How to Negotiate Your Salary

Negotiating your salary isn’t rude — it’s an expected step in the hiring process. First offers usually leave room to move, and a well-prepared negotiation can add thousands to your pay without harming the relationship. What matters most: evidence in the form of market rate and your own value, a total-compensation view, and a collaborative tone.

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Prep before you negotiate (this matters most)

Research the market rate

First find the market salary range for the same role, seniority, and location. Numbers you can back up are where your leverage starts.

Define your value

Put your recent results (with numbers), rare skills, and impact on one page to support "why this number".

Set a target and a floor

Decide your target number and the walkaway floor you’ll turn the offer down below, so you don’t waver in the moment.

Think in total compensation

Compare the whole "package" — not just base salary, but signing bonus, equity, performance pay, benefits, and work arrangement.

Four principles of negotiation

Anchor on "market rate + your value", not your current salary
Framing it as a percentage over your current pay works against you. Speak from market rate and the value you add.
A backed-up range beats a single number
Say something like "Given market data and my results, I see X–Y as fair" — a range plus evidence leaves room to move.
Negotiate total compensation at once
Don’t look at base salary alone; bundle multiple levers — signing bonus, equity, start date, level — into one conversation.
Keep the relationship intact
Negotiation is "finding a solution together", not a fight. Use data and a collaborative tone instead of emotion or threats.

Ready-to-use negotiation scripts

When you get the offer (buy time)

“Thank you so much for this opportunity. Could I review the details carefully and get back to you by [date]?”

Asking for more

“Thank you for the offer. Given market data and my recent results (e.g., …), I’d see a base of X as fair — is there room to adjust?”

Total-comp levers

“If adjusting base is difficult, I’d love to explore making it up through a signing bonus or equity / performance pay.”

Common mistakes

✕ Accepting the first offer on the spot (there’s almost always room to review)
✕ Sizing your raise off your current salary alone
✕ Fixating on base salary and missing total compensation
✕ Answering instantly with no prep — "May I get back to you after I review?" is the right move
✕ Damaging the relationship with a threatening tone or an ultimatum

Free tools to prep your negotiation

Leverage comes from the strengths in your resume — start by lining those up: resume self-check. Good to read alongside: interview prep · changing jobs.

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Good to read next: interview prep · resumes by role and country