt and non-exempt status.

While I am not a lawyer, or even an HR specialist, I am an employee, and also hopelessly curious about all things related to pay and employment. The basic law is that employers are required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to classify their employees as either exempt or non-exempt.

The more I read about the meaning of "exempt" vs. "non-exempt", the more a lyric of the Paul Simon song "Train in the Distance" goes through my head, "...with disagreements about the meaning of a marriage contract, conversations hard and wild." Like a marriage, in the US an employee/employer relationship is governed by a little law, and a lot of social convention. Since much is not written down, misunderstandings are common.

Before we delve into the details, why not check out where your salary fits into all of this controversy?  Find out with our ever-handy salary calculator.

Name: Matt Harding of "Where the Hell is Matt" fame
Job Title: Dancer/World Traveler/Video Game Designer
Where: Seattle, WA
Employer: Self-employed with a recent sponsorship from Stride Gum. Formerly employed as a video game designer with Activision.
Education: High School Diploma

How did Matt Harding begin his journey?

I didn’t go to college, largely because my father took me out to dinner when I was 16 and said “I don’t think you want to go to college. I went to college and wish I hadn’t gone and I don’t think you want to either.” I was very upset by that, but gave it a lot of thought and realized he was right. I didn’t actually want to go to college, I just didn’t know what else there was that I could do.

So I spent the next few years figuring out what else I could do. I finished high school and worked at a video game store for a couple of years. That turned into a job working with a video game magazine where I was traveling a lot and getting to know the game industry. And then at 19, I left that job and switched to designing video games for a company called Activision in Los Angeles.