HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY

HOW TO NEGOTIATE
YOUR SALARY
CONTENTS

HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY

3 | What Are Salary Negotiations? 7 | How to Negotiate a Raise

4 | Why It’s Vital to Negotiate Your Salary 8 | What to Do If You Hear “No”

5 | Discover What You’re Worth 9 | Next Steps After a Salary Negotiation

6 | Negotiating Your Starting Salary

L E T ’ S G E T S TA RT E D

No matter when the last time you negotiated for a better salary was, the time will come
again when the value of the work you do is not reflected in the compensation you receive
for that work. When this time comes, it’s important to approach the issue objectively,
build an evidence-based case for your desired salary and negotiate for this salary.

Ahead, we will cover the basics of salary negotiations, how to find out your objective value
from job market data, best practices for salary negotiations, how to negotiate a raise and
what you should do after a salary negotiation.
 HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY
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W H AT A R E

S A L A R Y N E G OT I AT I O N S ?

Salary negotiations are discussions between yourself and a representative of your

current or prospective company that aim to help you secure a higher salary. When
you decide that you want to negotiate for a better salary, be prepared to:

Build your case: You will need to prove that you are worth investing in, with
specific examples of value you’ve given to employers in your career.

Face some resistance: Even airtight cases for a salary increase can face resistance,
so be prepared to answer questions, especially, “Why do you deserve this salary?”

Strike a Balance Between Firm and Flexible: Be prepared to go back-and-forth

during negotiations and be sure that any compromise reached is acceptable.

Pro Tip: It doesn’t matter if you’re a long-time employee or a new hire: if you
feel that your salary isn’t enough, you should feel empowered to negotiate in
order to get what you deserve.
 HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY
W H Y I T ’ S V I TA L TO

N E G OT I AT E YO U R S A L A R Y
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It’s important to understand that
negotiating your salary is a perfectly
normal part of the employment
process and that getting the salary
you deserve is part of advancing in
your career.
Your salary is more than a deposit to
your bank account — it sets you on
a course for the rest of your career.
According to a study conducted by
George Mason University and Temple
University, salary negotiations have
a compounding effect, meaning if
you negotiate for a higher salary at
the beginning of your career, any
raises you get in the future will be
higher as well.
Your salary is also how your company
supports your work-life balance, with
career development, work flexibility
and health-related perks.
Negotiating for some of these perks
will help you to get the complete
salary and benefits package you need:
•• Childcare
•• Health + Fitness
•• Workplace + Time Flexibility
•• University Tuition Reimbursement
•• Training, Professional Development +
Certifications
•• Mentoring + Coaching

Pro Tip: While dollar signs definitely matter when negotiating your salary,
these forms of compensation should be considered before taking a new offer or
re-signing on a dotted line.
 HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY
D I S C OV E R W H AT YO U ’ R E W O RT H
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K N O W YO U R W O R T H

Use Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth™ tool, which gives you a personalized
estimated market value, what others in your field are being paid, and available
job listings.

Once you have a ballpark for your market worth, you’ll be able to compare that
with what the average salary for the position you’re vying for is. Plus, many job
openings on Glassdoor display a salary estimate which shows you how much
a role could pay before you even apply.

For instance, if you see the compensation rage for web developers in your
area is 67,000-114,000 and your personalized estimate is 75,000, your realistic
salary range is between 70,000 and 80,000.

D E F I N E YO U R R A N G E A N D D O O N L I N E R E S E A R C H

Next, you need to find out what people in your position, with your level of
experience, are making in your area.

Being an office manager in Topeka, Kansas, for instance, yields a different

average salary than being an office manager in San Francisco does.

To get a sense of what the ballpark salary is for your job title, a simple
search on Glassdoor’s salary search tool will give you baseline information.
 HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY
N E G OT I AT I N G YO U R

S TA RT I N G S A L A R Y
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Salary negotiation doesn’t have to feel uncertain or intimidating. As long as you’ve

done research to learn a realistic salary range to ask for and have a plan in place for
navigating the negotiation, there’s nothing to worry about. Following these tips will
also help you to have effective salary negotiations:

•• Have a Salary Range Rather than
a Single Figure: When pressed for your
salary requirements, you should always be
sure to offer a range based on what others
in the field are earning, rather than a single
fixed number.
•• Don’t Sell Yourself Short: One common
mistake when talking about previous salary
is forgetting to include benefits as part of
your total compensation, says author Don
Hurzeler. For example, if you are earning
$100,000 a year with a 20% bonus plus
health, dental and other incidental benefits,
you should answer the question by saying,
“$120,000 plus generous benefits.”
•• Practice Your Pitch at Least Once Before the
Actual Negotiation: Find someone to listen to
your proposal for a salary increase, so you can
feel the cadence of your speaking points out
loud in a conversational setting.
•• Be Gracious: No matter the outcome, be
understanding, appreciative and thankful for
the opportunity.
•• Be Confident in Your Delivery: It’s extremely
important to put on your game face when it
comes time to negotiate.
•• Avoid Accepting the First Offer: If you need
time to evaluate an offer, say so. Schedule your
next meeting 24-48 hours out and come back
with your counteroffer.

Asking these questions will also help during salary negotiations for a new or current job:

1 | “Can I negotiate this offer?” 4 | “What’s the outlook for salary raises or promotions?”

2 | “Besides the base pay, what other benefits are negotiable?” 5 | “What metrics do you use do evaluate the success of employees?”

3 | “How did you calculate this number?” 6 | “Can I get the salary offer in writing?”
S A M P L E I N T E R V I E W P RO C E S S

HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY

H O W TO N E G OT I AT E A R A I S E
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Even after you’ve negotiated your base pay, the salary conversation shouldn’t end.
Once you’ve been at a company for a while, it’s worth revisiting whether you’re still
being compensated fairly. After all, just because your manager understands the value
you’re adding to your company doesn’t mean they’ll proactively offer you a raise —
you have to prove your case for a raise just as surely as you have to prove your case
for a higher starting salary at a new job.

Leverage Internal Moves: A new role in your company provides a great

negotiation opportunity. If you are considering a promotion or new job with
your current employer, don’t buy the argument that management’s hands are
tied and pay growth is capped. Use market data to lay out what it would cost
the company to try and hire off the street, and ask for it. You may find
resistance, but be firm in your stance.

Choose Your Moment: As with any request, timing is key. Is your company in
a strong financial position? Is the climate generally positive? Is your manager
impressed with your performance? If not, it might not be the best time to
jockey for a better salary.

Consider the Larger Business Goals: Before you ask for a raise or promotion,
you should know what your manager’s objectives are and have a clear idea of
how your contributions are helping to knock those goals out of the park.

A sample script for “As we discussed, it has been [amount of time] since [“my last significant salary adjustment”
pitching a raise: OR “since I was hired”], and I would like to revisit my salary now that I’m contributing much
more to the company. I’ve been researching salaries for [job title] in [industry], and it looks
like the mid-point is around [mid-point from your research]. So I would like to request
a raise to [target salary].”
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W H AT TO D O I F YO U H E A R “ N O ”

As the adage goes, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.” If your boss responds
to your raise or promotion request with a line like, “While we value you, we won’t be
able to offer you a raise,” try not to consider it a fatal blow.

Don’t Give Up: Don’t take rejection personally. If there are performance issues
you need to address, own them. If you get a no, consider it a “not yet.”

Do Ask for a Timeline and Follow Up: If you didn’t get the result you were
after this time, set a timeline with your boss. Say, “I’d like to position myself for
a promotion or a raise within the next X months. I’d be grateful for any feedback
or suggestions you have on how I might get there.”

Don’t Complain: Whiners aren’t winners. If you hope to advance in your

company, keep your attitude positive and goal-focused.

Do Take Stock: If you’re convinced that your company is the best fit for you,
revise your plan for advancing in your career and get down to work. If you’ve
lost enthusiasm, weigh the pros and cons of moving on to another company.
S A M P L E I N T E R V I E W P RO C E S S

HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY

NEXT STEPS AFTER

A S A L A R Y N E G OT I AT I O N
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If you’ve managed to come to an agreement on salary with your employer, it’s time
to start thinking about next steps so you can set yourself up for success.

Solidify the Agreement: Follow up on the negotiation with a written agreement

and possibly a new scope of work. Get a letter or email from your boss with the
details outlining what they expect from you and when the transition will occur.

Your Responsibilities May Increase: Now you’ll need to prove you were right
about deserving more pay. Your scope of work and responsibilities may grow.
Prepare to lean into new day-to-day expectations.

Your Boss Will Have More Respect for You: As you go back to work post-
negotiation, you might find your boss trusting you more or asking for your input
on bigger decisions. Moreover, after they’ve seen how you view your work
performance at the company, they will likely have greater respect for you.

S TA R T I N G A N E W C H A P T E R I N YO U R C A R E E R

Salary negotiations can be tough and nerve-wracking, but when you have a successful
discussion, it is a win for you and the company. You gain more compensation and
a new challenge in your career. The employer gets an engaged employee who will
be empowered and will stay with the company for longer.

Remember, negotiating your salary is a monumental step in the interview process

and in your career, but you have leverage in it as well. As long as you go in prepared
and have a deep understanding of how you value yourself, you’ll be able to take on
the conversation in a positive way.
 HOW TO NEGOTIATE YOUR SALARY
Let’s all get paid fairly! Don’t forget to try Know Your Worth to get
your free, personalized salary estimate based on today’s market.

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About Glassdoor
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