How to negotiate salary: 11 top tips

If you have a job offer in hand (or in email), you’re one step closing to signing on the dotted line and accepting. But first, you want to negotiate your salary. If you don’t choose to negotiate, and research suggests that many don’t, you could lose a lot of money in the long run.

People typically choose not to negotiate salary, whether it’s for a job offer or pay raise in their current position, out of fear. And it’s true—negotiating and discussing salary can be uncomfortable. But what’s even more uncomfortable is considering how much more you might be able to make over your lifetime if you choose to speak up for yourself and ask for higher pay. So, it’s best to move past the fear and learn how to negotiate salary.

How to negotiate salary for a job offer or pay raise

Here are 11 tips on how to negotiate salary for a job offer or pay raise.

1. Focus on your value and show it

Ask yourself: What value do you add and bring to the organization? Make a list of your accomplishments to provide quantifiable examples that allow your current or soon-to-be employer to visualize your success. In other words, show, don’t tell. It’s also best to frame how your worth relates to future success for the company vs. focusing solely on past successes for organizations.

To help you organize your thoughts, create a brag sheet that is a one-pager of your past performance, highlights, and successes. You can refer to past performance reviews and your resume to support you in making a thorough list and then go through and prioritize what is best to mention.

2. Know industry trends

To boost your chances of a successful negotiation, you want to conduct research on industry trends so you can support your case. What are the market value and salary range for the position and for someone with your skillset and experience?

One option is research sites offering free salary and benefits comparison, like PayScale and Salary.com. You can also get some valuable information by researching the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. Additionally, ask for input from recruiters in the industry, as well as others at various companies who hold similar positions.

3. Aim high

Ask for more than what you actually want to leave room to negotiate. The other party will feel like they are getting a better arrangement if they can negotiate down some from your original ask. With all of that said, don’t aim so high that it’s understandably out of the ballpark.

4. Be clear on the amount

Walk into the room knowing the exact dollar amount you plan to ask for without coming across as wishy-washy. Also, don’t give a range, as it indicates you are willing to concede or take the lower amount.

5. Be confident and positive, not pushy

There’s a fine line between being positively confident in your ability to add value and ask for what you’re worth vs. coming across as cocky and negative. You want to be kind and professional when you ask for a higher salary without being pushy in your request. Consider the following example provided by Robin Madell at U.S. News & World Report:

“I’m very excited about the position and know that I’d be the right fit for the team. I’m 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 $60,000. My market research showed that as the industry average for this area, and I’m confident you’ll be very happy with how much I can contribute to the team and department.”

6. Ask questions

Asking open-ended questions can support the other party in letting their guard down a bit and appreciating that you’re being thoughtful about your request. It also shows that you are trying to understand where they’re coming from to work together and come up with an amount you can agree upon. Examples of possible open-ended questions you might use include:

• “Tell me more about what the budget for this position is based on…”
• “What can I do to support you in moving more in my direction?”
• “It seems you might be surprised by my request. Please tell me more about that…”

7. Act like you’re negotiating for another

Psychology suggests that it can sometimes be easier if you act like you’re negotiating an offer on behalf of someone else. It takes the focus off you, per se, and can help to calm your nerves.

8. Practice the ask

As the adage goes, “practice makes perfect.” You can practice your salary negotiation with yourself in the mirror. Better yet, ask a friend or professional to help you out. A career coach can support you in the best approach to negotiating an offer and in techniques on how to calm your nerves and make the most out of the negotiation.

9. Actively listen

Listening is almost as equally important as asking for a higher salary. By listening to what the other party has to say, you’ll better understand their perspective and more easily find a solution that you can both feel good about.

10. Prepare for the “No”

It is possible that you might get a “no” to your request. If that’s the case, don’t make threats by saying something like, “If you don’t increase the salary, then I’m not going to accept, period.” Instead, simply reply with something like, “Okay. Got it. Let me think about the offer a bit further before accepting. I appreciate your consideration.”

Also, don’t be afraid to walk away if you truly feel you’re not getting what you’re worth. It’s often better to be patient and wait for the right fit to come along vs. entering a position resentful and unhappy from the start. Or, if you’re currently in the position, it might be time to move on if you haven’t received a raise in a while and your manager can’t provide insight into when you might receive one.

11. Get it in writing

Once you and the other party settle on a starting salary you can both live with, make sure you get a revised offer letter with the new amount and other factors you negotiated. It’s also best to get a list of your job duties and responsibilities discussed so you don’t face any surprises after you start.

In your current position, get your new offer in writing by email or an official offer letter, based on your company’s policy, as well.

How to negotiate salary over the phone

In many cases, you’ll need to know how to negotiate salary over the phone. All the same rules above apply, but picture yourself having the conversation over the phone vs. in person.

If you’re negotiating for a pay raise in your current job, it’s best to negotiate in person using the tips above. However, when that’s not an option, you can do it over the phone.

If possible, a virtual alternative to a phone call is a video call, which can help you and the other party see each other’s expressions and body language to support the negotiations.

Pro Tip: Avoid email negotiations whenever possible. Only use email for negotiations as a last resort.

If you’d like to get a pay raise or a higher starting salary, you must ask for it. Otherwise, the company will assume you’re okay with the current salary or offer. Employers are generally thrilled to have you on or join their team, and they want you to be satisfied with your compensation. So, muster up the courage, and ask.