How To Negotiate Salary After a Job Offer (With 13 Tips)

When an employer extends a job offer, they’ll usually present you with a compensation and benefits package verbally or in writing with a proposed salary. If you don’t feel the pay aligns with your education, career level, skill set and experience, you may choose to negotiate for more money. You may also suggest another form of compensation, such as equity or stock options, or additional perks such as extra vacation days.

In this article, we cover how to negotiate the salary you want in 13 steps with examples of how to initiate the discussion, plus frequently asked questions about salary negotiation.

Key takeaways:

• Research industry salary trends and evaluate what you have to offer when negotiating your salary. Consider presenting a salary range rather than just one number.

• Your geographic location, years of experience, managerial experience, education level, career level, skills, licenses and certifications can influence your salary.

• Don't be afraid to walk away from a job offer if the employer can't meet your minimum salary requirement or offer additional benefits that make it worth your while.

  
  

13 tips to prepare for salary negotiation

Here are a few tips to help you prepare for salary negotiation:

1. Start by evaluating what you have to offer

It’s important you know exactly how much value you can offer an employer before you begin the process of negotiating a salary. There are several factors that can influence your compensation, such as:

• Geographic location: Consider the cost of living in your geographic location. For example, you might require a higher salary in San Francisco than in Minneapolis for the same set of responsibilities because it generally costs more to live there.

• Years of industry experience: If the job description requires three to five years of experience and you meet the higher requirement, it might warrant a higher salary.

• Years of leadership experience: Similar to industry experience, if the employer prefers or requires leadership skills and you meet or exceed their expectations, it may be justification for higher pay.

• Education level: Relevant bachelor’s, master’s, PhD or specialized degree programs can impact your compensation depending on the role or industry.

• Career level: In general, you might expect a higher pay range as you advance further in your career.

• Skills: Niche or technical skills that take time to master may attract higher salaries.

• Licenses and certifications: An employer may require or prefer that you have specific licenses or certifications. If you already have them, you might be in a good position to request greater compensation. When you begin your salary negotiation, be sure to reiterate why you’ll be a valuable employee and consider using the above factors to justify your desired salary.

Related: How to Talk About Salary in a Job Interview

2. Research the market average

Having this data can help support a more successful negotiation and can be found by using Indeed Salaries. Knowing the market average can give you a good baseline for your salary request and can even be used as justification. This tool uses salaries listed from past and present job postings on Indeed as well as data submitted anonymously by other Indeed users. Here are some questions to consider as you begin your market research:

• What's the national average salary for the position?

• What's the average in your geographic location and in cities nearby?

• How much do similar companies in your area pay employees in this position?

Visit Indeed's Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

3. Prepare your talking points

As you’re developing negotiation notes, it might be helpful to answer the following question as a framework for your conversation: Why do you feel you deserve a higher salary than the one the employer is offering?

Kate Palmquist, who's held various roles in HR over the last decade, offers this advice about asking for additional compensation:

When asking for additional compensation, be sure to provide one to two solid examples of why the company should invest more in you. It's important to avoid asking for more money without any reason, much as you wouldn't spend more of your money without understanding the value of the product. Provide a relevant example from your past that can persuade the hiring manager in increasing your income. Outside of income, you can also negotiate benefits, time off or other valuable perks.

Put together a few talking points before you contact the employer and be as specific as possible. Those details might include information like:

• Results you’ve achieved in previous roles such as goals you’ve met, the revenue you’ve helped drive or awards you earned. If possible, use actual numbers.

• Years of industry experience, particularly if you have more experience than the employer stated as a minimum requirement.

• Skills or certifications, especially if they are in high demand within your industry.

• Average salaries being offered by other similar employers for similar roles

Related: Base Salary and Your Benefits Package

4. Schedule a time to discuss

Reach out to the recruiter or hiring manager to set up a time to speak over the phone. While it’s acceptable to negotiate over email, it’s highly encouraged for the conversation to happen over the phone. Speaking over the phone, in a video call or in person allows you to have a back-and-forth conversation, express gratitude and clearly communicate your requirements. Try to be respectful and clear as the recruiter or hiring manager will be the ones advocating for your salary to the decision-makers.

Related: Salary Negotiation Scripts to Counter Any Job Offer

5. Rehearse with a trusted friend

Practicing your talking points can help you gain confidence and identify areas of improvement. The best way to practice would be in front of a trusted friend or colleague that can provide helpful feedback. Alternatively, you can try recording your conversation on a camera or speaking in front of a mirror.

This step is especially important because talking about money can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel when it comes time to have the conversation.

Related: When to Negotiate Your Salary (With Tips and Examples)

6. Be confident

Delivering your negotiation with confidence is as important as the words you say. The more confidence you convey, the more confident the employer will be in their consideration of your feedback.

Confidence, an appreciation of our own abilities and qualities, should not be confused with arrogance, an exaggerated sense of our importance. Lack of confidence can also result in over-explaining or apologizing for your ask, neither of which is helpful in a negotiation scenario. Instead, confidently and simply state your requested salary, including a brief summary of your reasoning.

7. Lead with gratitude

Once you reach the job offer phase of the hiring process, you’ve probably invested a great deal of time and energy applying and interviewing for the position. The employer has also invested time in the process, so it’s crucial you recognize this and thank them for considering you for the opportunity. Be sure to share any specific reasons why you’re excited about the job, such as the culture or the product.

Be courteous and cautious when requesting additional compensation with the company. You never want to come across as entitled or offend them with a salary far above what they initially offered.

—Kate Palmquist

Even if you end up declining the offer, it’s important to do so in a friendly and professional manner. After all, you never know what opportunities they may have available for you in the future.

Related: How to Ace Your Final Interview

8. Ask for the top of your range

One fundamental rule of salary negotiation is to give the employer a slightly higher number than your goal. This way, if they negotiate down, you’ll still end up with a salary offer you feel comfortable accepting. If you provide a salary range, the employer will likely err on the lower end, so be sure the lowest number you provide is still an amount you feel is fair.

Related: Advice on How To Negotiate, Accept or Decline a Job Offer

9. Share job-related expenses you’re incurring

Another reason you may ask for an increased salary is to cover any costs you’re accumulating by taking the job. For example, if you’re relocating to a new city for a job, you’ll have to pay moving expenses as well as any costs associated with selling or leasing your current home. If you’re taking a position further away from home, you’ll have to factor in commute expenses such as train fare or gas and wear and tear on your vehicle. It’s not unusual for candidates to ask employers to adjust the salary to account for expenses related to accepting the position.

Related: Interview Question: "What Are Your Salary Expectations?"

10. Prepare for tough questions

Recruiters and hiring managers negotiate often, so they will likely be prepared to ask important, sometimes intimidating questions to figure out your motivations. It’s important not to get rattled by these questions and to remain honest. Some questions you can expect include:

• Are we your top choice?

• If we come up in salary will you accept the position immediately?

• Do you have any other offers?

11. Be flexible

Even if the employer is unable to provide the salary amount you want, they may be able to offer other forms of compensation. For example, you may be able to negotiate more stock options, extra vacation days, a sign-on bonus or additional work-from-home days to combat a lengthy commute. Be ready to ask for alternatives in a situation where the employer immediately lets you know they cannot increase the salary offer. In some cases, they may be just as valuable (or more so) than a paycheck.

12. Ask questions

If the person you’re negotiating with seems surprised, reacts negatively or immediately rejects your counter, try to remain confident and calm. Meet their reaction with open-ended questions to find out more information and keep the conversation going.

Examples of questions include

• “What is the budget of this position based on?”

• ”What information do you need from me to make a decision?"

• ”Are there other negotiables available besides salary?

13. Don’t be afraid to walk away

In some cases, an employer may not be able to meet your minimum salary requirement or offer additional benefits that make it worth your while. Or the employer may counter-offer with a salary that’s higher than their first offer but not as high as your request. In this case, you’ll need to decide if the job is worth the lesser amount.

If it’s less stressful than your current position, closer to home or offers you more flexibility or more free time, you may be open to taking a lower salary. However, if not, you should consider walking away and declining the job offer if you'd rather keep looking.

Related: 40 Effective Salary Negotiation Tips

Salary negotiation email examples

Here is how you might approach the situation if you want to begin the negotiation process via email:

Hi Julie,

Thank you for sending over the job offer package for the Marketing Director position. I want to state again how honored I am to be considered for this exciting position and appreciate you sharing these details.

Before I can accept your offer, I want to address the proposed compensation. As I shared with your recruiting manager, I have more than 10 years of experience in digital marketing and have worked in leadership positions for the past six years. In my last role, I increased the number of marketing-influenced leads by nearly 40% year over year and helped secure the company a 25% higher annual revenue. Given my experience and expertise, I am seeking a salary in the range of $125,000 to $130,000, which is slightly higher than your offer of $115,000.

I know I can bring a great deal of value to ABC Company and help you exceed your revenue expectations this year. Please let me know when we can discuss the salary further.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Thank you,
Oliver Perez

Related: What Is a Competitive Salary?

Salary negotiation conversation example

Here is how you might approach the situation if you're negotiating face-to-face or via phone or video call:

"Thank you for sending over the job offer package for the Regional Sales Manager position. First and foremost, I want to reiterate how excited I am about the opportunity. I believe in your product and know I could help you drive even greater results.

Before I accept the offer, I do want to address the proposed salary.

As I shared during the interview process, I have more than 12 years’ experience in sales, including eight years of experience in medical equipment sales, and two more years of management experience than stated in the job description. In my last role, my team exceeded the monthly quota by 15% for two years in a row and landed three of the largest accounts in company history.

Given my background, I am seeking a salary in the range of $145,000 to $150,000. I am definitely open to discussing alternative compensation, such as opportunities for additional stock options or increased performance-based bonuses. I’d love to hear your thoughts."