As with most things in the tech industry, as well as the professional world in general, salary negotiation is a skill most people don’t have much experience with, or even try to act on. This is especially true for older generations, who were taught that a hard day’s work is all that’s needed to get ahead.

However, the reality is that the world is a competitive place, and very few people are going to offer you more money even if you don’t ask for it.

This interaction is a delicate dance and can be a bit intimidating.

To point out a couple basic things:

• Larger companies may have more money, but they’re much more rigid in their budgets and may not be open to salary negotiation.
• Salary/rate is not the only thing you can negotiate. You can also negotiate for more vacation time, remote work, or other benefits.
  • But generally, you should negotiate for salary first, and then move on to other benefits if they’re not flexible.
• You should always try to negotiate. The worst that can happen is that they say no. The best that can happen is that you get more money.
• Negotiations are not a one-time thing - but they’re most impactful when you’re first getting hired.
• Negotiations are a complex, multi-step process that are completely dependent on the information available to you and them.
  • You should be prepared with research and reasoning for why you deserve more money.
  • You should try to acquire as much information as possible about the company’s budget and the salary range for the position.
    • For larger companies, this information is often available on Glassdoor or other websites.
  • You should be prepared to walk away if the offer is not good enough. If you need more time to think about it, ask for it.