How to Ask for More Money in a Job Offer: The Right Way to Negotiate Salary

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Negotiating a job offer can feel intimidating, but it’s one of the most important steps to make sure you’ll start on the right foot in a new position with fair compensation for your skills and experience. Many candidates often hesitate to counter an offer letter, fearing they’ll be perceived as greedy by their potential employer and risk losing the offer altogether. 

Truth be told, most employers expect some back-and-forth and often leave room in their budget for negotiations. If you’re wondering how to ask for more money in a job offer without jeopardizing your chances, this guide will walk you through the entire process—from evaluating the offer to handling tough employer responses and knowing when to walk away.

Evaluating your job offer before negotiating

Before jumping into negotiations, you should take the time to thoroughly assess your offer. It’s not just about salary; other factors contribute to the overall compensation package; therefore, you should start by looking at the initial job offer holistically and break down all its elements. Here are some aspects you could evaluate from the offer:

• Base salary: Is it in line with industry standards and your expectations?
• Bonuses & incentives: Are there performance-based bonuses, stock options, or profit-sharing plans?
• Benefits: What does the health insurance, retirement plan, and paid time off (PTO) package look like?
• Work-life balance: Does it include remote work options, flexible hours, or additional perks like tuition reimbursement?

Once you’ve evaluated the offer thoroughly, the next is to define what aspects you’d like to negotiate. It’s common to mainly focus on salary, but if the employer has a hard cap on that, you could shift the negotiation to getting a signing bonus, more PTO or flexible work arrangements, or professional development opportunities.  

Keep an eye out for any additional benefits that would make the offer more attractive. Sometimes, negotiating for better perks can be just as valuable as a salary increase.

Understanding your value

On top of weighing in the conditions you’d like to improve from the job offer, to negotiate effectively, you need to know what you bring to the table and if any aspects of your working context influence your salary. You can start by researching the average salary for similar positions in your industry and location; here are some parameters to consider:

• Geographic location: Salaries tend to vary nationwide between cities and states.
• Industry standards: Some industries have more competitive wages than others, even for similar positions.
• Experience and skills: The more robust your background and skill set for the field you’ll be working in, the easier it will be to justify a higher pay.  

You can use sites like Glassdoor and Payscale to research the salary ranges in your region and industry, as well as to compare them with the average wage in other sectors and states.

On top of having a clear reference about the salary for the role you’re applying for, you should analyze any aspects of your profile that make you the strongest candidate for the position. Some of these factors may be your years of experience in the field, background in management roles or leadership skills, and specific technical knowledge, certifications, or degrees. 

If you aim to get 10 or 15% more of the initial offered salary, you must find arguments to justify it. The most effective way to achieve this is to point out your experience, specialized knowledge, and any other added value you could offer the company. Employers need to see why you’re worth the extra investment.

Responding to the initial job offer

Negotiating salary isn’t just about responding to the job offer negotiating the conditions—it’s about being strategic and having perfect timing. The way you approach the conversation can make all the difference between getting a better offer and leaving money on the table.

Your response to an initial offer should always begin with appreciation. Even if the salary is lower than expected, starting with gratitude sets a positive tone and keeps the employer engaged in the conversation. On top of the politeness, you’ll need to buy time to prepare your arguments for the negotiation, so be sure to schedule a meeting within a week to discuss the terms of employment. 

Here is an example of how you can respond to a verbal job offer over the phone that leaves the conversation open-ended rather than instantly rejecting the offer or counter offering too soon:

“Thank you so much for this opportunity! I’m really excited about the role and the possibility of joining your team. I appreciate the offer and would love to take some time to review the details. Could we schedule a time to discuss a few aspects of the compensation package?”

Keep in mind that it’ll always be better to negotiate terms of employment in person or at least over the phone. So, in case the initial offer was sent via email, you should reply requesting a meeting to discuss the compensation details. Here is a template you can use to arrange a time to negotiate the salary:

“Hi [Hiring Manager],

Thank you for offering me the [Job Title] position! I’m thrilled about the opportunity and appreciate the time you and your company have invested in the hiring process.

I’d love to discuss the compensation package in more detail before making my final decision. Could we set up a time to chat this week? Let me know what works best for you!

Looking forward to our conversation.

Best,
[Your Name]”

Preparing your case for negotiation

The main idea behind the salary research and pinpointing your strengths is to set the foundations for building your case. Walking into a salary negotiation without preparation is like stepping into a job interview without researching the company—you may get through it, but you won’t maximize your potential.

A successful salary negotiation isn’t about simply asking for more money—it’s about building a compelling case that convinces the employer why you’re worth the investment. To achieve this, you’ll have to combine the results of your research with framing your case strategically. Here’s a step-by-step you can use to prepare your case before engaging in negotiation. 

Craft strong talking points

To counter a job offer effectively, you need to frame the arguments of why you deserve a higher salary or better conditions. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employer for a moment; it’ll be more likely you agree to give a candidate more money if they pitch their request in terms of the value they’ll bring to your company, right? Well, following this scenario, here is a formula you can use to structure your talking points: 

1. Express your enthusiasm and appreciation for the job offer.
2. Reference market data to justify your salary expectations.
3. Highlight your unique skills and experience.
4. Showcase measurable achievements that prove your value.
5. End with a question to keep the conversation open.

An important note of this aspect is to prepare multiple talking points in case the employer pushes back. On the other hand, if they say salary isn’t negotiable, be ready to pivot to alternative benefits like signing bonuses, stock options, additional PTO, etc.

Define your salary range

Before entering a negotiation or implying you’ll ask for a job offer with more money, you must define your salary range. Here is a breakdown of the key numbers you should consider when establishing your salary expectations. 

• Ideal salary: This is your dream number. Despite how realistic it is, this is what you’d get in a perfect scenario. 
• Target salary: This is a more reasonable figure that reflects your market value, skills, and experience
• Walk-away number: This would be the minimum offer you’re willing to accept before considering other opportunities or even turning down the offer. 

It’s essential that you take the time to define your salary range to avoid settling for too little or missing a great offer that meets your needs in other ways. 

Rehearse your negotiation pitch

So, do you have the labor market insights, and are your pitch ready? Now it’s time to get sharp and ready for the meeting. Being confident is key in every negotiation, and the best way to build confidence is through practice. 

On top of practicing your wording and speaking, rehearsing the conversation will allow you to anticipate possible objections from the employer and prepare responses in advance. You could either record yourself exposing your talking points and answering common employer objections, or go a step beyond and do a mock negotiation with a recruiter, mentor, or even a trusted friend. 

Walking into the negotiation

By this stage, you’ve already evaluated the initial job offer, researched your market value, and built strong talking points. Now, it’s time to initiate the salary discussion the right way. Below you’ll find how to approach and effectively ask for more money while maintaining professionalism and keeping the door open for negotiation.

The right way to phrase your salary request

As mentioned above, sharing relevant data and achievements with the employer is the most effective way to support your request for more money in a job offer. By doing so, you’re giving solid arguments about the value you’ll bring to their company and why it’s worth enough to offer you better compensation. Here is an example of how you may phrase your request: 

“I’m really excited about this opportunity and appreciate the offer. Based on my research, the industry average for this role is between $75,000 and $80,000. Given my [X years] of experience in [industry] and my proven ability to [achievement], I believe a salary in that range would more accurately reflect my contributions. Is there room to adjust the offer?”

Handling employer pushback

Realistically speaking, it’s most likely that employers will not immediately agree to renegotiate the conditions of employment. Therefore, you should be prepared for any counter arguments or tough questions by having responses ready. Here are some sample objections you may encounter during your negotiation and how you can handle them: 

•  “We don’t have the budget for a higher salary.” — “I understand budget constraints and am still very interested in the role. Are there other forms of compensation we could explore, such as additional bonuses or a salary review in six months?” 
• “Are you considering other offers?” — “I’m in discussions with a few companies, but I’m very excited about this role.”
• “This is the highest salary we can offer for this position.” — “I appreciate that. In that case, could we discuss additional PTO, professional development stipends, or a more flexible work schedule?”
• “If we match your salary request, will you accept the offer immediately?” — “If we can come to an agreement that aligns with my expectations, I’d be thrilled to accept and contribute to the team.”

Knowing when to walk away

As you can remember, a critical step in prepping for salary negotiation is to define your salary range; doing so will allow you to identify if you can get what you expect, and in the event that this doesn’t happen, it’ll be easier for you to discern if it’s better to turn down the offer and continue your job hunt.

At this stage, you should also be aware of any red flags that may hint that the salary negotiation will not turn out as you expected. If the employer refuses to negotiate or reacts negatively to your requests, you can take this as an indicator of how much the company values its employees.

On the other hand, if the employer shows disposition but is genuinely unable to offer you more money, you should evaluate the whole picture and decide if other benefits, such as career growth, flexibility, and stability, outweigh a lower salary. 

Negotiating a job offer is about knowing your worth and presenting your case with confidence. Employers won’t rescind an offer just because you ask for more—but failing to negotiate could leave good money on the table.

Use these strategies, back your request with research, and always advocate for yourself. The right employer will recognize your value and be willing to meet you where you deserve.

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FAQs about countering a job offer

Here are some frequently asked questions on how to ask for more money in a job offer. 

Contributed by Luis Arellano