How to Negotiate Your Salary: Scripts for Every Stage

Learning how to negotiate salary isn't one big, brave conversation. It's a series of small, high-stakes moments, from the recruiter's first phone screen to the final offer call. Knowing the right thing to say at each stage turns an awkward back-and-forth into a calm, repeatable process. Here are the scripts.

Salary negotiation starts with knowing your number

You can't negotiate a number you haven't defined. So every salary negotiation starts with homework. Before any conversation, land on three figures:

Your walk-away floor. The lowest you'd accept without resentment.
Your target. A realistic, market-supported number for the role, level, and location.
Your anchor. The top of your realistic range, the figure you actually say out loud first.

To build a range you can defend, pull from a few sources rather than any single one. Use public salary sites (Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Payscale, Salary.com). Check recent local job postings that list pay, since more states now require ranges. And most valuable of all, talk to people who actually do the job. A short message to a few contacts ("What range should someone with my experience expect here?") often beats any database.

A practical rule: anchor near the top of your realistic range, not the ceiling of fantasy. Anchoring high pulls the final number up. But an anchor you can't justify reads as uninformed. Pick a number you can defend in one sentence.

Outcomes vary. Some offers have real flex. Others genuinely don't, like structured leveling bands at large companies or fixed public-sector scales. Negotiating respectfully rarely hurts, but match your energy to how much room actually exists.

The recruiter screen: handling "what are your expectations?"

This question usually comes early, before you know the full scope of the role. You have two good options.

Option 1: deflect politely (preferred early on). You give nothing away and keep your anchor for after the offer, when your leverage is highest.

> "I'd love to learn more about the role and team before talking numbers. Do you have a budgeted range for this position? I'm confident we can find something that works if it's the right fit."

If they press, it's fair to ask them to go first. They almost always have a band in mind.

Option 2: give a researched range. Some recruiters won't move forward without a number. In many states they're now required to share the posted range anyway. If you give one, lead with your researched figures and frame it as flexible.

> "Based on my research for this kind of role and my experience, I'm targeting somewhere in the $95,000 to $110,000 range, though I'm open depending on the full scope and the rest of the package."

Note the structure. It's a range whose bottom is your target, not your floor. Negotiations drift toward the lower end of any number you name, so never put your walk-away figure on the table.

Whatever you do, don't volunteer your current salary unprompted. In many states, employers can't legally ask. If it comes up, redirect to the role:

> "I'd rather focus on the value I'd bring here and the market rate, than what I've made before."

After the offer: the counter

The offer is where your leverage peaks. They've chosen you and don't want to restart the search. Two habits matter.

First, show genuine enthusiasm before you counter. You're negotiating, not complaining. Second, counter with a specific number plus a one-sentence reason, not a vague "is there any flexibility?"

> "Thank you so much, I'm really excited about this offer and the team. Based on my research for this role and the [specific skills / scope / years of experience] I'd bring, I was hoping we could get the base closer to $115,000. Is there room to move on the base salary?"

A few things make this work:

Anchor above the offer but within reason. A counter roughly 5–15% above a salaried offer is a common starting point. The right amount depends on how far the offer sits below your researched range.
Tie the number to value, not need. "Based on my experience and the market" lands. "Because rent went up" does not.
Ask, then stop talking. Let silence do some of the work. Resist the urge to soften your ask the moment it leaves your mouth.

If base salary is truly capped, pivot to the rest of the package: signing bonus, equity, PTO, a guaranteed early review, a title bump, remote flexibility, or a learning budget. The math gets easier when you compare the whole package. For worked examples of how to phrase each, see counter offer examples.

Negotiating a raise in your current job

Raises run on a different clock than new offers. There's no single decisive moment, so you create one:

Timing beats eloquence. The best windows are after a clear win, at a strong performance review, or when you've taken on work beyond your title. Avoid asking during budget freezes, layoffs, or a rough quarter.
Build the case before the meeting. Keep a running list of measurable results: projects shipped, revenue influenced, costs cut. You're presenting a business case, not asking for a favor.
Benchmark externally. If your pay has drifted below market, bring that data calmly. Internal raises often lag the open market, and that gap is part of your leverage.
Give your manager a path. Managers rarely approve raises alone. Ask what it would take and when, so even a "not right now" becomes a concrete plan.

> "Over the past year I've [specific accomplishments]. I've taken on [expanded scope], and based on my research my role is now benchmarking around $X. I'd like to talk about bringing my compensation in line with that. What would it take to get there?"

Phone vs. email: which to use when

Use the channel that fits the moment:

Email is best for the first counter. It lets you phrase the number precisely, creates a written record, and lets the recruiter forward your case to whoever signs off, with no pressure to react in real time.
Phone (or video) is best for nuance and final terms. Reach for it when there's back-and-forth, an objection to handle, or you want to read tone. It's harder to say no to a warm, enthusiastic person than to a paragraph.

A reliable combo: open with an email counter, handle the negotiation live, then confirm the agreed numbers in writing. Always get the final offer in writing before you resign anywhere. For ready-to-send wording, see our salary negotiation email templates.

A few more scripts, ready to borrow

When base salary is capped:

> "I understand the base is fixed. Could we look at a signing bonus or an earlier compensation review at six months instead?"

Holding firm without burning the bridge:

> "I really want to make this work. If we can land at $X, I'm ready to sign today."

Closing the loop:

> "Thank you, that works for me. Could you send the updated offer in writing so I can review and sign?"

Key points

The thread running through every stage is the same: research a real number, anchor with confidence, tie your ask to value, and stay warm. No script guarantees a yes, and some offers won't budge. But using them consistently means you won't leave money on the table just because you didn't know what to say. For the full strategy from prep to close, start with our pillar guide on how to negotiate a job offer.

Ready to walk into your next conversation prepared? Build your negotiation plan with Resumello. Compare competing offers in the calculator and generate tailored leverage points and scripts for your exact situation. And before you even get to the offer, make sure your application clears the bar with our free resume match checker.