How do you negotiate a job offer?

The mindset

An offer is not the end of the process. It's the start of a short negotiation window — usually 48 to 72 hours — in which the employer has the most incentive they will ever have to move on compensation. They've invested weeks in hiring you, their hiring manager wants this closed, and the recruiter's job is to get you to yes. Use that window.

Always counter once. The worst case is that they say "this is our best and final," which you are free to accept. The common case is that there's room, and the counter finds it.

Before you counter

Three things to do before you respond to an offer.

1. Get the offer in writing. Base, bonus target, equity, sign-on, benefits, start date, vacation. Don't negotiate against a verbal number.
2. Do the market comparison. Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, LinkedIn salary insights, peers in your network. Triangulate. Write down the number that market data supports.
3. Decide your single most important ask. Base salary is usually it. Sometimes it's sign-on. Occasionally it's start date or vacation. Pick one and anchor the counter there.

The counter

Ask for something specific, for a specific reason, once.

Thanks for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about the role and the team. Based on the scope we discussed and the market data I've looked at for [role + location], I was hoping we could get to a base of $[target]. If we can land there, I'm ready to accept today.

Three things this does: names a specific number, gives a specific reason, and offers a specific close ("ready to accept today"). Recruiters are measured on close rate. An explicit yes-if-you-move is hard to refuse.

What to negotiate beyond base

If base is fixed, other levers often have room.

• Sign-on bonus — common to offer $5K to $25K to close a gap. Often easier for the employer than a base increase because it doesn't re-baseline future comp.
• Equity — more common at tech companies. Can be negotiated alongside or instead of base.
• Start date — if you need more time before starting, ask. Usually granted.
• Vacation — harder but not impossible. Named seniors often get 4 weeks where the posting said 3.
• Title — if the level on the offer is below what the scope warrants, push once. Titles affect every future negotiation.
• Remote / hybrid flex — if the role is posted as hybrid, ask about the split in writing.

Pick one or two. Asking for everything at once signals you aren't serious about any of them.

What not to do

• Don't counter without a number. "I was hoping for more" is not a counter. Name the number.
• Don't counter on three things at once. Pick the one that matters most.
• Don't threaten to walk unless you actually will. Bluffing gets called.
• Don't share your current salary. Where legal, this is asked to anchor you down. Deflect: "I'd rather focus on the value I'd bring to this role."
• Don't delay past the window. A week of silence reads as "I'm not really interested" and cools the offer.

When you have a competing offer

If you have a real second offer in hand, share the fact — not the full details. "I'm weighing another opportunity at a similar level and would love to be able to close with you if we can get the base to $X." Don't invent competing offers. Recruiters talk; the industry is small; getting caught in a lie ends the offer.

If they say no

Two answers matter.

• "This is our best and final." Accept or decline. They mean it.
• "Let me check and come back." Good sign. They have room. Wait for the revised offer before responding.

Either way, respond within 24 hours. A slow response signals you're not serious.

The final rule

Negotiation is not adversarial. The recruiter wants to close; the hiring manager wants to start the relationship well. A clear, specific, one-shot counter — backed by market data and closed with "ready to accept" — is the move that works in almost every case. One counter, one ask, one close.