By Bridget Quigg, PayScale.com

When Giants and Patriots players finish their battle on Feb.5, the winners will enjoy some serious pay benefits. Think millions. Will their fans be as handsomely rewarded? No, but PayScale has concluded that one teams' suporters enjoy a similar and very valuable advantage: a better shot at a satisfying, stable, well-paid career in their hometown.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney released his 2010 tax returns yesterday and America learned he paid an effective tax rate of 15 percent on $21.6 million of income. Slate took this information and put an interesting spin on it: "How long would it take the GOP candidate to earn what you made in a year?" It allows you to compare your own annual income to Romney's.

Being the salary experts we are at PayScale.com, we decided to take some common American jobs and utilize the calculator on Slate's article to show the disparity between Mitt and the average American worker. In addition, using the tax rate calculator provided by CPA Site Solutions, we will also show the estimated effective tax rates paid by these average American workers.

Are you an average American worker and wondering if you are earning what you are worth? Find out with a free PayScale Salary Report.

By Charyn Pfeuffer

A new year rings the bells of change for many professional women. It’s a time to revaluate where we are and maybe, reinvent ourselves to take us where we’d like to go in the coming months. Change can be difficult, but sometimes a simple tweak can lead to success – both personal and professional.

By Jim Hopkinson

Adapt or die! Learn new skills! The only constant in life is change! 

The way these phrases are thrown about, it would seem the only way to advance your career is to assemble a toolbelt of dozens of different skills. Your days would be spent scouring the internet for articles about the latest trends, with each evening absorbed in a new class to get hands-on training with a groundbreaking social media platform, management technique, or health advance.

Not so fast.

By Bridget Quigg, PayScale.com

The job news for veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan is anything but pleasant. Veterans have an elevated unemployment rate compared to the rest of the population, the economy is only just starting to grow again and, for many, transferring their military skills to the civilian work world proves an intimidating task. In an effort to help our returning military find work, online salary database PayScale.com posed the question, “Where do military veterans usual work after finishing their service?” The results point mostly in one direction: technology.

Today we launched our fifth release of The PayScale Index, which tracks changes in the price of labor since 2006. And for the first time since 2008, wage increases are being seen across the board.

Previously, wage growth winners were typically in just high-tech and energy industries, while workers in most other industries experienced no growth or even a loss in wages. However, the tides have turned as even workers in previously failing industries, such as construction and manufacturing, are seeing wage increases.

In this post I will look deeper into the wage trends experienced by different industries, job families and cities. These wage trends are useful for individuals to understand how overall market prices for broad labor markets are changing on average, but they won't define your individual market price. To find out what you are worth given your job title, experience level, educational background and numerous other factors, take the comprehensive PayScale Salary Survey.

By Bridget Quigg, PayScale.com

How have wages fared in the US over the past year? Can any group wave goodbye to the recession besides the oil & gas industry? PayScale.com just released its Q4 2011 wage trend results for The PayScale Index and nearly everyone now has reason to smile.

by Sandy Jones-Kaminski

It’s the New Year, a time for fresh starts and clean slates. I suggest that you use this time of year to audit and polish your LinkedIn profile. And, start with the delete key if you’re one of the many folks that went app-crazy when LinkedIn started offering app after app after app.

By Lydia Dishman

A recent study found that 88 percent of all New Year’s resolutions end in failure. Those are pretty bad odds. But, before you throw in the towel on your self-improvement goals for 2012, keep in mind that there are hard-working professionals ready to help you stick to your resolutions. Why not put them to work?

By Elise Oras, PayScale.com

Are you are seeking a job, considering changing a work habit or want to learn a new skill in 2012? While many New Year’s resolutions involve losing weight or getting more sleep, the New Year is also a good time to reflect on your career path and establish clear goals and resolutions for the upcoming year.