Offer negotiation · a twelve-minute guide
Most offers have some room. Here's how to find it.
Our take, from the recruiter's side of the table: there's usually some room, and recruiters expect a good candidate to ask. Most people don't. The skill is asking in a way the recruiter can take to whoever approves the offer.
- Say less on the offer call. Thank them, ask your questions, and take a few days. You don't have to react to the number on the spot.
- Pick one number. A total you would sign at, grounded in the level and the range. Hold that total and stay flexible on the mix.
- Ask live, confirm in writing. Make the counter on a call, where tone carries. Then send a short email that sums up what you discussed.
By the offer, everyone wants this to close
The company has spent weeks finding you and has often passed on other candidates to get here. The recruiter is measured on filling the seat. The hiring manager wants the work started. In our experience, a reasonable, specific ask gives them something to say yes to. It isn't risk-free: some offers are firm, and how you ask matters.
Six in ten didn't ask. Most who did got more.
100 US workers, the last time they were hired. Scaled from a 2023 survey and rounded.
Of the 30 who asked, 19 walked away with more. Nobody knows what the 60 who didn't ask would have gotten.
Self-reported. The survey didn't ask how big the increase was, or whether anyone lost an offer by asking.
Plenty of people never ask. In a field experiment with real job ads, 9.4% of applicants negotiated pay when the ad didn't mention it, and 23.1% when the ad said pay was negotiable. In a 2025 experiment with US tech job seekers, 54% negotiated on their own, and a short note encouraging them raised that to 61%. The share who got better pay rose from 30% to 36%. In an older study of MBA graduates from one school, men who bargained ended up about 4% higher and women about 3%.
Our take: even when the first answer is that the number is fixed, the room is often somewhere else: base, sign-on, equity, level, or start date. Your job is to find which one.
Before the offer, let them name the range
Early in the process you'll be asked what you're looking for. Answering with a number before you know the level and scope usually caps you. Ask for the range first. Many states and cities now require employers to share one.
The recruiter screenThey ask what you're looking for
“I'd like to learn more about the scope and level before I put a number on it. Could you share the range you have for this role?”
What this makes clear: You have expectations, and you want the role defined before you price it. In our experience, most recruiters will share the range when asked directly.
Give a range you'd be glad to hitThey insist on a number
“Based on what I know so far and what similar roles pay, I'm thinking somewhere in the range of [your target] to [a bit higher]. I'd want to revisit once we've talked about the level.”
What this makes clear: A researched range whose bottom is a number you'd be happy with. Never put your walk-away number at the bottom. In experiments, a range that started at the asker's target and reached higher won better terms than the target alone, without making the other side like them less.
Price the new roleThey ask what you make now
“I'd rather focus on what this role is worth. What range has the team set for it?”
What this makes clear: A redirect to the job in front of you. Many US states and cities restrict salary-history questions, and the rules differ by location, so check yours. What the salary-history studies found.
On the offer call, thank them and ask questions
When the recruiter calls with numbers, this isn't the negotiation yet. It's the fact-finding. Be warm about the role, hold back on reacting to the number, and leave with everything you need to decide.
“Thank you, I'm really excited about this team. I'd like a couple of days to look at the whole package. Could I ask a few questions so I have the full picture?”
- What level is this, and what separates it from the next level up?
- What's the range for this level in my location?
- How is the bonus set, and what has it paid out in practice?
- For equity: what type, how much, how it vests, and what the stated value is based on.
- Is there a sign-on bonus, and does it have to be repaid if I leave early?
- When do you need an answer, and can I have the offer in writing?
Pick your number
Before you counter, decide the one total you'd sign at. Everything else in the conversation is about how to get there.
Check the level first
Level sets the range, so it's the biggest lever. If the scope you discussed sounds like the next level up, raise that before you talk about money. The tech guide has the words.
Aim for the top half of the range
If your experience fits the role well, the upper half of the range is a fair target. Price this role, not your current one.
Think in total pay
Add up base, bonus, sign-on, and equity per year. Decide the total you need, then stay flexible on the mix.
Make it specific
Ask for $143,500, not "around $140k." In negotiation experiments over prices, people who got a precise first offer countered closer to it than people who got a round one.
Only ask for what you'd sign at
If they meet your number, you should be ready to say yes. If you still have doubts about the job, sort those out first.
Make the ask
The recruiter usually can't approve the change. They take it to a manager or a compensation team. Give them three things to carry: what you want, why, and what happens if they get there.
The exact term you want changed
The scope, range, or evidence behind it
Whether the change would help you accept
Ask on a call if you can. Start with genuine enthusiasm, name the number once, and keep it collaborative: you're working the problem together. How you ask matters. In experiments, evaluators were less willing to work with candidates who asked for more, and the penalty was usually larger for women. Our advice: tie a specific number to the role and treat the gap as a shared problem. It's the easiest kind of request for a recruiter to champion.
The counterThe offer is below your number
“I'm excited about this and I want to make it work. Given the scope we discussed and the range for the level, I was looking for a total closer to [$X]. If we can get there, I'm ready to sign.”
What this makes clear: The number, the basis, and the decision. Say the last part only if it's true.
Move the mix, hold the totalBase salary can't move
“I understand. Is there flexibility elsewhere? A sign-on bonus, more equity, or an earlier compensation review would get us to the same place.”
What this makes clear: A path to your total through parts that come out of a different budget. Check repayment terms before counting a sign-on bonus as cash.
Only what's trueYou have another offer
“I want to be upfront: I have another written offer, and I need to respond by [date]. This team is my first choice. If we can get to [$X], I'll sign this week.”
What this makes clear: Real leverage. In our experience, a competing offer is the most reliable way to move a number, so it's worth finishing other processes. Never invent one.
Ask for a dateThe deadline is too short
“I'm taking this seriously and want to give you a real answer. Could I get back to you by Friday? If that's a problem, can you tell me what's driving the timing?”
What this makes clear: A specific date, and a chance to learn whether the deadline is a real constraint.
Decide, don't driftThe answer is no
“Thanks for checking. Let me think it over and get back to you by [day].”
What this makes clear: Time to decide whether the package works as it is. You don't owe anyone a second counter.
Close it in writing
After the call, send a short note that sums up where you landed. It keeps the recruiter's version and yours the same when they go for approval.
“Thanks for the time today. To recap: you're going to check on [the change] to get the total to [$X]. If that works, I'm ready to sign. Looking forward to hearing back.”
- Check that every agreed change is in the written offer before you sign.
- List base and one-time payments separately from target or discretionary pay.
- Read sign-on repayment terms and any conditions attached to the offer.
- Confirm title, level, location, schedule, start date, and review timing.
- Compare benefits by what they're worth to you, not by a headline total.
- Once you sign, close the loop with any other companies kindly. You may want to work with them later.