How much can I realistically expect to move a base salary?

Enough to be worth asking, and less than the internet implies. A counter grounded in a specific band and a specific reason moves offers often; a counter grounded in what you would like rarely does. The size depends on where the original number sat in the band, which is why the research comes before the counter — if the offer was already at the top, the movement will be in the other levers instead.

What do I say when they ask for my expected salary first?

Give a researched range for the role rather than your current pay, and say what it is based on. Your current salary is a fact about your last employer, not about this job, and anchoring on it is how an underpaid role follows you into the next one. If they press for a single figure, name the number you decided in advance and say you are flexible on the shape of the package.

Is it safe to negotiate, or can an offer be withdrawn?

One polite, specific counter is normal and almost never costs an offer. What does cost offers is negotiating in bad faith — accepting verbally and then re-opening, inventing a competing offer, or repeatedly countering the same line after a clear no. Ask once, ask well, and be prepared to accept the answer.

What is negotiable when they say base is capped?

Signing bonus, equity, start date, title, review timing, remote arrangement, learning budget and holiday, roughly in that order of how often they move. A capped base is frequently a real constraint — bands are set above the hiring manager — and treating it as a bluff wastes the goodwill you need for the levers that are genuinely available. Ask which of them has room; recruiters will usually tell you.

Should I negotiate an internal promotion the same way?

The mechanics are the same and the timing is not. An internal raise is decided in a cycle, against a budget that was allocated months earlier, so the conversation that matters happens well before the number is written. Make the case when the planning happens, not when the letter arrives, and bring the same specifics you would to an external negotiation.

How do I close the conversation once we have agreed?

Confirm the whole package in writing and stop negotiating. Restate base, bonus, equity, start date and anything agreed verbally in one short message, and ask for the updated letter. Continuing to push after agreement — or raising a new line once the paperwork is moving — is the one behaviour that reliably sours a start.

content:contentPage.section.salary

Salary negotiation

How to open the conversation, what to say when a number comes first, and what is negotiable besides base pay.

Last reviewed: 19 August 2026
Length: About 5 minutes
Scope: Maintained, not published. Corrections welcome.

The salary negotiation guide covers when to negotiate, how much you can realistically negotiate, and what to do when the company says the offer is final. The single most important rule: negotiate after you have a written offer in hand, never before. Negotiating before the offer signals price-shopping. Once the offer is on the table, you have leverage — companies have invested time in you and want a yes. For most non-executive roles, 5–15% on base salary is realistic, plus signing bonus and equity. Smaller for entry-level, larger for senior or specialized roles.

Who this is for

Where it applies.

Negotiating a base salary increase

Counter with a specific number, not a range, on the first counter. "Based on the market data I have for this role and level, I am targeting $X" — back the ask with data, not feelings.

Negotiating non-base levers when base is capped

Signing bonus, additional equity, extra PTO, remote-work allowance, professional-development budget. Often more flexible than base. Pick one lever, not three; multiple asks cut response rate.

Walking back gracefully when the recruiter declines

"I hear you — let me think about it overnight and get back to you tomorrow." Never accept or decline in the same call as the counter. Time creates leverage; impulsivity destroys it.

Deciding your number before the conversation starts

The number you will accept, the number you will ask for, and the point at which you walk are three separate decisions, and all three are easier to make before anyone is waiting for an answer. Write them down with the reasoning. In the conversation itself you are reading them out rather than working them out, which is the whole advantage.

In order

How it works.

Wait until you have a written offer
Negotiating before the offer signals price-shopping. Once the offer is in writing, you have real leverage.
Research the band before responding
Use /salary/calculator + 1–2 outside sources. Know the realistic range for the role + level + location. Bring data.
Counter once with specifics
Specific number 5–15% above the offer with a specific reason. Single counter — going back-and-forth weakens position.
Negotiate non-base levers if base is capped
Signing bonus, additional equity, PTO, remote allowance. Often more flexible. One lever, not three.
Close cleanly
When you accept, do it in writing within 1–2 days. Confirm all negotiated terms. A clean close starts the relationship on the right foot.

Worked

Worked illustrations.

Constructed to show the shape of the decision, not reported cases. The figures are illustrative.

A candidate negotiating a $5K base increase

Counter phrasing exactly as practiced. Recruiter says base is capped. Candidate uses non-base lever — asks for $10K signing bonus instead. Recruiter approves. Net Year 1 gain greater than the original ask.

A candidate countering once, with a reason

Offered below the range they had researched, they replied with the two sources, the level they had been hired at, and a single number. The recruiter came back with most of the gap closed and a signing bonus for the rest. The counter took one message, and the reason it worked is that it was answerable.

Asked often

Questions people bring here.

How much can I realistically expect to move a base salary?: Enough to be worth asking, and less than the internet implies. A counter grounded in a specific band and a specific reason moves offers often; a counter grounded in what you would like rarely does. The size depends on where the original number sat in the band, which is why the research comes before the counter — if the offer was already at the top, the movement will be in the other levers instead.
What do I say when they ask for my expected salary first?: Give a researched range for the role rather than your current pay, and say what it is based on. Your current salary is a fact about your last employer, not about this job, and anchoring on it is how an underpaid role follows you into the next one. If they press for a single figure, name the number you decided in advance and say you are flexible on the shape of the package.
Is it safe to negotiate, or can an offer be withdrawn?: One polite, specific counter is normal and almost never costs an offer. What does cost offers is negotiating in bad faith — accepting verbally and then re-opening, inventing a competing offer, or repeatedly countering the same line after a clear no. Ask once, ask well, and be prepared to accept the answer.
What is negotiable when they say base is capped?: Signing bonus, equity, start date, title, review timing, remote arrangement, learning budget and holiday, roughly in that order of how often they move. A capped base is frequently a real constraint — bands are set above the hiring manager — and treating it as a bluff wastes the goodwill you need for the levers that are genuinely available. Ask which of them has room; recruiters will usually tell you.
Should I negotiate an internal promotion the same way?: The mechanics are the same and the timing is not. An internal raise is decided in a cycle, against a budget that was allocated months earlier, so the conversation that matters happens well before the number is written. Make the case when the planning happens, not when the letter arrives, and bring the same specifics you would to an external negotiation.
How do I close the conversation once we have agreed?: Confirm the whole package in writing and stop negotiating. Restate base, bonus, equity, start date and anything agreed verbally in one short message, and ask for the updated letter. Continuing to push after agreement — or raising a new line once the paperwork is moving — is the one behaviour that reliably sours a start.

Worth knowing

Small things that help.

Negotiate AFTER you have a written offer, never before.
5–15% on base is realistic for most non-executive roles.
Counter with a specific number, not a range, on the first counter.
Pick ONE non-base lever when base is capped — multiple asks cut response rate.
Never accept or decline in the same call — buy a day for thinking.
Silence after a counter is normal and is not a refusal — recruiters check with the hiring manager, and that takes days.
Get every verbally agreed line into the written offer before you resign anything.

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Written to be corrected. If something here is wrong, say so and it changes.