<prompt> Human: Throwaway for the risk of being indentified.Ive been working for this company for 8 months now. As the title says Ive been impressing my boss and a lot of upper management with the work I have been producing. Ive been very innovative in solving issues that have plagued the company for years.My job was advertised at 20-25k These numbers arent exact and I said at the interview I would accept 20k as I was unproven in the field and didnt have much relevant experience I really needed this job at the time. Since then I have gone above and beyond what has been expected of me and produced a lot of useful tools for the company. I have recently relocated to a more expensive part of the country for personal reasons. Doing so has highlighted how low a wage I am on - the average starting salary for my kind of work is 30-32k up here, but the market place is very competitive and I have less than a years relevant experience.My plan was to stay at this company for minimum 1 year and then start applying to other jobs to see what options I have available, and maybe use those offers as leverage for a pay rise at my current job if they say no then I just take the other offer. I would ask for 30k and be happy with 28k, I think.Im concerned that my boss may have caught on to this and is planning to meet with me to offer me, for example, 23k - as if it is a good will gesture, hoping I will be too polite to ask for more and lock out potential for me to ask for more further down the line. Which means that if I struggle to find another job and dont get any job offers then I will be stuck on way lower than I wouldve liked.Any advice on how I should handle this situation would be much appreciated!  <response>: If you believe you are worth 28-30k, and you can back it up with performance and production, then you should ask for 28-30k. I would hold firm on that number.Start applying around for other jobs there. I doubt your employer is going to let you walk, but having a backup plan is a good idea 