1. Find Your Market Value
Never negotiate from a feeling. Spend thirty minutes gathering real numbers before any conversation — and check them again each year, because they move.
Where to look
Levels.fyi
Best for tech roles. Shows base, equity and bonus separately, broken down by company and level.
Glassdoor
Broad coverage across industries and countries. Treat individual entries as noisy; look at the range, not one number.
AmbitionBox
Strongest coverage for India. Useful for company-specific and city-specific ranges.
LinkedIn Salary
Decent for role and location averages, and it uses verified profile data.
Payscale
Lets you factor in years of experience and specific skills, which most others flatten out.
People who actually do the job
The most accurate source there is. Recruiters in your space will often tell you the band if you ask directly.
How to turn that into your number
Collect five to eight data points for your role, your city and your experience level. Ignore the highest and lowest. Your target is the upper-middle of what remains, and your walk-away figure is the bottom of it. Write both down before you talk to anyone.
2. Answering "What Are Your Salary Expectations?"
This usually comes early, often from a recruiter on the first call. Whoever names a number first gives up some leverage — so try to move the question back once, politely, then answer with a range if they press.
Deflect once — "I would rather understand the scope of the role first. Do you have a band budgeted for this position?" — Many recruiters will simply tell you.
If they press, give a researched range — "Based on what I have seen for this role in [city] at my level, I am looking in the range of X to Y." Make the bottom of your range a number you would genuinely accept.
Anchor on the market, not your current pay — If your current salary is below market, do not let it set the ceiling. In many places employers are not allowed to ask, and you are never obliged to volunteer it.
Never give a single number early — A single number becomes the ceiling, never the floor.
3. When to Negotiate
Timing changes the outcome more than the wording does.
- ✓Negotiate after they have made an offer, not before. At that point they have chosen you and restarting is expensive for them.
- ✓Do not negotiate in the first interview. You have not yet shown them why you are worth more.
- ✓Ask for the offer in writing before you respond to it.
- ✓Take at least 24 hours. "Thank you — may I come back to you tomorrow?" is completely normal and nobody withdraws over it.
- ✓If they impose a same-day deadline, treat it as information about how they operate.
4. What to Actually Say
Be warm, be specific, ask once, then stop talking. The most common mistake is filling the silence and negotiating against yourself.
A script that works
"Thank you — I am genuinely excited about this role and the team. Based on my research for this position in [city] at my level, and given my experience in [specific relevant thing], I was hoping we could get closer to [your number]. Is there flexibility on the base?"
Give a reason — "Because market rate is X" or "because I bring Y" works. "Because I need more" does not — your expenses are not their problem.
Ask for one thing at a time — Lead with base salary. It compounds into every future raise, bonus and offer.
Then stop talking — Ask, then let them respond. Silence is uncomfortable and it works in your favour.
If base is fixed, move sideways — Signing bonus, extra leave, remote days, an earlier review date, a title change, or a learning budget are often easier for them to approve than base.
Get every change in writing — Verbal promises about future raises are worth exactly nothing.
5. When It Does Not Go Smoothly
Four situations that catch people out, and what to actually say in each.
The offer is well below your range
Do not reject it on the call. "That is some way below what I had in mind based on my research — I was looking at X to Y. Is there room to move, or is that the ceiling for this level?" Asking whether it is the ceiling is the important part: it tells you whether to negotiate or walk.
They say the budget is fixed
Believe them on base, then move to everything else. "I understand. Could we look at a signing bonus, an earlier review at six months, or additional leave instead?" Non-salary terms often come from a different budget and a different approver.
You have two competing offers
Be honest and specific, and do not play them against each other more than once. "I have another offer at X. This is the role I would rather take — is there anything you can do to close the gap?" Never invent an offer; it is easy to call and it ends the conversation.
They ask you to accept on the spot
"I am very interested. I would just like until tomorrow to review it properly." Any employer who refuses that has shown you how they will treat you later.
6. Reading the Offer Properly
The headline figure is rarely what lands in your account. Break the offer into parts before comparing it to anything.
Base salary
The only guaranteed, recurring part. This is what future raises and offers are calculated from, so it matters most.
Bonus
Ask whether it is guaranteed or performance-linked, and what percentage was actually paid out last year — not the target.
Equity
Ask about the vesting schedule, the cliff, the current valuation and the strike price. In a private company, treat it as a lottery ticket, not salary.
CTC vs in-hand
If your offer is quoted as CTC, it includes employer contributions, gratuity and benefits that never reach your bank account. Always ask for the monthly in-hand figure after deductions.
Benefits with real value
Health cover for family, provident fund, insurance, learning budget and notice period all carry real monetary value. Price them before comparing two offers.
7. Handling a Counter-Offer
You resign, and your current employer suddenly finds the money. Think carefully before accepting.
- ›Ask yourself why it took a resignation for them to pay you fairly.
- ›Money rarely fixes the actual reason you were leaving — manager, growth, workload or direction.
- ›Once you have signalled you were looking, some employers quietly treat you as a flight risk.
- ›If you do accept, get the raise and any promised change in writing, with dates.
- ›It is entirely reasonable to decline politely: "I appreciate it, but I have made my decision."
8. Asking for a Raise in Your Current Job
Different conversation, same preparation. You are not asking for a favour — you are presenting evidence.
Build the case before the meeting — Write down what you have delivered in the last twelve months, with numbers. This is also material for your resume later.
Ask for the meeting explicitly — Do not ambush your manager in a one-on-one about something else. "I would like to discuss my compensation — can we set aside time?"
Bring market data — The same research from section one. Present it as information, not a threat.
Name a number — Here, unlike in a first interview, being specific helps. Your manager has to justify a figure upward.
If the answer is no, ask what would change it — "What would I need to demonstrate, and by when?" Then get that in writing and diarise the review date.
Salary comes up in the interview too
The expectations question is one of the 30 questions covered in our interview guide, alongside how to structure every other answer.
Open Interview Guide9. Frequently Asked Questions
- Will negotiating make them withdraw the offer?
- Almost never, if you are polite and reasonable. Hiring is expensive and they have already chosen you. An employer who withdraws an offer over one respectful question has told you something useful about themselves.
- How much more should I ask for?
- Anchor on your market research rather than a fixed percentage. If the offer sits below the range you found for your role, level and city, that gap is your ask. If it is already at the top of the range, negotiate on non-salary terms instead.
- Do I have to disclose my current salary?
- In many countries and several US states it is illegal for employers to ask. Even where it is legal, you can redirect: "I would rather focus on the value of this role — my expectation is a range of X to Y."
- What if I have already accepted verbally?
- You can still raise it before signing, though your leverage is reduced. Be straightforward: "I was hoping to revisit the base before I sign." After signing, wait for the review cycle.
- Should I mention a competing offer?
- Only if it is real. Say it once, without threatening: "I have another offer at X, but this is the role I want." Bluffing is easy to call and hard to recover from.
- Why does this guide not list actual salary figures?
- Because they go stale fast and vary enormously by city, company stage, level and year. A number published here could be badly wrong for your situation. The sources listed in section one are updated continuously — use those and build your own range.