The offer is in. You're pleased, and yet something is nagging at you: is this it? Many people accept the first offer because negotiating feels awkward, or because they're afraid the employer will change their mind. Yet in many organisations a conversation about pay and benefits is simply part of the hiring process. The aim isn't to "win", but to reach an agreement you both feel good about.
It's worth taking the time to get this right. Your starting salary is often the baseline for future pay rises, so what you agree now can affect you for years. In this article you'll learn how to prepare, when to bring up money, how to phrase your ask, what you can negotiate besides base salary, what to do with a low offer and which mistakes to avoid.
Preparation: know what you're worth
Negotiating without preparation is guesswork. If you know what's usual, you can name a figure calmly and back it up. So start with your homework:
- Research the market rate for the role. Compare job ads for similar roles that do state a salary range, look at pay surveys from professional bodies, trade unions or recruitment agencies, and ask people in your network who do similar work. If the employer uses published pay bands or a collective agreement, find out which band the role falls into. Take into account location, the size of the organisation and your own experience.
- Decide on three numbers. Your target (ambitious but defensible), your realistic figure and your walk-away point: the amount below which you won't take the job. Set that walk-away point in advance, based on your fixed costs, your current situation and what else the job offers you. That way you don't have to work it out mid-conversation.
- Gather your arguments. Why are you worth this figure? Think of results you've achieved, specialist knowledge, qualifications or experience that matches the role closely. Make them concrete, just as you would with the STAR method: what was the situation, what did you do and what did it deliver?
Worth knowing: if you live in the EU, the European Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970) gives job applicants the right to information about the starting pay or pay range for a role, and says employers must not ask applicants about their current or previous pay. EU member states have to transpose the directive into national law. When and how these rules apply in your country depends on that national law, so check the current situation.
Timing: when do you bring up salary?
Your position is strongest when the employer clearly wants you and you haven't signed anything yet. In practice, that's usually in a second interview or when you receive an offer. Raising money in a first introductory chat, before it's clear whether there's a fit, rarely works in your favour.
Often, though, you're not the one who brings it up. The question "What are your salary expectations?" can come early, sometimes even in a first phone screen. You'll find general advice on handling it in our article on the most common interview questions. In short, you have two options:
- Ask about the range first. "Before I give a figure, could you tell me what salary band you have in mind for this role?"
- Give a range you can back up. "Based on my experience and what I'm seeing for similar roles, I'm thinking of something between £42,000 and £46,000, depending on the overall package." (Figures here and throughout this article are for illustration only.)
If you give a range, bear in mind that employers often look at the bottom end. So don't let the bottom of your range fall below your realistic figure.
How to phrase your ask
The key moment comes when the offer is on the table. A few principles help:
- Start with enthusiasm. Make it clear first that you want the job. Negotiating is easier when the other side knows you're not about to walk away.
- Name a specific figure. "A bit more" is vague and invites a token gesture. A specific number shows you've done your research.
- Argue from value, not need. Your mortgage or a longer commute are understandable, but they're not an argument for the employer. Your experience, your results and the market rate for the role are.
- Ask an open question, then stop talking. The urge to fill the silence with "but if that's not possible, that's fine too" is strong. Resist it.
Here's how that might sound: "Thank you for the offer, I'm really excited about the role and the team. Looking at the responsibilities, my experience setting up the planning function and what I'm seeing for similar roles, I was thinking of a salary of £46,000. Is there room to move on that?"
You don't have to say yes or no to an offer on the spot. "Could I have until Thursday to think it over?" is a perfectly normal request. Negotiate in a conversation if you can, by phone or video, and ask for the agreement to be confirmed in writing afterwards.
More than base salary
Pay is more than the figure on your payslip. Always compare an offer on the total package over a year. Things you can discuss include:
- Where you start in the pay band: if the role sits in a fixed band, there's sometimes room on the starting point.
- Pension: how much does the employer contribute, and how much do you?
- Annual leave above the statutory minimum.
- Working pattern: a compressed week, flexible hours or set days working from home.
- Training budget for a course, qualification or certification.
- Travel costs, home-working allowance and equipment.
- Bonus or profit share, and above all: based on which targets.
- A review point: for example a salary review after six months, with criteria agreed in advance.
- Start date, particularly if you have a long notice period to work.
Pick two or three items that genuinely make a difference to you. Negotiating on everything at once makes the conversation heavy and dilutes your own priorities.
Handling a low offer
If the offer disappoints you, stay calm. A low offer isn't an insult; it's a starting point. Here's how to approach it:
- Say thank you and ask questions. "Thank you. Could you tell me how you arrived at this figure?" Sometimes it turns out the employer has placed you differently than you expected, or part of the package hasn't been mentioned yet.
- Give your reasoning and a counter-proposal. "The figure is below what I'd expected based on my experience and the market. I'm thinking of £45,000. Is there any flexibility there?"
- Is the budget genuinely fixed? Then shift to other elements: a higher point in the band, a training budget, more home-working days or a salary review after six months that's written into your contract.
- Know your limit. If the offer stays below your walk-away point, it's fine to decline politely. A job that doesn't work financially will start to pinch sooner or later.
Whatever you agree, get it recorded in your contract or a written offer. Verbal promises are easily forgotten after a restructure or a change of manager.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting the first offer without a moment's thought. Saying yes straight away is allowed, but do take the time to look at the whole package.
- Bluffing. Don't invent another offer or inflate your current salary. It can come out, and then your credibility is gone.
- Ultimatums. "Otherwise I'll go elsewhere" backs the other person into a corner. Keep it a conversation.
- Personal reasons as your main argument. Base your case on your value and the market.
- Apologising for asking. "Sorry to ask, but…" weakens your position before you've even started.
- Not getting it in writing. What isn't on paper is hard to hold anyone to later.
Practise the conversation
A salary conversation is like any other conversation: the more you practise it, the calmer you'll be. Say your opening line and your reasoning out loud, ideally to someone who asks tough follow-up questions. In the MARA Interview Simulator you practise interviews out loud with instant feedback, and in a chat with MARA you can prepare your negotiation and sharpen your wording. The decisions, such as your target and your walk-away point, are yours to make.
Conclusion
Good negotiation starts long before the conversation itself: know the market rate, set your three numbers and gather concrete arguments. Hold the real conversation once there's an offer, name a specific figure you can back up, look beyond base salary and get everything in writing. That way you walk in not hoping for the best, but with a plan.