How to Negotiate Salary

Timing is everything, so be ready to negotiate salary as soon as the hiring manager raises the
question of how much you’ll make. You’re in the power seat for salary negotiation prior to your
actual hire date.

As a precursor to the actual salary negotiation, you should practice what you’ll say, so that you’ll
appear confident and in control. Another step to take before you reach the negotiation table is to
do your due diligence. Research and data are key to effectively negotiating your salary. You
should come to the salary discussion prepared with research on average salaries for your
position, level, and location, as well as quantitative evidence of your own unique professional
value based on your experience and accomplishments. Based on this information, be sure to
identify a target number for the salary you hoped to be offered.

Once you’ve done your preparation and are ready to negotiate your salary, don’t take the first
offer. You’ve armed yourself with evidence on why you’re worth the money you want, and the
employer will expect you to negotiate – so stay strong and use the research you’ve gathered to
confidently make your points. As you go through the negotiation, avoid making rookie mistakes
like revealing your past salary or forgetting to include benefits as part of the salary discussion.

Now let’s look at what this type of negotiation might look like in terms of your actual
conversation with the hiring manager.

Examples of Exactly What to Say When Negotiating Salary

As part of your informal verbal job offer, the employer has likely shared a suggested starting
salary with you. Let’s say the number on the table is $73,000, which you happen to know is a
little low for the industry, based on your research. Don’t think of this as the final word on what
you’ll make, but as an opener to begin negotiating. Keeping in mind that the employer has likely
suggested a deliberate low figure anticipating negotiation, you might say something like:
• “I’m very excited about the position and know that I’d be the right fit for the team. I’m also
excited about your offer and knowing that I’ll bring a lot of value to the table based on my
experience that we discussed during the interviews, I’m wondering if we can explore a
slightly higher starting salary of $80,000. My market research showed that as the
industry average for this area, and I’m confident that you’ll be very happy with how much
I can contribute to the team and department.â€

You’ll likely feel nervous in delivering this message but stay positive and upbeat. Don’t worry
that the offer will be rescinded simply because you’re negotiating. The worst that can happen, if
you do it fairly, is that the employer will say no. In fact, the hiring manager may push back on
you a little during the negotiation. You might hear something like this:
• “I’m glad that you’re interested in the position, and the team is excited about the
possibility of working with you as well. However, the position is budgeted at $73,000.â€
This is where many candidates would fold, grateful to have any offer. But the negotiation isn’t
over yet. You can continue with your pursuit of the salary that you know you’re worth> You
might say something like:

• “I definitely understand budgeting issues, and I want to be as flexible as possible to work
with your team. I’m still very excited about joining your group and would like to explore
whether $80,000 is possible given my specific experience and skill set.â€
It may be uncomfortable waiting to see what happens next. If the manager puts a final nail in the
coffin and says, “I’m sorry, but this is our final offer,†then at least you know that you tried. But
it’s possible that you may hear something more along the lines of:
• “Ok, I’m not sure whether this is going to work with our budget but let me look into look
into it. We’ll get back to you with an answer by tomorrow.â€

Stay calm, cool and confident, and reply with something simple like, “Thank you, I really
appreciate your help with that.â€

Then, wait to see what happens next. It’s possible that you’ll find out the next day that the hiring
manager went back to human resources and received approval to land somewhere in the
middle:
• “I was able to get approval for a starting salary of $76,000, given how much we all want
you on our team.â€
At that point. Since you built in a cushion of a few thousand dollars more than you expected to
get, you should feel satisfied with the offer and you can accept it, knowing you just made
yourself some extra annual pay for your persistence.