How to negotiate your salary
Including what to say when it gets uncomfortable
Most people prepare for the negotiation they imagine. The calm one, where they say their number, the other side considers it, and everyone lands somewhere reasonable.
That negotiation almost never happens.
What actually happens is this: you say your number, there's a pause, and then they say something that makes the floor drop out. “We're really at our limit here.” And in that moment — three seconds, maybe five — everything you prepared goes quiet.
Reading the right response and being able to say it while someone's waiting are two completely different skills. This guide covers both.
Asking your current employer for a raise? Our guide on getting a raise might fit better.
The moment they make the offer, you're being watched.
Not maliciously — but the speed and tone of your response tells them exactly how much leverage they have.
Your first move is always the same: don't answer yet.
Not because you need more time to decide. Because the person who responds in the moment is always negotiating from reaction. You want to negotiate from position.
Thank them. Mean it. Then:
Almost every employer says yes. And in that pause, you stop being a candidate and start being someone they're waiting on.
If they ask for your number before an offer is on the table, don't give it. Just redirect:
One line. Warm, not evasive. It signals that you know how this works — which, by itself, changes how they approach you.
The counter itself is three moves.
Not because it's a script — because each one is doing something specific.
This isn’t pleasantry. It removes the threat. The other side needs to know you want the job — otherwise your counter reads as walking away, and they’ll let you.
Not a range. Ranges tell them exactly where to land — at the bottom. One number, stated plainly, anchors the conversation on your terms.
Not an ultimatum. Not an apology. Just a question that keeps the conversation moving without giving anything away.
Here's what most people get wrong: they keep talking after the ask. They add context, qualifications, reasons. Every word after the question weakens it. The other side is processing. Let them.
The silence after your counter isn't awkward. It's working. The first person to speak loses ground.
Here's what they say when they want to pay you less.
It's never aggressive. It doesn't have to be. A few words delivered calmly, and most people fold before they realize what happened.
“That number is above our budget.”“We're really at our limit here.”“This is the best we can do.”You'll hear one of these. Probably in the first thirty seconds after your counter. And the ten seconds after that determine everything.
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.
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.
Most people think they can handle this pushback well
Four things that quietly cost people thousands
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.