How to Negotiate Your Salary (Without Losing the Offer)

The fear that stops most people from negotiating

Most job seekers accept the first offer they receive. The reason, almost universally, is fear: fear that asking for more will make them seem greedy, ungrateful, or — worst case — cause the employer to rescind the offer.

This fear is almost entirely unfounded. Employers expect negotiation. Hiring managers are rarely offended by it. And offers are almost never rescinded because a candidate politely asked for more money. In over a decade of hiring research and practice, rescinded offers due to negotiation are so rare they're essentially an urban myth.

What's common, however, is leaving money on the table. One study by Carnegie Mellon found that people who negotiated their first salary earned an average of $5,000 more per year. Over a career, that compounds significantly.

When to negotiate

Always negotiate after you have a written offer in hand — not before. During the interview process, avoid committing to a number if you can help it. If asked about salary expectations early, deflect:

"I'd love to understand the full scope of the role before discussing compensation. Can you share the budgeted range for this position?"

Once you have the offer, you have leverage. The company has invested significant time in hiring you — they don't want to start over.

Know your number before you start

Before any negotiation, do your research:

Market rate: Use Levels.fyi (for tech), Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, or Payscale. Find what people in similar roles with similar experience earn in your location.
Your target: Pick a specific number, not a range. Ranges anchor to the low end. If you say "I was hoping for £70–75k," you'll get £70k.
Your walk-away point: Know the minimum you'd accept before you get on the call. This prevents you from agreeing to something in the moment that you'll regret.

The script that works

When you call or email to negotiate, be warm, direct, and specific. Here's a template:

"Thank you so much for the offer — I'm really excited about the role and the team. After looking at the details, I was hoping we could get to [your number]. Based on my research and the experience I'm bringing, I think that's in line with the market. Is there any flexibility there?"

Then stop talking. This is crucial. Many people fill the silence by walking back their ask before the employer has even responded. Make the ask, then wait.

What if they say the budget is fixed?

Sometimes it genuinely is. If they say they can't move on base salary, there are often other levers:

Signing bonus: One-time payments are often more flexible than base salary because they don't affect recurring payroll.
Equity: More shares or a shorter vesting cliff.
Start date: A delayed start can mean more time at your current job (and potentially a bonus you'd otherwise miss).
Remote flexibility: More work-from-home days have real monetary value.
Annual review timing: Ask to move the review date earlier — 6 months instead of 12 — with a salary conversation built in.

How to handle a counter-offer from your current employer

If you get a counter-offer from your current employer, think carefully before accepting. The research on counter-offers is pretty consistent: most people who accept them leave anyway within 12 months. A counter-offer is often a short-term retention play, not a genuine rethink of how the company values you. If they only recognised your worth when you were about to leave, ask yourself why.

The mindset shift that makes negotiation easier

Stop thinking of negotiation as confrontation. It's a professional conversation between two parties who both want the same outcome: you starting this job. The employer is not your adversary. You're not asking for a favour. You're having a normal business discussion about the terms of an agreement.

Approach it calmly, be specific about what you want, give a brief reason why, and let them respond. That's it. Most negotiations are over in one or two exchanges.