When should you negotiate salary?
Negotiate salary after you have an offer and before you accept it. Once the employer has picked you, the conversation is about terms, which is the easiest point to ask. Before an offer, keep pay talk to a range. After you sign, most of the room to move on starting pay is gone.
An offer is often made by phone first and confirmed in writing later. You can thank the caller, say you are pleased, and ask for the details in writing before you respond. That gives you time to check the numbers and plan your ask.
If pay comes up early in an interview, the page on what are your salary expectations has answers you can use. The goal at that stage is to stay in a reasonable range without locking in a single number too soon.
How do you research what the job should pay?
Start with public wage data for the job title and city. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program publishes employment and wage estimates for about 830 occupations, for the nation, states and metro areas. The latest figures, checked November 4, 2026, are for May 2025.
In Canada, the federal Job Bank wage search lets you "compare how much you could make in different parts of the country or between occupations." You can search by job title, or by city or postal code. Use both sources as a starting point, then adjust for the level of the role and your experience.
Add what you know from the posting itself, from people in similar roles and from any other offer you hold. Write down three numbers before the call: the figure you will ask for, the figure you would be happy with, and the lowest figure you would accept. Having them on paper keeps you from agreeing to the first number you hear.
What can you ask for besides base pay?
Base salary is only part of what an employer pays for you. The BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation table for June 2026 shows wages and salaries at 68.4 percent of total compensation for civilian workers. Benefits made up the other 31.6 percent, so items beyond base pay are worth asking about.
Some of those items are easier for an employer to move than salary. A signing bonus is paid once and does not raise the salary band. Extra vacation, a later start date or a remote work day may cost the employer little. The page on total compensation vs salary explains how to value each part.
Read the conditions attached to any one-time payment. In the US federal government, for example, a recruitment incentive requires a signed service agreement, and an employee who fails to complete the service period generally repays the unearned part. Private employers may attach similar terms to a signing bonus, so ask to see them.
| What to ask for | Example wording | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Higher base salary | "Could we get the base to $X?" | Where it sits in the band for the role |
| Signing bonus | "Is there room for a signing bonus to close the gap?" | Any repayment clause and its time period |
| Extra vacation | "Could the offer include one more week of vacation?" | Whether it is written into the offer letter |
| Later or earlier start date | "Could we set the start date to [date]?" | Effect on benefits eligibility dates |
| Title or level | "Would this experience fit the next level up?" | The pay range attached to that level |
| Review date | "Could we agree on a pay review at six months?" | That the date and criteria are in writing |
What is a good salary negotiation email script?
A good salary negotiation email thanks the employer, states one specific number, gives one or two reasons, and ends with a clear question. Keep it short enough to read on a phone. Here is an example you can copy and change. Replace each bracket with your own details.
Subject: [Your name], offer for [job title] Hi [name], Thank you for the offer for the [job title] role. I'm excited about the team and the work on [project or area]. Before I sign, I'd like to discuss the base salary. Based on public wage data for this role in [city] and my [number] years of experience with [specific skill], I'm asking for a base of $[figure]. If we can reach that number, I'm ready to accept. Could we find a time to talk this week, or would you be able to reply by email? Thanks, [Your name]
The phrase "I'm ready to accept" tells the employer the gap is the only thing between you and a yes. Use it only if that is true. If other parts of the offer also matter, list them in the same email so you don't negotiate twice. The counter offer email examples cover other cases, such as asking for a signing bonus instead.
What do you say on a salary negotiation phone call?
On a phone call, say your number early, give one reason, then stop talking and let the recruiter answer. A short silence after your ask is normal. Have your three numbers in front of you, and take notes on anything the recruiter offers so you can confirm it in writing afterward.
Here is an example opening for the call. Change the details to match your offer.
"Thanks for making time. I'm excited about this role and I want to make it work. The one thing I'd like to discuss is the base salary. Based on market data for this role in [city] and what I'd bring on [skill], I'm looking for $[figure]. Is there flexibility there?"
If the recruiter says they need to check, that is a normal answer. You can reply:
"That makes sense. When do you expect to hear back? I'll hold my decision until then."
If they come back with a number below your ask, you can respond with:
"Thank you for checking. That's closer. If the base can't move further, could we look at a signing bonus of $[figure] or an extra week of vacation to close the gap?"
Practising the call out loud helps. Saying the number to another person a few times makes it easier to say it on the real call without rushing or apologizing.
What if the employer says the salary is fixed?
Some pay really is set by rules, so ask what parts of the offer can move. In the US federal government, a new General Schedule hire starts at step 1 of the grade unless the agency uses the superior qualifications pay-setting authority, which it must approve before the person starts work.
That same Office of Personnel Management fact sheet says agencies may not consider a candidate's non-federal salary, including "a salary from a competing job offer," under that authority. So in a federal role, a competing offer may not help with step placement. Your qualifications and the agency's need are what count, so make your case on those.
Union jobs and jobs with published pay scales work in a similar way. When the base can't move, ask about the step or level you start at, the start date, vacation, a signing bonus or a review date. Here is an example reply.
"I understand the base is set by the scale. Could you check whether my [years] of experience in [area] would place me at a higher step, or whether there's flexibility on the start date?"
How long can you take, and how do you close it out?
Ask for the time you need, and expect a deadline. The National Association of Colleges and Employers' guidance on offer deadlines says "a one- to two-week time frame for offer deadlines is common" in campus recruiting, and asks employers to "be open to reasonable requests for additional time."
When you reach an agreement, ask for a revised offer letter that shows every changed term: salary, bonus, vacation, title and start date. A verbal yes on the phone is easy to misremember on both sides. Read the new letter line by line before you sign.
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees must give each new hire certain written information before the first day of work, including the starting wage, pay period and expected hours, under rules in force since July 1, 2025. Compare that document with what you agreed.
What should you do next?
If you have more than one offer, use the guide to compare two job offers before you counter either one. When the numbers are settled, the page on how to respond to a job offer has acceptance and decline emails.
Prepare for the call itself the same way you prepare for an interview. Earlier in the process, the free interview question generator shows whether a posting is likely to bring the salary question, and the guide to salary expectations has example answers. Say your number out loud before the real call.