How to Negotiate Salary (Scripts, Tactics, and What Actually Works)

Know Your Number Before Any Conversation Starts

Go into every hiring process with three numbers: your target (what you actually want), your walk-away (the minimum you'd accept), and your anchor (the first number you'll say out loud, set deliberately higher than your target). Without these, you're negotiating blind.

Use Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Payscale, and LinkedIn Salary to benchmark. For senior roles, ask peers confidentially what they earn — this is legal, normal, and one of the most accurate data sources available.

Delay Giving a Number as Long as Possible

When asked "What are your salary expectations?" early in the process, the correct answer is to redirect: "I'm still learning about the full scope of the role — can you share the budgeted range?" In most states, employers are now required to disclose salary ranges. Use this.

If you must give a number, give a range with your target at the low end. If you say $90K–$100K, you've told them $90K is acceptable. Set the floor where you actually want to land.

Never Accept on the Spot

No matter how good the offer sounds, say: "Thank you — I'm really excited about this. Can I have until [specific date] to review everything?" Two to three business days is standard and always granted. Use that time to evaluate the full package, not just base salary.

Verbal acceptances are often treated as binding even when they aren't. Get everything in writing before you accept anything.

Counter With Confidence, Not Apology

The single most effective counter script: "Thank you for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about the role and the team. Based on my research and experience, I was targeting [anchor number]. Is there flexibility to get closer to that?"

That's it. No justification essay. No apology. No "I know this might be a lot but..." — hedging signals weakness. State the number, stop talking, and let the silence do the work.

Negotiate the Full Package, Not Just Base

If they can't move on base salary, everything else is negotiable: signing bonus, equity, PTO, remote work flexibility, title, start date, professional development budget, equipment stipend, performance review timing. A $10K signing bonus is real money even if base is fixed.

Always ask: "Is there anything else in the package that has more flexibility?" You will be surprised how often the answer is yes.

Use Competing Offers Ethically

If you have another offer, it's one of your strongest tools. "I want to be transparent — I have a competing offer at [range]. [Company] is my first choice, but I need the compensation to be competitive." This is honest, professional, and highly effective.

Never fabricate a competing offer. Hiring managers sometimes ask for documentation, and getting caught in a lie ends the offer and your reputation in that network immediately.

"That's the Maximum for This Level"

Response: "I understand — can you help me understand the path to [target number]? Is there a performance review in the first 6 months, or an opportunity to revisit compensation after I've been able to demonstrate impact?" You've shifted the conversation from no to when.

"We Don't Negotiate"

Some companies — often larger ones with rigid band structures — genuinely don't move on base. In that case, shift immediately to non-salary components: "Understood — is there flexibility on the signing bonus or equity?" They almost always have room there even when base is locked.

The Silence After Your Counter

After you name your number, stop talking. The next person who speaks loses leverage. Most people fill the silence with qualifications and walk-backs before the recruiter has even responded. Say your number. Wait. Let them respond.

This is uncomfortable. Do it anyway. The discomfort is temporary; the extra compensation is not.