How to Negociate Salary After a Job Offer: 6 Tips to Get More Money

Photo-Representative: past Stevie Remsberg

Get That Money  is an exploration of the many ways we opine about our funds — what we earn, what we have, and what we want.

I latterly wrote about how to invite a raise, but truth be told, the easiest time to aim more money is before you've been hired, while you'Ra still negotiating a wage after a job offer. Here's how to have intercourse.

Earlier your first interview for any job, make convinced you've researched the market rank for this typecast of Job, in this manufacture, and in your particular geographic area. It's determinative to do that because the employer could ask you what salary you're looking for at any point, including as early as the initial phone screen. You don't want to be caught off guard and end up winging IT, because if you do, there's too much chance that you'll inadvertently lowball yourself operating theater name a number thusly unrealistically high that it takes you out of the running.

Researching salary can personify time-overwhelming and discouraging, because there's rarely one divorced, easily comprehendible source that volition give you the info you need. Because the corresponding job title can mean very varied things from companion to company, pay websites are generally more of a potholed starting point than a definitive answer to what a job should pay off. You'll oftentimes get more precise numbers by talking to people in your study and asking, "What would you expect a job look-alike X at a company like Y to pay?" Recruiters and nonrecreational organizations in your field can as wel be good sources of data.

Once you have a good feel for the market rate, think of the factors that mightiness move you up operating theatre down within that range — how much feel for you have, whether you have extra qualifications that the employer seems aroused almost, and whether there's any special severeness attached to the job, like a lot of move. Those keister also factor into the salary for a given attitude.

Assume that at much luff in the interview process, you might bring fort asked what salary range you're looking for. There's a lot of advice out there recommending that you duck the question and respond with something like, "I'm seeking a just salary that's eligible with the market" surgery "I'd comparable to learn more about the speculate and your benefits package before I answer that." Only I've got to tell you — an direful lot of interviewers aren't going to let those answers stand for. You're very likely to get pushed to name a number, because employers don't want to waste their time if you're wildly outside of their ballpark. (If you'ray thinking, "Comfortably, past they should name their salary range introductory and we can some figure that out," you'Re perfectly right wing. And in fact in that location's a movement toward more companies existence up-front astir their salary ranges. Just it's still very, very common for companies to play coy and assert you name a number first.)

You can try saying, "Can you tell Pine Tree State what the rate for the position is?" And some interviewers will tell you, so it's worth asking. But in other cases, you'll need to be prepared to epithet a numerate yourself if you want to movement forward in their process.

That's why you did your explore beforehand! Ideally you've come up with a range that you think reflects the market rate for this kind of work in your geographic expanse. If you're ironed to list the range you think of, one option is to say, "I'm still learning nigh the job, of feed, only based on what I understand so far, I'd be looking a salary in the range of $X–$X. Are we in the same ballpark?" (And yes, this is vexing! The company knows what it plans to pay, and could just tell you instead of making you implement this guessing game. But often this is how it goes.)

Sometimes the employer might non bring up salary at all, and you might find yourself wishing for some idea of how much the job pays, particularly if the interview process is a lengthy one. There's a tall-standing — and inexplicable — tradition of frowning on candidates who ask about salary, especially at betimes stages of a hiring process. This is ridiculous, as obviously you function for money and what a Job pays is highly relevant data that power move your decision to continue on in a hiring process of not. And yet, the convention persists.

That said, this is starting to change, and IT's becoming more uncontroversial for candidates to ask out about salary. Be aware, though, that if you bring up the topic yourself, some old-school interviewers may hold it against you.

The safest time to bring upbound salary yourself is when it's clear that you're asking to spare both you and the employer from investing time OR money if you'ray too far apart on salary — similar if you're being asked to fly in from out-of-town for an interview, or if it's clear that the question process will comprise lengthy with many stairs to that. In a case like that, you can say, "Before I fly in, can we prepar sure we're in the same approximate range on salary?" Operating theater, "Since it sounds like this is a multi-step process, I wonder if you can kick in Maine a sense of the salary range since I want to respect your metre if we're not in the same ballpark?"

Course, if you do this, be prepared for the interviewer to turn IT around on you and aver something like, "Countenance me know what you're looking for and I can evidence you if it's in our range." Then again, you'll want to have done your research beforehand and be prepared with an answer.

Once you receive an offer, and you want to ask for more money, the biggest affair to know is that most of the time, you don't pauperization to present an elaborate justification for why you're interrogatory for a higher salary. In most cases, you can just say matchless or two sentences: "Any chance you could go adequate to $X?" Or, "Do you own any room on the salary? I was hoping you'd be able to manage $X." Rightfully, that's it! I've successful many an job offers, and the majority of candidates World Health Organization negociate are just doing it with one or two inadequate sentences.

Erst you say that, stop talking. You've successful your request, and now you'Re ready and waiting for an answer. It might take the mortal a microscopical, and during that minute you mightiness feel embarrassed and be tempted to fill the silence. Don't serve that! You risk undercutting the request you just ready-made.

If you're wondering whether or not to ask for more money when you bewilder an offer, about of the time the serve is yes. Employers often have a minute of wiggle room when they make an offer, and at this point in the process, getting more money in your salary is often as well-to-do A just asking for IT.

Merely there are times when you loosely shouldn't try to negotiate. E.g., if you and the employer had discussed remuneration earlier in the process and the offer meets or exceeds what you said you asked for, generally it's going to be seen as bad religion if you invite more instantly (unless the job has denaturized in about significant way since past). Similarly, if the offer is unusually bountiful for the market, you might look out of ghost if you ask for much. But in most cases, it makes horse sense to see if there's board to knock against the offer up.

If your marketing research has left you still uncertain about how much is reasonable to necessitate for, you're in general not going to look unreasonable if you take for a bump of around 10 pct more. On that point might be room to ask for even more than that, depending on what you noninheritable from your market research. But if you're unsure, view 10 percent. (Don't say "10 percent" — use the actualized dollar bill figure you're asking for — but that's a decent guideline for your thinking.)

If you ask for more money and the answer is no, you tooshie still accept the job if you want IT! People sometimes worry they'll look foolish accepting at this point, only you North Korean won't; people swallow offers subsequently thwarted negotiations every the time. All you need to state is, "I appreciate you considering it! I'm interested enough in the job that I'd love to accept thoughtless."

And remember, negotiating pay is very normal! Sometimes information technology workings and other times it doesn't, but don't take a "no more" as reason non to try in the succeeding.

Order Alison Green's book,Ask a Manager: Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life busy, here. Got a call into question for her? Email askaboss@nymag.com. Her advice column appears here all Tuesday.

How to Negotiate a Salary After a Job Offer