Salary Negotiation Scripts (+$25K)

Recruiters expect you to negotiate. Most candidates still do not, and leave five figures on the table every single year. Here are the scripts that consistently move numbers, and the moves that consistently kill them.

The opening reply after you get an offer

Thanks for the offer, I am excited about the role. Before I say yes I want to make sure the package reflects the impact I plan to have. Can we look at base and equity together? I have a few data points I want to walk through.

The anchor without a competing offer

Skip the lie about a phantom offer. Anchor with market data instead: Levels.fyi bands, published salary ranges, and the scope of the role. Ask for a specific number, not a range. Ranges get you the bottom of the range.

The close

If we can land base at $X and equity at $Y, I am ready to sign today. Can you take this back to the hiring manager?

What kills negotiations

• Apologizing for asking. Never apologize for negotiating.
• Naming a number first if the recruiter has not.
• Threatening to walk unless you actually will.
• Negotiating over three channels at once. Pick one and stick to it.