How to negotiate salary for a new job

Most people accept the first number they are offered. In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey of workers in the United States, most said they did not ask for more the last time they were hired, and 38 percent of those who did not ask said they had not felt comfortable doing it.

The same survey shows what happened to those who did ask. 28 percent got the pay they asked for. 38 percent got more than the first offer, though less than they asked for. 35 percent got only what was first offered. Put another way, about two in three people who asked ended up with more than the original offer. This is one survey in one country, but it matches what most recruiters will tell you: a polite request is normal and rarely costs you anything.

Negotiate at the right moment

The best time to negotiate is after you have an offer and before you accept it. At that point the employer has decided they want you, and you have not yet committed.

If you are asked about pay earlier in the process, you can give a range and say you would like to understand the full role first. The detailed conversation comes later.

Know the market before you say a number

You cannot negotiate well on feeling. Before the conversation, find out what this role pays in this region:

• The range in the posting, if there is one
• Similar postings that state a figure
• Public salary data from statistics offices, surveys and employee reports

From that, work out a market minimum, a middle and a maximum, and decide where you sit based on how well you match the role. If you meet every requirement and bring something extra, the upper half is reasonable.

Decide your three numbers

Go into the conversation with these written down:

1. Your target. The figure you would be glad to get.
2. Your ask. A little above your target, so there is room to meet in the middle.
3. Your floor. The lowest figure you would accept. You keep this one to yourself.

What to say

You do not need a speech. You need three sentences: thanks, the number, the reason.

"Thank you, I am glad to have the offer and I would like to make this work. Based on what similar roles pay in this region and on my experience running a team of this size, I was hoping for something closer to X. Is there room to move on the base salary?"

Then stop talking. Silence after a request feels long, but the next move is theirs.

A few things help:

• Give a reason connected to the job and the market, not to your rent or your costs
• Ask a question at the end, so the answer is a conversation and not a yes or no
• Stay friendly throughout, because these are people you may be working with next month

If they cannot move on salary

Base pay is one part of an offer. If the number is fixed, ask about the rest:

• A signing bonus or a guaranteed first year bonus
• An earlier salary review, for example after six months instead of twelve
• Extra holiday
• Remote or flexible working
• A training budget
• A different job title or level, if it reflects the work

Compare offers as a whole. Check whether figures are gross or net, yearly or monthly, and what is included.

Get it in writing

When you agree, ask for the updated offer in writing before you resign from your current job. This is routine and no reasonable employer will mind.

Know your rights

In the European Union, a 2023 directive on pay transparency gives applicants the right to know the starting pay or its range before pay is negotiated, and says employers should not ask about your pay history. Member states had until 7 June 2026 to put it into national law, and not all of them moved at the same speed, so check the rules in the country where the job is.

What not to do

• Do not invent a competing offer. If you are asked for details, you have none.
• Do not give an ultimatum unless you are ready to walk away.
• Do not apologise for asking.
• Do not accept on the spot if you need a day. "Could I come back to you tomorrow?" is a normal request.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, When negotiating starting salaries, most U.S. women and men don't ask for higher pay, 2023
• European Union, Directive (EU) 2023/970 on pay transparency

Where JobUncover fits

The salary research in JobUncover gives you the first step ready made: the market minimum, median and maximum for the role and the region, a realistic range to ask for, and the links behind the numbers. It is part of the Full prep level.