How to negotiate a salary you can live with

Most candidates leave 8–15% on the table because they negotiate against the company's first number instead of against their own walk-away. The fix is to know your numbers cold before the offer call, then run a script that's 90% silence and 10% concrete asks.

The four numbers

Before any compensation conversation, write these on a sticky note next to your laptop:

1. Your bottom. The lowest base salary you would actually accept. Below this you say no, regardless of equity or perks. Calculate from your real budget, not from the previous role.
2. Your target. What you'd be happy with. Should be 10–15% above your current comp if changing companies; otherwise market rate for the role+level.
3. Your stretch. What you'd be thrilled with. Should be 20% above target. This is where you start the negotiation, even if it feels uncomfortable.
4. The market band for the role. From Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, or peer references. Even if you can't see exact comp, you can usually see "Senior at FAANG = $X to $Y total comp" within a band.

If your stretch is below the market band's median, raise your stretch.

The script

When the offer comes:

Recruiter: "We'd like to offer you $X base + Y equity."

You: "Thanks for the offer — that's a great starting point. I'm targeting [stretch] base, given the market for [role/level] and what I'm leaving on the table at my current company. Is there room to move there?"

Stop. Don't fill the silence. Recruiters have rehearsed this conversation more than you have; their move is to say "let me check internally."

When they come back with a counter, evaluate against your target, not their original number. If the counter hits target, you accept (or push once more for an extra +5% on equity). If the counter is below target but above bottom, you have choices:

• Trade base for equity if equity is undervalued
• Push for a sign-on bonus to bridge the gap (one-time, lower commitment for the company)
• Negotiate non-comp items (start date flexibility, remote days, learning budget)

If the counter is below your bottom: thank them, decline graciously, ask whether they'd consider revisiting in 3–6 months.

What to never say

• "I really need this job" — gives away leverage instantly.
• "What's the most you can pay?" — reverses the negotiation; they always answer low.
• "I have another offer at $X" if you don't. Don't bluff. Recruiters share notes; getting caught burns the offer and the reputation.
• "I'll take whatever you can give me" — even if you would.

What to say if asked your current salary

In jurisdictions where the question is legal: pivot. "My current comp doesn't reflect the role I'm interviewing for. I'm targeting [stretch] for this role." Then stop. If they push, repeat the same sentence. The point isn't to lie; it's to anchor the negotiation on the role you're applying for, not the role you're leaving.

In jurisdictions where the question is illegal (most US states, parts of EU): "I'd rather discuss what this role pays than what my last one paid."

A note on equity

Equity at a private company is worth zero until liquidity. Treat it as a multiplier on the base, not as base. A great offer is one where the base alone covers your bottom, and the equity is upside.

The candidates who land roles they're happy with for years aren't the ones who negotiate hardest — they're the ones who knew their bottom, hit their target, and walked away from offers below the bottom. Knowing your numbers makes the negotiation a thirty-second conversation. Not knowing them makes it a six-month regret.