If you're weighing more than one offer, work through how to compare job offers first so you know your real target before you open this conversation.
Most people leave money on the table in salary negotiations. The issue is rarely a lack of information. The issue is not knowing what to say in the moment: when silence is useful, when to state a number and stop, how to respond when they push back, and how to keep the conversation open when they say no. A number and a justification are not enough. Delivery, timing, and handling the response all determine the outcome.
This guide gives the exact language for every scenario. Opening the negotiation, countering a low response, handling a no on base, and closing the full package once the primary ask is agreed.
Know Your Number Before the Conversation
Two figures are needed before any negotiation conversation begins: your target and your walk-away. Your target is what you actually want. Your walk-away is the minimum below which the offer stops making sense. Both should be specific numbers, not ranges.
Anchoring high matters because the first figure stated sets the reference point for everything that follows. If your target is $97,000, open at $107,000 to $110,000. That gives you room to land exactly where you aimed, and a concession from $110,000 to $97,000 feels like a win for the employer while delivering the outcome you planned for.
To build a credible range, cross-reference at least two sources:
- Job postings with listed salary bands, now increasingly common in the US and UK following pay transparency legislation
- Glassdoor, Levels.fyi for tech roles, LinkedIn Salary, and sector-specific annual salary surveys
- Recruiter conversations during the process: asking "what is the budget for this role?" early is direct, normal, and rarely penalised
One data point is not a range. If Glassdoor says $94,000 and a recruiter confirms the budget is $105,000, those two data points together give you something to build on.
Use the free Salary Negotiation Calculator to get a suggested negotiation range based on your role, industry, and experience level, plus three personalised talking points to use in the conversation.
When to Bring Up Salary
When the recruiter asks early
Before a formal offer exists, deflect specific numbers. The employer is not yet committed to you, and any figure you name becomes a ceiling on what they offer, not a starting point for negotiation. Use this:
"I would prefer to understand the full scope of the role before discussing specifics, but based on my research I am targeting somewhere in the range of $X to $Y."
Anchor the bottom of your stated range at your actual target. If pressed for a single number, give the top of your range. A recruiter asking for a number early is doing their job; protecting your position by deflecting is doing yours.
When you receive a written offer
This is the right moment. Thank them for the offer, ask for 24 to 48 hours to review the full package, and come back with your counter. Have the counter conversation by phone wherever possible. Tone is lost in writing, responses are slower, and the discomfort of negotiating by email rarely serves the candidate.
Prepare exactly what you will say before the call. The next section has the scripts.
When you have a competing offer
A genuine competing offer is the strongest position available. Use it directly:
"I want to be upfront with you. I have a competing offer at $X and I would genuinely prefer to join your team. Is there any flexibility to close that gap?"
Do not invent offers. The professional world in most industries is smaller than it appears, and misrepresenting your position will surface eventually. If the offer is real, this is one of the most effective tools you have.
The Negotiation Conversation — Exact Scripts
Opening by phone
"Thank you so much for the offer. I am genuinely excited about the role. Having reviewed the full package, I was hoping we could discuss the base salary. Based on my research and experience, I was targeting something closer to $X. Is there flexibility there?"
Then stop talking. The instinct to fill the silence that follows with justification, softening language, or a pre-emptive concession is almost always counterproductive. State your number, stop, and let the other person respond. Five seconds of silence after a number is a normal conversational pause. Whoever speaks first after stating a number is at a disadvantage, and the person who fills the silence is usually the one asking.
Opening by email
Keep the email short. A long email signals uncertainty. Structure it as:
- One line thanking them for the offer
- One line of genuine enthusiasm for the role
- The specific ask with a brief justification in two sentences at most
- A collaborative close: "Happy to discuss this on a call if helpful"
Keep it under 150 words. The ask should be in the third paragraph, not buried further down. Long preambles before the number suggest the candidate is uncomfortable with what they are about to say.
When they come back below your target
"I appreciate you coming back to me. I understand there are constraints. Could we meet somewhere in the middle at $X?"
Give a specific number, not a range. A range signals that you will accept the bottom of it, and most employers will take you at your word. Pick a figure that gives you room to make a final concession if needed and still land where you want.
When they say no
"I understand. Can I ask whether there is any flexibility on other parts of the package? I am thinking about the signing bonus, equity, or the timing of a first performance review."
A no on base salary is rarely a no on the full package. This response keeps the conversation open without conceding the base, and moves the discussion to components that often sit in different budget lines and are easier for a hiring manager to approve.
Negotiating Beyond Base Salary
Signing bonus
One-time payments come from a different budget to headcount salary, which makes them easier to approve than a base increase. A signing bonus of $13,000 costs the company the same as approximately $13,000 extra in the first year without compounding into future salary calculations. Watch for clawback clauses. Twelve months is standard; anything longer is worth pushing back on before signing.
Equity
At companies that offer equity, the grant size, vesting schedule, and refresh cadence are all negotiable. At startups, the strike price and vesting cliff are worth discussing in detail. Ask for the full grant documentation before accepting. A large headline options figure at a company with a heavy liquidation preference stack may be worth considerably less than it appears on paper.
Remote and flexibility
Quantify this before you negotiate it. One additional remote day per week reduces commute cost and time in real terms. At a standard London or New York commute, that represents roughly $3,200 to $5,100 in annual savings and more than 400 hours. Framing flexibility as a value exchange rather than a personal preference strengthens the ask.
Additional PTO
An extra week of annual leave on a $96,000 salary costs the employer approximately $1,846, less than a 2% base increase in cost terms but with high perceived value to the candidate. It is often one of the easier components to negotiate for exactly that reason.
Accelerated review timeline
If the offer is below your target but the role is right, ask for a 6-month performance review with a specific salary target attached. Get this in writing in the offer letter, not as a verbal commitment.
"I would be comfortable accepting at $X if we agree to a 6-month review with a target of $Y written into the offer."
This is a legitimate and frequently successful close. Most employers would rather agree to a conditional review than restart a search.
The Psychology of Negotiation
Collaborative framing
The same ask lands differently depending on how it is framed. "I need X" positions you as adversarial. "Is there a way we could make this work at $X?" positions you as solving a shared problem. Use "we" language wherever it reads naturally. The aim is to make the employer feel that agreeing to your number is a good outcome for both sides, not a concession extracted from them.
Silence after the number
State your number. Stop talking. Most candidates instinctively fill the silence that follows with softening language, additional justification, or a pre-emptive concession. All three weaken your position before the other person has said anything. A five-second pause after "I was targeting $X" is not uncomfortable for a hiring manager. It is a normal part of the conversation. Talking through your own ask signals that you are already negotiating with yourself.
The single ask
Lead with your most important request, close it, and then raise secondary components if needed. Opening with a list of five simultaneous asks signals that you are difficult to work with and dilutes the primary request. Sequence the negotiation: close the base first, then move to equity, bonus, or flexibility once the base is settled.
After the Negotiation
Get everything in writing
Before resigning from your current role, confirm that the full offer letter includes every negotiated component: base salary, bonus target, equity grant details, signing bonus amount, start date, and any agreed review timelines. Verbal commitments from hiring managers are not enforceable. If it is not in the document, it does not exist.
Resign cleanly
Once the written offer is confirmed and counter-signed, resign with appropriate notice. Counter-offers from your current employer at this stage are rarely worth accepting. The conditions that made you look elsewhere have not changed; they have only been temporarily addressed.
Build the case for the next negotiation
The best time to negotiate a raise is 12 months into a new role with a documented record of specific, measurable contributions. Start building that record from day one. Note outputs, not activities. When the review conversation arrives, walk in with a list of things that happened because of your work, not a summary of tasks completed.
FAQ
When should you bring up salary in the interview process?
Avoid discussing specific numbers until you have a formal offer or the employer brings it up directly. If asked early, deflect with 'I would prefer to learn more about the full scope of the role before discussing compensation' or give a broad range based on market research. Discussing numbers too early weakens your position before the employer is committed to hiring you specifically.
Should you always negotiate a job offer?
In most cases, yes. Employers typically build negotiation room into initial offers and rarely rescind them because a candidate asked professionally. The worst realistic outcome is that they say no and the offer stands. The upside — even a 5% increase on a $90,000 salary — compounds significantly over a career when factored into future raises, bonuses, and pension contributions.
What do you say when a recruiter asks for your salary expectations?
If the question comes before an offer, give a range rather than a specific number and anchor the bottom of your range at your actual target. 'Based on my research and experience, I am targeting somewhere in the range of $X to $Y' gives a reference point without locking you in. If pressed for a number, give the top of your range.
How do you negotiate when they say the role is at the top of the band?
Ask which components of the package have flexibility beyond base salary. Signing bonuses, equity refreshes, additional PTO, remote flexibility, and accelerated review timelines are all negotiable even when base is fixed. 'I understand the base is constrained — is there flexibility on the signing bonus or equity grant to bridge the gap?' is a productive response.
How do you use a competing offer to negotiate without burning the relationship?
Be transparent and non-adversarial. Tell your preferred employer you have a competing offer and would prefer to accept theirs if they can close the gap — then give them a specific number to match or beat. Most hiring managers respect this framing. What damages relationships is fabricating offers or making ultimatums with no intent to follow through.