You’re starting your career, and a company is offering you your first salaried position. It’s a momentous occasion, and you should be proud of yourself.
But don’t sign the contract just yet. It’s time to negotiate your job offer.
While a little nerve-wracking, it’s worth your while to negotiate your salary. You’ll start your career off strong and learn how to advocate for yourself in the workplace. And, if you’re successful, you’ll win a higher salary.
Take a deep breath. Review negotiation tips and tricks, and using these entry-level salary negotiation examples, you can craft a professional counteroffer and bargain your way to the compensation package you deserve.
What’s an entry-level salary negotiation?
It’s natural to be anxious about the word “negotiation.” But an entry-level salary negotiation is nothing more than a discussion between a potential employee (you) and a hiring manager or HR representative to review the initial offer of employment. The goal is to agree on a salary that reflects your skills, responsibilities, and education level.
Generally speaking, in a salary negotiation, you’ll look at the offer and counteroffer with a higher number. Then, your potential employer can accept or counter again with something lower. Sometimes this happens in a formal meeting, and other times in a professional email. It all depends on the job and the company.
A potential employer wants to hire you for a reason: you’re talented and eager to enter the workforce, and you have something to contribute to their organization. With that in mind, don’t let the fact that this is your first job deter you. You’re bargaining for higher pay in exchange for your skills, enthusiasm, and drive — and those attributes are worth it to an employer.
Salary negotiation is crucial because every future raise, bonus, and salary increase, whether you stay with this organization or not, stems from your original pay rate. By not bargaining for a higher base salary, you could lose between $1–$1.5 million over the course of your career. The difference between $50,000 and $52,000 might not seem like much now, but it adds up.
Despite this, only 39.5% of millennials have countered after receiving a company’s first offer, according to a survey from financial service Intuit. One of the main reasons why people didn’t is because they weren’t sure how to negotiate salary in the first place.
Salary negotiation dos and don’ts
Most hiring managers and recruiters — 70%, in fact — expect to negotiate an initial offer. But there’s a right and a wrong way to bargain. Take some time to review these salary negotiation tips before communicating your request to your prospective employer. You’re letting them know you’re an assertive, involved employee.
Do negotiate when you have a job offer
Negotiating your starting salary during your job interview is tricky, and it’s best to wait until you have an offer in front of you. That way, you have time to do your research, and you can consider the entire compensation package.
If the recruiter or hiring manager raises salary expectations during your interview process, communicate and stay open. Try diverting the question onto them: “That’s a great question. What’s the general salary range for this role?” This way, you’ll learn what pay range the employer is willing to offer, and you haven’t committed to any numbers or set a benchmark too low.
Do research
This is the most important part of salary negotiation. You need to justify your requested salary with current market data.
Spend some time on websites like Glassdoor, Payscale, or the Bureau of Labor Statistics to gather the average salary ranges for people with your job title or with similar roles and responsibilities. While important, look beyond the industry standard rate for your role. You should also consider:
- Experience level: Filter according to your years of experience in the field. In this case, it’s entry-level.
- Location: Your annual wage may depend on where you live. Someone in San Francisco may need a higher salary for a similar position than someone in Tulsa because of the cost of living. Working remotely could also be a factor.
- Company type: An established company may have a different pay scale than a startup. You might not be able to filter for this while browsing salary sites, but you can research pay rates based on roles for each category and compare the two.
Do think beyond experience
If you’ve earned additional credentials, they should factor into your salary increase request. And if you’re just entering the market, they might even be more important than your work experience. Here are some other factors to think about before negotiating:
- Education: Your level of education is important, but so is the relevance of your major or specialization. If you have the exact background the employer is looking for, or even if you’re overqualified, be sure to mention it.
- Skills: Job-specific training and technical skills increase your value to an employer, so they also add value to your salary.
- Additional qualifications: Do you already have industry certifications or licenses in your field? Would your employer pay for you to get them as part of your professional development? If so, you can use them as part of your negotiation. If not, the fact you have them can still carry weight.
Approaching the negotiation table with your value proposition in mind lets you speak from a confident and informed position. Even if your negotiation isn’t successful, you show the employer that you recognize your value and are self-assured enough to act on it.
Do consider alternatives
Your annual salary is one of many things on the bargaining table. You can negotiate your entire compensation package, including any benefits and perks. That could consider:
If your potential employer is bound to their original salary offer, they may be willing to negotiate these other items. And in some cases, benefits and perks are as valuable as a cash increase. Take some time and think about what you want from a job. You might prefer a lower salary in exchange for some extra PTO.
Do negotiate
You’re not being rude or forward if you politely and professionally negotiate a job offer. The worst that can happen is your prospective employer declines to meet your terms. But in 87% of the cases, professionals aged 25–35 received a salary increase when they presented a counteroffer. And those are pretty good odds.
Don’t negotiate a generous offer
The only exception to the “always negotiate” rule is when the original offer is competitive and generous. If the job offer already surprises or excites you, it’s okay to accept it. A high offer means you have the opportunity to work for a company that cares about its employees, and that is lucky.
Don’t negotiate if the offer is well below BATNA
BATNA stands for Best Alternative To a Negotiated Settlement. That means if, based on your research, your potential employer is offering a wage substantially below fair pay or comparable employment opportunities, it’s unlikely that you can negotiate a salary that meets your needs. It’s probably in your best interest to decline the offer politely.
Don’t lie
Don’t tell the hiring manager that you’re considering other offers when you aren’t. If it’s true, it could strengthen your position, but if it’s not, and someone finds out, your potential employer might feel like they can’t trust you. Lying undermines your professionalism and could even result in a rescinded offer. Only mention that you have other offers if you’re truly willing to take them.
Don’t bargain based on need
If you want a higher base pay, justify the increase with quantifiable evidence. Basing your request on want or need without anything else to back it up can be a red flag for some managers. It opens the doors to questioning your budgeting skills or your character — neither of which is flattering.
Don’t attempt to negotiate a non-negotiable salary
When your recruiter says there’s no room to negotiate salary, respect their position. It’s possible to bargain for additional benefits, so ask if they’re open to pivoting the conversation in that direction. If you’re feeling confident, it’s tempting to push back, but you should show the person you’re speaking to that you can take “no” for an answer.
Entry-level salary negotiation example emails
Your first counteroffer may be the start of some back-and-forth between you and your employer. That’s fine. If you don’t get what you’re looking for the first time, you can accept or continue to bargain until you land on a satisfactory or final offer.
Here are some examples you can use as an email template for your salary negotiation:
The salary is below your expectations
You received an offer, but the salary is lower than you’d like. Maybe it doesn’t match the cost of living in your area, or you don’t believe it reflects your skills and experience. Do your research and reply accordingly. Here’s an example of what to say:
Hi [hiring manager or contact’s name],
I’m very excited to receive your offer. After reviewing the terms of employment and doing some market research on salaries for this position, our location, and my skill set, I found that the base salary was much lower than the industry average of [range] per year for similar roles.
I'm eager to work with the company, and I want to know if you have any flexibility regarding my starting pay. Is it possible to increase my initial salary to [number] per year?
Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
[your name]
[your contact information]
The offer is at the low end of your salary range
You can always accept a salary that feels low, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for better pay. Try shooting a little higher than you expect so there’s room for your potential employer to counteroffer. Here’s how to negotiate a slightly higher salary:
Hi [hiring manager or contact’s name],
Thank you so much for your offer. Before I formally accept, after reviewing the job description, I found that my skills are more advanced than required. Considering my additional capabilities and experience, I would like to know if it is possible to negotiate an additional [number] per year.
I’m grateful for the opportunity and hope we can come to an agreement. Please let me know what our next steps should be.
[your name]
[your contact information]
Your initial offer is declined
In some cases, a potential employer will say no, and that’s okay. There are lots of factors that play into what a company can offer you, whether that’s budget constraints or internal standards. You can always ask for different kinds of compensation, like bonuses or vacation time. If someone doesn’t accept your first negotiation, here’s what you can say:
Hi [hiring manager or contact’s name],
Thank you for the follow-up. I understand there are constraints regarding salary, but I’m still interested in the role. Can we negotiate any terms of the contract besides salary? I would happily consider additional vacation days, a flexible schedule, or potential bonuses down the line.
Please let me know what we can do to make this work. I look forward to speaking with you soon.
[your name]
[your contact information]
Remember, you’re worth it
If you’re still anxious about the salary negotiation process, that’s perfectly normal. You’re just entering your professional journey, and if you haven’t had a conversation like this before, it’s intimidating. But remember, even when you’re at the entry level, your skills are valuable.
It's tempting to stick with a company’s first offer. And you can if you’d rather not stir the pot. But 76% of people regret not negotiating their initial salary. Don’t let that happen to you.
You may not have the certifications or experience of some of your more experienced colleagues, but you might have transferable soft skills, valuable internship experience, and a positive mental attitude. And sometimes, those assets are even more valuable.
Don’t let imposter syndrome convince you that because you’re just launching your career, you don’t deserve fair compensation. Be confident. It’s key to a negotiation, and you have every reason to believe you can get a higher salary through bargaining.
Go forth and negotiate
You deserve fair pay for your work, whether that’s from a salary increase or extra perks and benefits. With the entry-level salary negotiation examples and the negotiation tips you’ve learned, you’ll be able to approach your new employer with your request like a pro. You’ve got this.
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