the field guide
How to negotiate your salary
Most offers have room in them, and most people never ask. Recruiters expect a counter, budget for one, and rarely pull an offer because someone asked politely with a good reason. Here’s how to ask well, and how to practice before it counts.
When to negotiate
after the yes, before the signature
The best moment is after you have a written offer and before you accept it. That’s when you have the most leverage: they’ve chosen you, they’ve spent weeks getting here, and they don’t want to start over.
Earlier than that, keep it light. If someone asks for your expectations in a first call, give a researched range or ask what the band is. Don’t talk yourself down before they’ve even decided they want you.
Find your number
data beats vibes
Walk in knowing three numbers: what the market pays for this role where you live, the number you’d be thrilled with, and the lowest you’d accept. The first comes from data, the other two from you.
Job postings that list pay are the most honest data you’ll find, because they’re what companies actually committed to. Browse software engineer jobs, product designer jobs or product manager jobs and you’ll see the median pay at the top of each page. The realistic offers in this simulator are built from that same data.
The tactics that work
what the recruiters respond to
Anchor with a specific number. “Could we get to $135,000?” gives them something to move toward. “Is there any flexibility?” gives them nothing.
Back it with evidence. Market data, a competing offer or a result from your own work turns a wish into a reason. A recruiter needs a reason to take to their manager.
Trade across the package. When base pay is capped by a band, ask about the signing bonus, equity, time off, remote days or the start date. Different companies have room in different places.
Know when to stop. Concessions get smaller each round. When the recruiter calls it their final offer, believe them, and decide. Pushing past a final offer can cost you the offer.
Use your track record
receipts get you above the band
Every offer has a band: a range the recruiter can approve on their own. Going above it takes an exception, and exceptions need a story a hiring manager can repeat. The best story is a measurable result from your own work.
Turn your resume into one sentence with a number in it: “At my last company I rebuilt checkout and lifted conversion 18%, which was about $2M a year.” Pair it with a market figure or a real alternative and you’ve given them everything they need to say yes. In the simulator, a claim that matches your resume carries more weight, and one that doesn’t costs you patience.
Phrases to use, and phrases to skip
- Use: “I’m really excited about this role, and I’d love to make it work.”
- Use: “Based on what similar roles pay here, could we get closer to $135,000?”
- Use: “If the base is fixed, is there room on the signing bonus?”
- Use: “What would it take to get there?”
- Use: “That works for me. Let’s do it.”
- Skip: “I need $150,000 or I’m walking.” Ultimatums make recruiters dig in.
- Skip: “Is that the best you can do?” A question with no number and no reason is easy to say yes to.
- Skip: “I was hoping for a little more, but it’s fine.” You’ve negotiated against yourself before they’ve said a word.
When they say no
a no is a door, not a wall
A no on base pay is rarely a no on everything. Thank them, then ask about the next thing on your list: “I understand the base is set. Could we look at a signing bonus to close the gap?” Or ask about the future: a salary review after six months, written into the offer.
If the answer to everything is no and the offer still works for you, accept it gracefully. You lost nothing by asking, and you learned exactly where the edges were.
Negotiate more than base pay
the whole package counts
A signing bonus is often the easiest yes, because it’s one-time money that doesn’t change the salary band. Equity matters most at startups, where cash is tight. Extra paid time off, more remote days and a later start date cost the company little and can matter a lot to you.
Compare offers by their first-year value, not the base alone. In the simulator, every part of the package counts toward your gain, so trading for perks when base is capped still wins points.
Questions
- Yes. Anyone can play 3 games a day with no account. Sign up free for 5 games a day, to save your results and to post your score on the leaderboard. Pro members get 20 games a day and turn-by-turn coaching.Did this answer cast its spell?
- For a realistic offer, Jobmagic builds it from the pay ranges in recent job postings for your role and city, falling back to your state or the whole US when there aren’t enough. You can also type in an offer you already have and practice that one.Did this answer cast its spell?
- No. Every recruiter has a real budget, and a set of rules decides what they can give. The AI only reads your message and voices the reply. Strong, specific arguments move them; tricks and threats make them lose patience.Did this answer cast its spell?
- Yes. Pick Talk before you start and tap the mic for each turn. We turn your voice into text, show it to you before it’s sent, and never keep the audio.Did this answer cast its spell?
- Your recruiter will know your track record, so claims that match it carry more weight. A strong, specific result from your resume is what can take an offer above the recruiter’s usual band. We read the file and don’t keep it.Did this answer cast its spell?
- Mostly by how much of the recruiter’s room you won, as a share of their budget, so a $60,000 role and a $300,000 role score the same way. Good tactics add points, ultimatums and accepting the first offer cost points, and tougher recruiters multiply your score.Did this answer cast its spell?
- The tactics are the ones that work on real calls: knowing your number, anchoring with evidence, trading across the whole package and knowing when to stop. Real recruiters vary, so treat each game as practice, not a promise.Did this answer cast its spell?