How to Negotiate Salary (and Actually Get More)

The single most important thing to know

Employers expect you to negotiate. Extending an offer is not the end of the conversation — it's the beginning of one. According to Salary.com, 84% of employers say they have room to increase their initial offer. But only 37% of candidates always negotiate. That gap is money you're leaving on the table.

Before you negotiate: do your research

Never negotiate without knowing your market rate. Use multiple sources:

• Knighted Jobs Salary Explorer: Real compensation data for specific roles and locations.
• Levels.fyi: Best for tech roles, especially at large companies.
• Glassdoor: Good for general benchmarks, lower accuracy at senior levels.
• LinkedIn Salary Insights: Useful for corporate roles.

Aim for the 75th percentile of your market range as your target. You may not get there, but you won't get close unless you ask.

When to negotiate

Wait until you have a written offer in hand before negotiating salary. If you're asked about salary expectations during the process, delay as long as possible ("I'm focused on understanding the role first — I'm confident we can find something that works for both of us").

What to say (word for word)

Opening the negotiation

"Thank you so much for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about this role and the team. I was hoping we could discuss the compensation. Based on my research and experience, I was expecting something closer to [target]. Is there flexibility to get there?"

If they push back

"I understand there may be constraints. I'm committed to making this work — are there other levers we could look at? For example, a signing bonus, additional equity, or an earlier performance review?"

If they ask you to justify your number

"My number is based on current market data for this role and level in [city/remote]. I've also been interviewing at other companies at that range. I'd prefer to be here, which is why I'm bringing this to you directly."

What to negotiate beyond base salary

• Signing bonus: Often easier for companies to give than recurring salary
• Equity: Vesting schedule, cliff, strike price
• Start date: A later start can give you a mental break
• Remote work: Days in office per week/month
• PTO: Additional vacation days
• Title: Sometimes a better title is worth more than a few thousand dollars in long-term career trajectory
• Review timeline: A 90-day review instead of 12-month can accelerate your next raise

Common mistakes

• Revealing your current salary (illegal to ask in many states)
• Giving a range instead of a specific number (they'll anchor to the bottom)
• Apologizing for negotiating
• Accepting verbal offers without getting it in writing
• Forgetting to consider total compensation (not just base salary)

The golden rule

Be enthusiastic and collaborative throughout. Frame everything as wanting to find a mutual solution, not as a demand. Companies rescind offers extremely rarely — but even rarer is a negotiation that goes badly when both parties are respectful and professional.