How to negotiate your salary
Including what to say when it gets uncomfortable
Most people walk into salary negotiations having prepared everything except the hard part. They know their number. They've researched the market. They've rehearsed the opening line. And then the hiring manager says something unexpected — and everything they prepared evaporates.
This isn't a confidence problem. It's a preparation problem. And there's a difference.
The offer is on the table. Here's what to do before you respond.
When the offer comes — whether by phone, email, or in person — your first move is always the same: don't respond immediately.
Thank them. Express genuine enthusiasm. Then ask for time.
Almost every employer will say yes. This prevents you from reacting emotionally in the moment, signals that you're considered and professional, and gives you time to prepare your counter properly.
If they ask for your expectations before an offer is made, deflect with warmth:
Saying these lines out loud once, before you're in the room, is worth more than reading them ten times. The words feel different when there's someone on the other end waiting for your response.
How to ask for more without making it weird
The counter itself is simpler than most people think. Three parts:
That's it. No lengthy justification. No apology for asking. No range. One number, one question.
The most common mistake here is over-explaining. The more reasons you give for wanting more money, the more it sounds like you're convincing yourself. Say the number. Ask the question. Then — and this is important: stop talking.
The silence after your counter is not awkward. It's working.
They pushed back. What you say in the next ten seconds determines everything.
This is the section no salary negotiation article ever writes honestly. Because the advice — stay firm, know your worth, don't fold — is true but completely useless if you've never actually felt the moment.
Here's what pushback actually looks like. Which moment worries you most?
Most people hear this and immediately start retreating. Don’t. Budget language is almost always negotiating language.
You’re not accepting. You’re not escalating. You’re asking them to show you more of the picture.
The word “best” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Best right now? Best for this role? Best on base salary?
You’ve acknowledged their constraint and immediately opened a different door. The conversation isn’t over.
This one trips people up more than any verbal pushback. They interpret silence as rejection and start conceding before anyone’s said anything.
Let them talk next.
This is the most common soft rejection, and it sounds reasonable — which is exactly why it’s dangerous. Three to six months is vague, contingent, and easy to forget.
You’re not saying no. You’re asking for the same thing in writing.
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What kind of conversation are you walking into?
What most people forget to negotiate entirely
Salary is one line item. If the base is genuinely fixed, these almost never are:
| What | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Signing bonus | One-time, doesn’t affect their salary bands |
| Equity / stock options | Often more valuable than base over time |
| Extra PTO | Worth thousands in real terms |
| Remote / hybrid flexibility | Commute time and cost are real money |
| Start date | Gives you time to maximise your current employer’s cycle |
| Title | Affects your next negotiation more than this one |
| Professional development budget | Certifications, courses, conferences |
The framing for all of these is the same: “If the base is where it is, would there be room to look at [X]?” You're not asking for everything. Pick two. Go after them with the same specificity you brought to salary.
Four things that quietly cost people thousands
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People who practiced walked away with an average of $11,400 more. The ones who only read about it? They winged it.
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What kind of conversation are you walking into?
Know your number before they ask you for it
The single biggest mistake people make is walking in without a specific number. Not a range. A number.
Ranges almost always work against you. If you say “$85,000 to $95,000,” the other side hears $85,000. Give a specific number anchored slightly above your real target. This gives you room to move while keeping the floor where you need it.
To find that number, use a combination of:
- Glassdoor and LinkedIn Salary — broad market benchmarks by role and location
- Levels.fyi — especially useful for tech roles, more granular than most sources
- Talking to people in similar roles — uncomfortable but by far the most accurate signal
- The job description itself — if a salary range is listed, your number should be at or above the midpoint
Come in knowing three figures: your target, your walk-away minimum, and the highest number you could ask for without feeling embarrassed. The last one is usually higher than you think.
Salary negotiation questions, answered.
Can you lose a job offer by negotiating?
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Almost never. The rare cases where it happens usually involve how the negotiation was conducted, not the fact of negotiating. Employers expect it. A professional, warm counter has never cost anyone a job offer they deserved.
What if they say the salary is non-negotiable?
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Ask about the rest of the package. Title, bonus, equity, start date, PTO. Something usually moves even when base doesn’t.
Should I negotiate if I really need this job?
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Yes. Especially then. You’re about to spend years at this salary. Five minutes of discomfort now is worth it. The way to feel safe doing it is to know exactly what you’ll say. That is why practice matters more when the stakes are higher, not less.
How much should I ask for above the offer?
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Somewhere between 10% and 20% above their number, depending on how confident you are in your market data. Anchor high enough to have room to move, not so high that it signals you haven’t done your research.
What if I already accepted: can I still negotiate?
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Technically yes, though it’s harder. If you accepted verbally but haven’t signed, you can still come back. Frame it as new information: “I’ve had a chance to look at the full picture and I’d like to revisit the base salary before I sign.” It’s uncomfortable but it works more often than you’d think.
How do I negotiate over email vs. phone?
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Phone gives you tone and real-time response. Email gives you time to choose every word. If you’re confident, phone. If you need to think carefully about each response, email is fine. But don’t let it drag. Respond within 24 hours.
How much does it cost?
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Your first practice round is completely free — no account, no card required. If you want to run additional rounds or access your full debrief and personalised playbook, there’s a paid option. Start free and decide from there.
Everything you just read lives in your head.
It needs to live in your mouth.
You now know more about salary negotiation than most people walking into this conversation. You know your number and why it's your number. You know how to counter without apologising. You know what to say when they push back, when they go quiet, when they tell you the budget is fixed.
The person on the other side has had this conversation dozens of times. They know what silence does to people. They have watched confident candidates fold in the moment they needed to hold.
You are going to do this once.
The only preparation that closes that gap is saying the words out loud before it counts. Not reading more. Not writing better notes. Actually having the conversation, hearing the pushback, and finding out what comes out of your mouth next.
That is what the scripts are for. And that is what the practice is for.
With scripts for your specific situation and a bulletproof strategy.