Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Monster.
The best way to negotiate salary is to prepare your research early, wait for a written offer, and respond with a structured counteroffer backed by market data. You should also avoid accepting the first offer too quickly and be prepared to negotiate benefits, flexibility, bonuses, or other parts of the compensation package when needed.
This guide explains how to negotiate salary in your career step by step, with expert advice on how to prepare, what to say during negotiations, how to handle employer pushback, and salary negotiation email and script examples you can use in real conversations.
Should You Negotiate Your Salary?
“Yes, you should absolutely negotiate your salary! If you opt out of negotiation, you risk leaving money on the table,” shared Toni Frana, a career expert at Monster. “Keep in mind, when employers extend a job offer, their initial offer tends to be a starting point rather than their maximum budget because most expect a counteroffer.”
Many job seekers avoid negotiating because they worry about seeming difficult, losing the offer, or asking for too much, but most employers expect some level of salary discussion. Plus, negotiating can influence more than just your starting pay, including future raises, bonuses, and long-term earning potential throughout your career.
“Knowing the value you bring and understanding the market value of the role you’re considering can help you prepare a thoughtful and realistic counteroffer that creates room for collaboration,” Frana continued. “Ultimately, this can lead to a salary that better reflects your worth while still aligning with the employer’s expectations.”
What to Do Before Negotiating Your Salary
Successful salary negotiation starts with knowing your value, your market range, and your walk-away point before any offer is made. This means entering your job search—or at least your job applications—with an idea of what you bring to the table, what the market value is for the role, where you’re willing to negotiate beyond the salary, and your bottom line.
“From there, you’ll be able to make better decisions on how much more to ask for and what other benefits you could consider negotiating, such as more PTO or a potential pay increase after 30, 60, or 90 days,” advised Frana.
Prepare for salary offer negotiations by following the six tips below.
1. Take Stock of What You Bring to the Table
Before you can research the average salary for your role and impact, you should know where you fall in your career and what value you bring to an organization.
Identify your:
Title: Current title, desired title, synonymous titles
Credentials: Education, certifications, licenses
Level of experience: Time spent in your industry, current position, and overall time in the workforce
Impact: Financial and performance outcomes you’ve achieved throughout your career
Specialization: Technical expertise, niche industry knowledge, leadership experience, multilingual abilities, or other specialized skills that may increase your market value
Skill level: Proficiency with relevant tools, software, systems, methodologies, or high-demand technical skills
You should also consider factors that may make you especially competitive for the role, like experience with managing teams, working in regulated industries, or speaking multiple languages.
2. Do Your Research Ahead of Time
You might be asked about your desired salary or range in the initial job application, and you must be informed before doing so. You may lock yourself into a lower salary right then and there, or you could be rejected if your ask is drastically different from the market value for your role.
To answer this question and prepare for negotiations down the road, research the following:
Average salary ranges for the role: Research typical salary ranges and average salaries for your target role based on your experience level, responsibilities, industry, and qualifications.
Geographic salary considerations: Compare salaries in your location or the location tied to the role, since compensation can vary significantly based on cost of living, local demand, and regional pay standards.
Bonus structures and commission potential: Look into whether the role commonly includes bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing, or equity that could significantly affect total compensation.
Company size, funding stage, and current employee salaries: Research how the employer’s size, profitability, growth stage, and compensation practices may influence salary ranges, benefits, and negotiation flexibility.
To find the information you need, check out several sources, including:
Salary transparency laws: In some states and cities, employers are legally required to include salary ranges in job postings. These ranges can help you understand what employers are realistically budgeting for a role in your area.
Real job postings: Reviewing multiple current job postings can help you identify common salary ranges, qualifications, and compensation trends for similar roles. Comparing several listings can also reveal whether a posted range is competitive or below market value.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS publishes wage and employment data collected through large-scale employer surveys and government labor research. BLS data is generally considered one of the most reliable sources for broad national and regional salary benchmarks because it’s based on verified employer reporting rather than self-reported salaries.
Payscale: Payscale uses self-reported salary data from workers, combined with employer compensation information and market research, to estimate pay ranges by job title, experience, education, location, and skill level. It can provide more role-specific or current market insights than BLS data, but estimates may vary because much of the data is user-submitted.
Glassdoor data and employee reviews: Glassdoor relies heavily on employee-reported compensation data, reviews, and benefits information submitted anonymously by current and former workers. While individual salaries may not always be fully verified, Glassdoor can provide useful insight into real-world pay ranges, bonuses, workplace culture, and negotiation experiences at specific companies.
Industry salary reports: Some industry associations, recruiting firms, and workforce reports publish compensation benchmarks for specific fields and experience levels. These reports combine employer surveys, recruiter placement data, and labor market research to identify hiring and salary trends within a particular industry.
Networking conversations: Conversations with peers, mentors, recruiters, and industry contacts can help you develop a more realistic understanding of compensation expectations, especially for roles or industries where public salary data is limited.
3. Consider Negotiating Other Elements of the Offer
Salary is only about 70% of your total compensation, and much of it can be negotiated. If it’s looking like the employer won’t budge on pay, you can negotiate these additional aspects of compensation:
PTO: Additional vacation days, sick time, personal days, or floating holidays
Stock options and/or equity: Ownership shares or equity compensation that may grow in value over time, along with potentially earlier access to vesting schedules or equity grants
Title: A stronger or more senior title that better reflects your experience and may support future career advancement
Flexible work: Remote, hybrid, compressed workweek, or flexible schedule arrangements
Signing bonus: A one-time payment designed to help offset a lower salary offer or transition costs
Seasonal and/or performance bonuses: Additional compensation tied to company performance, personal performance, or annual milestones
Earlier or more frequent performance and salary reviews: An opportunity to revisit compensation sooner than the standard annual review cycle
Professional development budget: Employer-funded certifications, conferences, memberships, training, or career development opportunities
Education reimbursement: Financial assistance for degree programs, continuing education, or job-related coursework
Relocation assistance: Reimbursement for moving expenses, temporary housing, travel, or other relocation-related costs
Retirement contributions: Increased employer matching or contributions to retirement savings plans like a 401(k)
4. Determine Your Walk-Away Number
You likely have a minimum salary in mind that you need to comfortably cover your day-to-day expenses and financial goals. Before negotiations begin, decide on the minimum compensation package you’d realistically accept. Consider your salary needs alongside benefits like healthcare, PTO, retirement contributions, flexibility, bonuses, and remote work options.
If the employer’s best offer falls below that threshold, then the role probably isn’t going to be financially sustainable for you, and it’s okay to walk away.
5. Handle Early Salary Conversations Strategically
Early salary conversations shape your negotiating position, so the goal is to avoid anchoring too low before you have an offer in hand. Sharing a number too early can unintentionally anchor the conversation lower than the employer may have been willing to offer.
Avoid naming your number first (when possible)
Sharing a number too early can unintentionally anchor the conversation lower than the employer may have been willing to offer.
If a job application includes a non-required salary expectations field, leave it blank. If it’s required and allows a range, provide a broad range with a number above your bottom line but in line with market expectations as the lower end.
For example, the BLS, which uses large-scale employer wage data, reports a median salary of $75,260 for editors. Meanwhile, a simple search for “average editor salary” may surface broader nationwide ranges as high as $77,000 from sites that use employer postings or self-reported salary data.
So, if you’re a mid-level editor with experience and the application requires a salary range, you might enter “$76,000–$80,000.” If the application only allows one number, a target like $80,000 may make sense.
Of course, if the job posting includes a salary range that’s significantly higher or lower than these numbers, you’ll want to adjust your expectations and target range accordingly.
If you’re asked about salary early in a screening call, try redirecting the conversation back to the role, responsibilities, benefits, bonus structure, and overall compensation package before giving a number.
If salary comes up early in interviews, ask for their range first
Politely asking for the employer’s budgeted range can help you avoid underselling yourself or wasting time on a role that doesn’t align with your compensation needs. It also gives you a better grasp of what the company believes the role is worth before you respond.
You don’t need to make this confrontational (in fact, you never should) or overly formal. A simple response like, “I’d love to learn more about the role and compensation structure. Do you have a budgeted salary range for the position?” is perfectly acceptable.
If you must answer, give a broad range above your minimum
If the employer still wants an early answer, provide a (research-backed) salary range rather than a single figure. Keep the lower end above the minimum you’d realistically accept, since employers will often anchor to the lowest number you provide.
For example, if you’d accept $80,000 but are targeting closer to $90,000, you could say:
Based on my experience and market research, I’d expect a salary somewhere in the $85,000-$95,000 range, though I’m flexible depending on the overall compensation package, responsibilities, and benefits.
6. Resist the Urge to Accept a Job Immediately
It’s almost always a good idea to wait a short period of time (usually 24–48 hours) before accepting a job offer. This is especially true if you’re in a highly competitive market, you’ve completed several interviews with the company, you’re desperate for a job, or you’re burnt out from the job search process. But employers are usually prepared for some negotiation, and this agreement goes both ways.
Take some time to evaluate the offer, review the full compensation package, and weigh it against your expectations, goals, and market research. If you’re still happy with the offer, by all means, accept! But if you want to boost the salary a bit, you have options.
Next, we cover exactly how to negotiate your salary once you have the job offer in hand.
How to Negotiate Salary for a New Job in 10 Steps
So, you have a job offer, and the salary isn’t quite where you want it to be. You can negotiate by leading with gratitude and confidence, presenting your research and business-impact pitch, and preparing for a healthy back-and-forth.
To learn how to negotiate salary after an offer, follow the step-by-step guide outlined here:
Step 1: Wait for the Written Offer
It’s important to wait for the official job offer before negotiating or agreeing to a salary amount for three main reasons:
It confirms the company wants to hire you and outlines the exact terms of the job.
It gives you time to review the full compensation package, including benefits, bonuses, equity, and flexibility.
It helps you avoid agreeing too quickly or negotiating from a number lower than the employer may have already planned to offer.
Step 2: Express Gratitude First
The fastest way to shut down negotiations (or have an offer rescinded) is to come across as unprofessional or, worse, ungrateful.
Setting a positive tone from the start helps build rapport and reaffirms your commitment to the role.
Example:
Thank you so much for extending this offer. I’m very excited about the possibility of joining the team and contributing to the upcoming projects. I’ve had a chance to review the initial details, and I’d like to discuss the compensation package to ensure it aligns with my experience and the value I’ll bring to the organization.
Step 3: Ask for Time to Consider
“Employers often expect a negotiation period after they extend an offer to you,” said Frana. “Asking for 24–48 hours to review everything is generally acceptable, and during this time you can prepare for your counteroffer.”
Use this time to review the salary alongside the full compensation package, compare it against your research and walk-away number, and decide exactly what you want to negotiate before responding.
While waiting 24–48 hours is perfectly fine, make sure the employer knows that’s your plan.
Example:
This is great news. Thank you for the opportunity and for sending over the offer. I’d like some time to review the details, and I’ll get back to you with a response by Tuesday afternoon.
Step 4: Present a Reasonable Range
Your counteroffer should be firmly rooted in your market research. Aim for the high end of a market-informed range to provide room for movement while using phrases that indicate flexibility to show you’re a reasonable partner in the negotiation.
Example:
Based on my research for similar roles in this industry and location, I was targeting a salary range of $95,000–$105,000. While I’m flexible depending on the total compensation package, I’d like to see if we can get closer to that range.
Step 5: Be Confident & Professional
Salary negotiation works best when you remain calm, confident, and collaborative—not aggressive or apologetic. You’re an expert in your field, and the company has already confirmed they want you.
Pro Tip: Practice these conversations with a friend or mentor to get comfortable with your phrasing and tone before the actual call.
Step 6: Justify Your Ask With Specific Business Value
Frame your request around the specific business value and quantifiable impact you plan to deliver, rather than personal financial needs or lifestyle preferences.
Example:
In my previous role, I implemented a new workflow that reduced project turnaround time by 20%, resulting in an annual cost savings of $50,000. I plan to bring that same level of efficiency and financial impact to your operations, which is why I’m requesting a salary that reflects that level of high-performance output.
Step 7: Ask Clarifying Questions
If salary is flexible or unclear, ask clarifying questions about the full compensation package before responding.
Can you provide more details on the bonus structure for this role?
How often are compensation and performance reviews typically conducted?
What is the company’s policy on remote flexibility or hybrid work?
Can you provide more details on the vesting schedule for the stock options?
What is the company’s current policy on professional development reimbursement?
Step 8: Be Prepared for Difficult Conversations
Expect pushback during salary negotiations, and prepare calm, structured responses in advance.
Employer Response
What to Do
Example Response
“Why do you feel this higher salary is warranted?”
Support your request with specific accomplishments, specialized skills, certifications, leadership experience, or market research tied to the role.
Based on my experience leading similar projects, my track record of improving team performance, and current market rates for this type of role, I’d be more comfortable closer to the $100,000 range.
“Is this the absolute minimum you would accept?”
Avoid locking yourself into a hard number too quickly. Reinforce that you’re considering the full compensation package, not just salary alone.
I’m looking for a compensation package that fairly reflects the responsibilities of the role, my experience, and the overall benefits included.
“We don’t typically negotiate salary for this role.”
Stay professional and reiterate your enthusiasm while explaining that you wanted to discuss compensation based on your qualifications and market research.
I completely understand. I’m very excited about the opportunity, and I wanted to discuss compensation because of my experience level and the market range for similar roles.
“This is already at the top of our range.”
If salary flexibility is limited, pivot toward negotiating other parts of the offer, such as PTO, bonuses, flexibility, title, or review timelines.
I appreciate the transparency. If salary flexibility is limited, would there be room to discuss a signing bonus, additional PTO, or an earlier compensation review?
“Another candidate is willing to accept less.”
Avoid becoming defensive or competitive. Refocus the conversation on the value, expertise, and results you bring to the role.
I understand. I’m confident in the value and experience I’d bring to the position, and I’m looking for compensation that reflects that level of contribution.
Step 9: Respond to Pushback With Grace
If the answer is “no,” handle it gracefully by reiterating your value and enthusiasm for the team. This is another great time to pivot to non-salary components like flexible hours, bonuses, or title changes that can still improve the overall value of the offer.
Example:
I understand that the budget for this role is firm. Since salary negotiation is off the table, I’d love to explore other ways we can make the package more competitive, such as an additional week of PTO or a performance review in six months rather than 12.
Step 10: Accept … or Walk Away
Once you reach an agreement, ensure every final term is provided in writing. Review the final contract meticulously before formally accepting. And remember, it’s completely acceptable to decline the offer if the final package falls below your pre-determined walk-away number; you deserve a financially sustainable role.
Example accepting an offer:
Thank you again for the offer. I’m excited to officially accept the Senior Marketing Specialist position at the agreed-upon salary of $92,000, along with the hybrid work schedule and three weeks of PTO we discussed. I appreciate you sending the final offer details in writing, and I look forward to joining the team on June 10th.
Example turning down an offer:
Thank you again for the offer and for taking the time to discuss the compensation package with me. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to decline the opportunity because the final compensation package falls below the salary range I’m targeting for my next role. I truly appreciated learning more about the company and meeting the team, and I wish you success in filling the position.
Salary Negotiation Examples in Practice
Salary negotiation conversations become easier when you can see exactly how they sound in practice. Below are two examples of salary negotiation in practice—one over email and one during a verbal conversation.
Example of a Salary Negotiation Email
If you choose to negotiate over email, keep your message professional, appreciative, and direct. Express enthusiasm for the role, reference your research or qualifications, and clearly state the compensation you’d like to discuss.
Subject: Offer for Senior Marketing Manager Role
Hello Shannon,
Thank you again for the offer and for the opportunity to join the team. I’m excited about the role and appreciate the time everyone invested throughout the interview process.
After reviewing the offer and researching compensation for similar roles in this market, I’d like to discuss the salary component of the package. Based on my experience managing multichannel campaigns and leading projects that increased lead generation and revenue growth, I was hoping we could explore a salary closer to $98,000.
I’m very enthusiastic about the opportunity and confident I can make a strong contribution to the team. Please let me know if there’s flexibility to discuss the compensation package further.
Best regards,
Michael Jones
