How to Negotiate Salary: A Practical Guide for Every Stage of the Conversation

Before the Interview: Know Your Number

Salary negotiation begins before you speak to anyone. The foundation of any successful negotiation is knowing what the market pays for your specific role, experience level, and location. Without this, you are either leaving money on the table or pricing yourself out of opportunities you would have accepted.

Research your range using multiple sources: job postings that include salary ranges, salary data platforms, and conversations with people in similar roles. Use the BrokeHustle salary guide for technology roles, and check the live job listings for roles that publish their salary bands.

Set three numbers before any salary conversation: your target (what you would accept happily), your floor (the minimum you would accept for the right role), and your anchor (the number you will state first, set above your target to leave room for the employer to negotiate down to your actual goal).

During the Interview Process: When to Discuss Salary

If asked early in the process

Recruiters often ask about salary expectations in the first conversation. It is reasonable to give a range at this stage rather than a single number. Frame it as based on my research into market rates for this type of role and my experience level, I am looking for something in the range of X to Y. This anchors the conversation without closing off negotiation.

If not asked until an offer stage

In some processes you will not be asked about salary until an offer is made. This is actually the stronger position for you as the candidate because the employer has already decided they want you. At this point you have maximum leverage.

Avoid disclosing your current salary

In many jurisdictions employers are no longer permitted to ask about current salary. Whether or not they ask, you are not obligated to disclose it. Sharing your current salary can anchor the conversation at a number below what the role pays, which is rarely in your interest.

When You Receive an Offer

When you receive an offer, do not accept or reject it in the same conversation. Express genuine appreciation, confirm you are excited about the opportunity, and ask for a day or two to review the full package. This is professional and expected — no employer will rescind an offer because you asked for time to consider.

Review the total compensation, not just the base salary. Include pension contributions, equity, bonus structure, health benefits, remote work flexibility, and professional development budget. An offer with a base salary 10 percent below your target may actually represent higher total compensation once all elements are considered.

Making the counter-offer

When you counter, anchor above your target to leave room for the employer to negotiate. State your number confidently, give a brief rationale based on market data rather than personal need, and then stop talking. The silence after stating your number is uncomfortable — resist the urge to fill it by walking your number back.

What to Do When They Say No

Employers sometimes genuinely cannot move on base salary due to internal pay bands or budget constraints. If the base is fixed, negotiate the other elements: signing bonus, earlier salary review date, equity, extra leave, or remote work terms. These elements often have more flexibility than base pay.

If the total package after negotiation does not meet your minimum, you can decline the offer. This is uncomfortable but it is the correct decision if the role does not meet your financial requirements. Do not accept an offer you resent — it rarely leads to good outcomes for either party.