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Negotiation

Introduction

Did you know that only about half of 2025 college graduates even tried to negotiate their salary offers? You might not be successful at getting a higher amount, but you won’t know unless you try. Make sure you get paid what you’re worth.

Research

Since you may not have a competing job offer to use as leverage during your hiring discussion, negotiate from a strong position by investigating what employers in the region are paying employees with similar levels of experience to yours who are doing similar work. Check these resources for market rates:

Weighing an Offer

Don’t focus solely on salary when you’re considering a job offer. You’ll most likely receive other benefits, and you’ll have many costs to consider too.

  • What health care benefits are available: medical, dental, vision, other?
  • How much vacation time will you get? Is sick leave offered?
  • What’s the value of the retirement package?
  • What will it cost to commute to your workplace and how long will that journey take in both directions?
  • What options are there: walking, mass transportation, car pooling?
  • How much is parking?
  • Is assistance for the cost of mass transportation available?
  • Are there options for working remotely?
  • Does the position include professional development funds and/or tuition waivers?
  • How much travel is involved and who pays for that?
  • Is comp time offered for business travel and work?
  • If you’d be moving to a new area, will it cost more or less to live there than where you are? Use the cost of living comparison calculator to get an idea of the difference.
  • How will you need to budget your money? Sketch out a basic financial plan to check where your funds will go, but remember to deduct taxes from your salary.
  • Do you need relocation assistance (moving expenses and hotel accommodations while you find a place to live)? If so, what’s offered?
  • Are you expected to work regular hours? What are they?
  • How long will it be before you receive a performance evaluation? Are they held regularly?
  • Do you need to invest in a new wardrobe for the job?
  • Is the starting date negotiable? If not, can you be ready in time?

When you consider the offer, remember that your potential employer may be able to negotiate on some items, but others may offer no flexibility, such as the company health plan and the retirement package. Think carefully about your deal breakers.

Make a Deal

Begin your conversation by noting how thrilled you are about the position, and repeat that sentiment throughout the discussion. Tackle items that likely have established policies—health care, professional development, evaluation schedules, and retirement plans—first. Move on to items that you’re flexible about.

When discussing trickier elements of the offer like the salary, a range of strategies can be effective. Try asking questions instead of making demands: “I was hoping that my two years of work experience would be factored into the offer. Can you increase the salary at all?” A different approach is naming your salary early in the process. Depending on the organization, that kind of assertiveness can literally pay off. You might instead mention the appropriate salary range you’ve discovered through research on your new role and make a case for why you’d fit at the higher end. Or adopt a collaborative style: concede on some items but push on others. Overall, job candidates who negotiate tend to be more satisfied with the process and receive better new employee packages.

But remember that salary isn’t everything. If you can’t be paid the salary you want, will other benefits make up for it? Perhaps opportunities for advancement and tuition waivers more than compensate for a lower amount. Will you be expected to give up nights and weekends for work and travel? If so, will you get comp time in return? If not, the salary may shrink when you factor nights and weekends of work into your hourly wage. Does this position sound like a perfect fit? Are you enthusiastic about the projects you’ll handle or thrilled to move to a new location? Determine whether job satisfaction and meaningful work will reward you in more important ways.

Other Tips

Ensure you have a written offer. If you’re given terms in a phone call, ask to have them sent to you officially by letter or email before you respond.

Remember that the negotiation is not personal. If the employer does not change the offer, it may have nothing to do with how much you’re wanted for the position. Budget constraints, hiring policies, and other administrative restrictions—or even that you were offered the best deal possible—may mean that there’s no room for negotiation.

Professional circles are small and careers are long. Consider all your options carefully, and don’t respond in a way that will alienate an employer. The people you met with last week could be the same ones you’ll be speaking with 20 years from now. Your goal should be to build positive relationships that last a lifetime.

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