Salary Negotiation: How to Get 10-20% More on Your Next Offer

The single highest-leverage hour of your career is the one between receiving a job offer and accepting it. A 10-20% bump on a $100K offer is $10-20K — for one conversation. Yet most candidates accept the first number they hear. This guide walks through the negotiation playbook that consistently moves offers up.

Before the offer: set yourself up

1. Never give a number first

Recruiters ask for your expected salary on the application or in the first call. The answer is some version of: "I'm focused on finding the right role first — once I understand the scope, I'm happy to discuss compensation. What range has the team budgeted?"

If they push: "Based on the market for this role and my experience, I'd expect something in the upper end of your range. Can you share what that range is?"

2. Get a competing offer (or look like you might)

Leverage in negotiation comes from optionality. If you have one offer, you have a number. If you have two offers, you have leverage. Apply broadly, schedule interviews concurrently, and try to land decisions in the same week.

3. Research the actual band

Levels.fyi for tech, Salary.com and Glassdoor for everything else. Know the 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile for the title and city before any conversation. Walk in calibrated.

The offer call: what to say

When the recruiter delivers the offer, your only job is to thank them, ask for the full details in writing, and ask for time.

"Thank you so much, I'm really excited about the opportunity. Could you send everything in writing — base, bonus, equity, benefits — so I can review with my family? I'll get back to you within a few days."

Do not accept on the call. Do not say "yes." Do not say "the number sounds great." Even if it does. Especially if it does.

The counter: the script that works

Once you have the offer in writing, send the counter via email (calmer, less reactive than phone). Here's the structure:

1. Reaffirm enthusiasm for the role.
2. Anchor on a specific, justified number.
3. Mention competing options without naming them, if you have them.
4. Close with a clear ask.

Example:

Hi [Recruiter],
Thank you again for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about joining the team and the opportunity to work on [specific project].

After reviewing the package and comparing it with other conversations I'm having, I'd like to ask if you can bring the base to $X. Based on market data for this role and the impact I've had in similar work — [brief specific example] — this would help me say yes confidently.

Let me know what you can do. I'm looking forward to making this work.

Best,
[You]

What to ask for besides base salary

If the base is fixed, there are usually other levers:

• Signing bonus — often easier to approve than higher base, since it doesn't affect long-term cost structure.
• Equity — at startups, equity is often the most negotiable lever.
• Start date — useful if you want time off between jobs.
• Title — a senior-vs.-staff title can affect your trajectory more than $5K.
• Vacation, remote work flexibility, learning budget — these all add real value.

The lines that lose you money

• "I was hoping for..." (hope isn't a justification — bring data)
• "I need at least..." (sounds desperate — frame it around value)
• "I'll accept if you can do $X" (only say this if you mean it; otherwise you've locked yourself in)
• "Whatever you think is fair" (you've just handed over all your leverage)

How much can you actually move an offer?

In practice: 5-15% on base salary is normal. 20%+ happens when there's a competing offer, when the role is hard to fill, or when the initial offer was deliberately conservative. Equity and signing bonuses often move 30-50% from initial to final. Total compensation movement of 10-20% is a realistic target for most negotiations.

At JobGenius, your account manager negotiates on your behalf when offers come in — which removes the most emotionally tough part of the process and consistently produces better outcomes than candidates negotiating alone. See how it works.