By Haseeb Kamran, Founder of VeloApply, 8+ years in recruiting · Updated July 24, 2026 · 10 min read
Quick answer: Negotiate almost every offer, once, politely, with a number backed by research. Let the employer name a figure first where you can. When the offer arrives, thank them, ask for time, then counter with a specific number and one sentence of justification. Negotiate the whole package, not just base pay, and get the final terms in writing before you resign from anything. A single well-prepared conversation is one of the highest-return hours in a career.
Key takeaways
- Most employers expect a counter and build room for one. Not asking leaves that room unclaimed.
- Research first. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes free wage estimates for roughly 830 occupations.
- Let them name a number first where you can. Answering with your current salary anchors you low.
- Counter with a specific figure, not a range. A range is heard as its lowest number.
- Enthusiasm before the counter. Accept the role emotionally, then negotiate the terms.
- Base pay is one line. Start date, leave, bonus, equity, remote terms and a review date are all negotiable.
- Get everything in writing before you resign from your current job. No exceptions.
On this page
- Should you negotiate at all?
- How do you work out what the role is worth?
- Who should name a number first?
- What if they ask your expected salary early?
- How much should you ask for?
- How do you actually make the counter?
- What else is negotiable besides base pay?
- What if they say no?
- Why you get it in writing before resigning
Should you negotiate at all?
Almost always yes, and the reason is structural rather than motivational.
Most employers do not present their maximum as the first offer. There is usually an approved band and the first number sits somewhere below the top of it. That space exists whether or not you ask for it. Declining to ask does not save it for later, it simply leaves it unclaimed.
The risk people fear, that the offer gets withdrawn for asking, is rare when you negotiate once, politely, with a reason. What does damage an offer is negotiating aggressively, repeatedly, or after accepting.
The situations where you should not push: a genuinely fixed public sector band, a structured graduate scheme where everyone gets the same, or where you have already accepted in writing. In those cases, ask about the review cycle instead.
How do you work out what the role is worth?
A number without a basis is a wish. A number with a basis is a negotiating position, and the difference shows immediately in the conversation.
Sources, strongest first:
- Official wage statistics. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme publishes employment and wage estimates annually for roughly 830 occupations, available nationally, by state and by metropolitan area. It is free, it is not trying to sell you anything, and percentile data is exactly what you need.
- Posted salary ranges. Pay transparency rules in a growing number of jurisdictions mean many postings now carry a band. Collect ranges from comparable live postings in the same location.
- Recruiters in your field. They see current offers constantly. A short honest conversation is often the most current data available.
- Peers. Awkward, and the most accurate source there is. Ask about bands rather than individual salaries if that is easier.
- Crowdsourced salary sites. Useful for shape, unreliable for precision. Self-reported and often stale. Treat as a sanity check, never as your justification.
Adjust for location, company size and sector. The same job title pays very differently across those three, and quoting a national figure at a small regional employer will not land.
Who should name a number first?
Let them, where you can do it without being evasive.
Whoever names first sets the anchor the rest of the conversation moves around. If their band is higher than you expected, naming first costs you the difference permanently. You cannot revise upwards after quoting a figure without looking unserious.
How to hand it back without stonewalling:
- I would rather understand the full scope of the role first. Do you have a band for this position?
- I am flexible for the right opportunity. What has been budgeted for this role?
- Salary is not my first consideration, but I want to make sure we are in the same range. What are you working with?
Say it once and then stop talking. If they press a second time, give a researched range with your target near the bottom of it, so their offer lands where you actually want it.
What if they ask your expected salary early?
Two versions of this question, and they need different answers.
Expected salary is fair to ask. Deflect once, then give a researched range if pressed. That is a normal negotiation.
Current salary is different. Answering it anchors your next role to your last one, which is the mechanism that keeps underpaid people underpaid. Several jurisdictions now restrict employers from asking it at all, so check the rules where you are applying. If it appears in a form as a required field, you can usually enter your expected figure and clarify in conversation.
A clean redirect: I am focusing on the market rate for this role rather than my previous package. Based on my research the range looks like X to Y. Does that line up with your band?
How much should you ask for?
Ask for a specific number, above their offer, that your research supports and that you can justify in one sentence.
Three rules that matter more than the size of the ask:
- Be specific, not round. A precise figure reads as calculated. A round one reads as invented.
- Never counter with a range. A range is always heard as its lowest number, so you have simply named a smaller figure with extra words.
- Ask above your target, within reason. Enough room that meeting in the middle still lands where you wanted to be, not so much that you look unserious.
Justify with value, not need. Your rent, your commute and your other offers being better are not reasons that help you. What helps is the specific experience you bring, evidence of what the market pays for it, and the scope of the role as described.
How do you actually make the counter?
The sequence matters as much as the number.
- Thank them, warmly and immediately. Whatever the number is.
- Ask for time. A day or two to review is completely standard and gives you room to prepare rather than react.
- Confirm you want the job. Say it explicitly before any number. This single step removes most of the tension, because they stop worrying that you are leaving.
- Name your figure and your one-sentence reason. Then stop talking. The silence after a counter is uncomfortable and it is doing work.
- Stay collaborative. The tone is two people solving a problem, not two sides of a table.
The shape of a written counter is simple: thank them, say clearly that you want the role, name the specific figure, give one line of justification grounded in the market rate and what you bring, and close by saying you are ready to sign once you have agreed the number. Four short paragraphs, no apology, no personal circumstances.
On a call, the same structure works spoken. Prepare the two sentences in advance and say them once. Reading them aloud beforehand is the single most useful preparation you can do, and our free mock interview tool is a reasonable place to rehearse saying difficult sentences without flinching.
What else is negotiable besides base pay?
When base pay is genuinely capped, the rest of the package usually is not. Any of these can be worth more than the raise you did not get.
| What to ask for | How often it moves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Signing bonus | Often | Comes from a different budget than salary, so easier to approve |
| Start date | Almost always | Free to them, valuable to you |
| Additional leave | Sometimes | Easier at smaller companies without rigid policy |
| Early salary review | Often | Six months rather than twelve. Get it written into the offer |
| Remote or hybrid terms | Sometimes | Specify days and expectations, not a vague arrangement |
| Job title | Sometimes | Costs nothing, affects your next role |
| Training or certification budget | Often | Comes from a development budget, not headcount |
| Equipment allowance | Often | Small, easy yes, worth asking |
If you are negotiating a remote role, settle how pay is set before you counter. Some employers band pay by location, which changes what a reasonable number looks like. Our guide to finding and landing remote jobs covers what else to confirm before accepting.
What if they say no?
A no is information, not a failure. You have lost nothing by asking once, politely.
- Accept it gracefully. One counter is professional. A second, after a clear no, is not.
- Move to the package. If base is fixed, ask about the items in the table above. Very often something there is available.
- Ask for an early review. A written commitment to revisit salary at six months, with the criteria stated. This is the most commonly granted consolation and it is worth having in writing.
- Ask what would justify more. Their answer tells you what they value, which is useful from your first week onwards.
Then decide honestly whether the offer works. If it genuinely does not, say so plainly rather than accepting resentfully. Taking a job you already feel underpaid in tends to end in another search within the year.
Why you get it in writing before resigning
This is the least exciting section and the one that prevents the worst outcome.
A verbal agreement on a call is not an offer. People move roles, budgets change, and memories of what was agreed diverge. Before you resign from anything, you want a written offer that states:
- Base salary and the agreed figure, not the original one
- Any bonus, its structure and whether it is guaranteed or discretionary
- Start date
- Leave entitlement
- Anything you negotiated separately, including an early review date and its criteria
- Working location and remote arrangement, in specific terms
If something you agreed verbally is missing from the written offer, ask for it to be added before you sign. That request is completely normal and a reasonable employer will not blink at it.
Get to the offer stage faster
Negotiation only matters if you are getting offers. VeloApply handles the repetitive part of applying across career sites so your time goes into the roles and conversations that produce them.
See how it works →Frequently asked questions
Should I always negotiate a job offer?
Almost always, once, politely, with a researched number. Most employers have an approved band and the first offer usually sits below the top of it. The exceptions are genuinely fixed public sector bands, structured graduate schemes, and any offer you have already accepted in writing.
How much should I ask for when negotiating salary?
Ask for a specific figure above their offer that your research supports, not a range, since a range is heard as its lowest number. Leave enough room that meeting in the middle still lands where you wanted. Justify it with market data and the experience you bring, never with personal expenses.
Should I tell them my current salary?
Avoid it. Answering anchors your next role to your last one, which is how underpayment compounds. Several jurisdictions restrict employers from asking, so check the rules where you are applying. Redirect to the market rate for the role and give a researched expected range instead.
Can a job offer be withdrawn if I negotiate?
It is rare when you negotiate once, politely, with a reason, and confirm first that you want the job. Offers get damaged by aggressive or repeated negotiation, or by trying to reopen terms after accepting. One well-prepared counter is a normal part of hiring and most employers expect it.
What can I negotiate if the salary is fixed?
A signing bonus, start date, additional leave, an early salary review with written criteria, remote or hybrid terms, job title, a training budget and an equipment allowance. Several of these come from different budgets than headcount, which is why they are often easier to approve than base pay.
Where can I find reliable salary data?
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes free wage estimates for roughly 830 occupations, nationally and by state and metropolitan area. Combine that with salary ranges posted on comparable live listings and a conversation with a recruiter in your field. Treat crowdsourced salary sites as a sanity check rather than as your justification.
Keep reading
How to answer tell me about yourself →
How to find and land remote jobs →
Should references go on your resume →
Do you need a job search coach →
Why you get no response from applications →
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