How to Negotiate a Salary
Research the market rate, let the employer name the first number, counter the written offer with a reason, and get the agreed terms in writing.
You will finish with a researched number to ask for, the words to ask with, and the agreed terms in writing. In a Pew Research Center survey of 5,188 U.S. workers published in April 2023, most said they did not ask for higher pay the last time they were hired. Among those who did ask, 28% received the pay they asked for, 38% received more than the first offer but less than they asked for, and 35% received only the first offer.
In a 2012 Salary.com survey of nearly 2,000 workers, worry about losing the offer was the reason given most often for not negotiating, ahead of not knowing how. FAQ 1 below covers how real that risk is.
A higher starting salary compounds, because every later raise builds on it. If your starting salary is $5,000 higher because you negotiated, and you receive raises of 3% a year, that one negotiation is worth about $134,000 in additional pay over 20 years.
Steps 1 through 7 handle a new job offer. For a raise at your current company, FAQ 2 covers the conversation with your manager.
Research the market rate before the conversation
You cannot negotiate effectively if you do not know what the role is worth. Check three sources: the pay range printed on postings for the same title (where state law requires one, the posting for your own job carries it), Glassdoor salary data for the specific company and title, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, which publishes wage estimates for about 830 occupations by state and metropolitan area. Look at ranges, not single numbers. If the range for your role in your city is $65,000 to $85,000, aim for the upper third of it if your experience and skills justify that. Write down three numbers: your ideal salary, your target (a realistic strong outcome), and your walk-away number (the lowest you would accept).
Let them name a number first
When a recruiter or hiring manager asks "What are your salary expectations?" early in the process, redirect. Say "I would prefer to learn more about the role before discussing numbers. What is the budgeted range for this position?" Sixteen states and Washington DC have laws in force that require employers to disclose pay ranges in some circumstances (checked October 2026). Delaware's takes effect in September 2027, and more states keep adding them, so check whether yours is on the list before you guess at a number. If they insist on a number from you, give a range based on your research. "Based on my experience and the market rate for this role, I am looking in the $78,000 to $85,000 range." Make the bottom of your range your actual target, because the bottom is the figure you have just said you would accept.
Good to know: Never share your current salary. Nineteen states, Washington DC, and cities or counties in Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania restrict employers from asking about or relying on your pay history (GovDocs list, checked October 2026), though the rules differ from place to place. Your current salary has nothing to do with what the new role is worth. If asked, redirect with "I am focused on finding a role that matches the value I bring, which based on my research is in the range of..."
Wait for the written offer before negotiating
Do not negotiate during the verbal offer. When they call to extend the offer, thank them and say you are excited about the opportunity. Then say "I would like to review the full offer details in writing before we discuss specifics. Could you send that over?" The written offer gives you time to prepare your counter without the pressure of a live conversation, and it shows the complete compensation package, not only the base salary. Benefits, bonuses, equity, PTO, and remote work flexibility are all part of total compensation, and step 5 covers which of them to ask about.
Ask for more than you expect to get
Counter with the ideal number you wrote down in step 1, as long as it sits inside the market range you researched. If they offered $70,000 and your research shows the range is $65,000 to $85,000, counter with $85,000. In the Pew survey, 38% of the workers who asked ended up between the first offer and their ask, and 28% received the full ask, so set the ask above your target. State your reason with the number. "Based on my experience leading similar projects and the market rate for this role in our area, I was hoping we could get closer to $85,000."
Negotiate the full package, not just salary
If they cannot move on base salary, ask about other elements. A signing bonus is a one-time cost to the company and does not raise the base that later raises build on, so ask for one when the base is fixed. Additional PTO days, a flexible work schedule, a professional development budget, and an earlier review for a raise (6 months instead of 12) are the other items to ask for. If the offer includes stock options or equity, ask about the vesting schedule, the current valuation, and how much equity other employees at your level receive. Be specific about what you are asking for. "If the base salary is firm at $72,000, would you consider a $5,000 signing bonus and an additional week of PTO?"
Handle pushback calmly
If they say the offer is final and non-negotiable, ask why. Is it a budget constraint, a company-wide salary band, or an HR policy? The reason tells you which question to ask next. If they say budget is tight, shift to the items in step 5. If they say it is a salary band, ask where you fall in the band and what it takes to move higher. If they push back with "this is very competitive for the role," respond with your research. "I appreciate that, and I understand the company's position. The market data I have seen for this role in our area shows a range of $X to $Y, and I believe my experience with Z positions me in the upper portion of that range." Stay calm and professional, and do not turn your counter into an ultimatum. If the final offer is still below your walk-away number from step 1, decline it politely.
Get everything in writing before accepting
Once you reach an agreement, ask for an updated offer letter that reflects the negotiated terms before you formally accept. A term that was only agreed out loud is hard to prove later, so every term needs to be in the letter. Review every detail: base salary, bonus structure, start date, PTO, and any special terms you negotiated. If something you discussed is not in the letter, ask for it to be added. Do not give notice at your current job until you have signed the updated letter.
If the employer will not move on base pay, work through the items in step 5 before you decide. If the answer to all of them is no, you are deciding on the first offer, which is where 35% of the workers who asked in the Pew survey ended up. Accept it if it is above your walk-away number from step 1, and decline it if it is not. After you sign the updated offer letter, our guide on how to quit a job covers giving notice at your current employer, and our guide on how to make a budget covers planning around the new paycheck. For a raise at your current company, use FAQ 2 below and repeat the conversation at each annual review.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
It can happen, and candidates overestimate the risk. In seven studies their authors summarized in Harvard Business Review in 2024, candidates thought they were much more likely to jeopardize a deal by negotiating than managers reported they were. In the same research, hiring managers reported making an average of 26.9 job offers in their careers, with an average of 1.73 withdrawn after a candidate negotiated, according to George Mason University's summary of the paper. That summary adds that candidates do better by negotiating "at least if they preserve a good relationship." Keep your counter inside the market range you researched, give your reason with it, and leave out ultimatums (step 6).
Schedule a meeting with your manager specifically to discuss compensation. Come prepared with a list of your accomplishments since your last raise, including specific metrics, projects delivered, and responsibilities that have expanded. Research the current market rate for your role and experience level with the sources in step 1. Frame the conversation around the value you deliver, not your personal financial needs. Open with "I would like to discuss my compensation to make sure it reflects the scope of my current role and the value I have been delivering." Ask after a strong performance review, after completing a major project, or during the annual compensation review period.
A salary band is a range with a minimum and a maximum for each level, so ask where the offer falls in the band and what criteria determine placement within it. If you are at the bottom, ask what it would take to move up. If you are at the top of the band for your level, ask about an accelerated promotion timeline or a title change that moves you into a higher band. A band sets base pay, so also ask whether a signing bonus, additional PTO, remote work, or a professional development budget sits outside it.
Yes, unless the offer already meets the ideal number you wrote down in step 1, in which case accept it. If the offer sits between your target and your ideal number, ask one question, "Is there any flexibility on the base?", and take the answer either way. In the Pew survey, 28% of the workers who asked received what they asked for and another 38% received more than the first offer.
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