How to Negotiate Salary with HR and Increase Your Offer by 20%

Hello again, I’m Leo, a veteran in the recruitment and career planning industry with over a decade of experience. I’ve seen countless talented candidates—skilled, experienced—ultimately trip up over one thing: salary negotiations.

Many people get nervous when it comes to talking salary with HR. They either feel uncomfortable, thinking it's like bargaining at a market, or they're afraid to ask for too much, or they’re completely unprepared, getting swayed by a few HR lines, ending up with an offer that’s much lower than their value.

Today, I’m going to completely break the fear around salary negotiations. Remember, salary negotiation is not begging, it’s a business conversation based on value. You bring value to the company, and the company compensates you for it. A well-prepared negotiation won’t cost you an offer; it will make HR respect you more, seeing you as a professional who understands your worth.

I’ll share 5 practical tips that I’ve honed over the years, which have helped many of my clients increase their offer by 20% or more.

Tip 1: Do Your Salary Research

Would you buy something in a store without checking the price tag? Probably not. So why would you sell your most valuable skills and time without knowing the market price?

The first and most important thing you must do before talking salary with HR is thoroughly research your “market value”. This not only gives you confidence but also serves as the foundation for your negotiation.

How to effectively research salary?

Use online tools: Websites like Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, and Salary.com are great places to get salary data. But don’t just look at one number—cross-reference and focus on data that closely relates to your target role:
- Position: The salary for a "Product Manager" at a startup may be drastically different from one at Google/Meta.
- Location: Software engineers in California and New York definitely have different salary ranges.
- Company size and type: Public companies, unicorns, and foreign enterprises all have different pay structures.
- Your experience level: Are you a senior with 3 years of experience, or a fresh graduate?
Activate your network: Online data is “static,” but personal insights are “dynamic.” Be brave and talk to your industry peers, mentors, or former colleagues (respecting their privacy, of course). You can ask something like: “Based on my background and experience, what would you estimate a competitive salary range for this role at XX company?”
Set your salary expectations: After your research, define three figures:
- Ideal Salary: The salary you hope for—this is your upper limit.
- Target Salary: A fair and reasonable figure, this is your core negotiation range.
- Walk-Away Number: The salary below which you absolutely won’t accept. This keeps you grounded in the negotiation.

Remember, without research, you have no right to negotiate. When you can confidently say, “Based on my market research...,” you’ve already won half the battle.

Tip 2: Timing Is Everything—Negotiate After Getting the Written Offer

Many candidates are asked in the early stages, “What’s your expected salary?” This is a classic trap.

Why should you not disclose your expectations too early?

Because early in the interview process, you haven’t fully demonstrated your value, and the company’s understanding of your worth is still limited. At this stage, your negotiating power is minimal. If you quote too high, you may lose the opportunity; if you quote too low, you set a low ceiling for your future negotiations.

The correct approach is to politely “delay”.

When HR asks about salary early in the process, you can respond with something like:

"Thank you for asking. At this stage, I’m more focused on whether the role aligns with my career goals and whether I can add real value to your company. I’m confident that once both sides are aligned, we can come to an agreement on a reasonable salary. If possible, I’d love to first understand more about the role’s responsibilities and challenges."

This response demonstrates professionalism and interest in the position while cleverly deflecting the salary discussion to the most advantageous moment—after receiving a clear written offer. At this point, the company has invested significant time and effort in you and has already determined you are a strong candidate. You are in the best position to negotiate.

Tip 3: Talk Value, Not Feeling—Clearly Justify Your “Ask”

Once you’ve reached the final stage of salary negotiation, it’s time to reveal your “ace.” But remember, asking for a higher salary cannot just be based on a “feeling” of worth, like “I think I deserve this amount” or “I hope for a bit more.” Such negotiations are weak and ineffective.

You must provide a well-grounded, data-driven and value-based justification.

A good negotiation structure should look like this:

Express gratitude and enthusiasm: Always thank HR and the company for the opportunity and express strong interest in joining.
Reiterate your value: Briefly review key skills and past achievements demonstrated during the interview and how they can help the company solve problems or achieve goals.
Present your salary expectations and rationale: Clearly state your target salary and immediately back it up with the market research data you gathered earlier.
Maintain an open and cooperative attitude: Let them know you’re open to further discussions and finding a mutually beneficial solution.

Here’s an example:

Bad approach:

“Thanks for the offer, but the salary is lower than I expected. Can we raise it?”

Good approach:

“Thank you so much for the offer! I’m really excited about the opportunity to join [Company Name] and am looking forward to contributing to [Project Name]. Based on my experience with [mention a key achievement, like improving user retention by 30%], I’m confident I can quickly add value to the team. Regarding salary, based on my market research for roles in [location] with 5 years of data analysis experience, I believe a more competitive salary range would be [your target salary range]. I hope we can discuss this further.”

Notice the difference? The second approach doesn’t sound like a demand; it sounds like a reasoned, professional argument that HR can’t easily dismiss.

Tip 4: Don't Just Focus on Base Salary—Consider the Entire Compensation Package

Many candidates fixate on the "pre-tax monthly salary" figure, which is a huge mistake. A competitive offer goes far beyond just the base salary.

When evaluating an offer, you should look at the total compensation package. It’s like an iceberg—the base salary is the tip, but there’s a lot more below the surface.

Let’s compare two offers:

Compensation Component	Offer A (Looks high)	Offer B (More comprehensive)	Notes
Base Salary	$30,000	$28,000	Offer A seems $200 higher per month.
Year-End Bonus	1-2 months	Guaranteed 3 months	Offer B has a more stable and higher bonus.
Sign-On Bonus	None	$20,000	Offer B offers a one-time signing bonus.
Stock Options	None	$50,000/year	Offer B offers stock options.
Other Benefits	Standard 5 insurances	Extra health insurance, corporate pension	Offer B offers enhanced benefits.
Career Development	Limited training budget	$1,000/year for training/books	Offer B supports personal growth.
Annual Paid Leave	5 days	15 days	Work-life balance is much better in Offer B.
Total Annual Compensation	Approx. $39,000	Approx. $48,200	Big gap!

As you can see, while Offer A offers a higher monthly salary, Offer B’s total value far exceeds it.

So, when negotiating, if HR can’t meet your base salary request, don’t give up. Try asking for other improvements, such as:

“The base salary is close to my expectations, but can we discuss the possibility of a sign-on bonus?”
“I understand there are salary bands, but is there room for adjustment in stock options?”
“If salary can’t be increased right now, could the company offer additional training or transportation allowances?”

Remember, a comprehensive compensation package truly reflects your value.

Tip 5: Confidence Comes from Preparation—Use AI Mock Interviews to Perfect Your Negotiation Skills

The first four tips cover the “strategy,” but negotiation is ultimately a performance. Your tone, confidence, and reactions during the live conversation also play a critical role in determining success.

Many people understand the theory but freeze when it’s time for real negotiations. They get nervous, stammer, and forget what they were going to say.

The answer is simple: practice, and lots of it.

You might think, “I can practice with friends,” but your friends are not professional HR. They can’t simulate the pressure-filled follow-up questions or give you professional feedback. Their comforting words like “you did okay” won’t help much.

This is where technology can empower you. Now, you can have a 24/7, tireless, highly professional personal interview coach.

I must recommend a tool that has already benefited many of my clients— [OfferEasy AI Interview](https://offereasy.

You might think AI interview tools are only for practicing common questions like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” Far from it! OfferEasy’s powerful feature is that you can customize interview scenarios.

You can set up a “salary negotiation” scenario, and have AI play the role of an experienced HR. You can repeatedly practice your negotiation pitch, refining it each time.

Here are some unique advantages of practicing salary negotiations with AI:

Simulate Real Pressure: The AI HR will challenge your requests, saying things like, “Our company’s salary structure is very strict, this is the highest we can offer” or “No other candidates have asked for such a high figure.” This helps you get used to pressure and refine your response.
Refine Your Pitch: Through repetition, you’ll identify areas for improvement in your tone and reasoning. You’ll refine your approach until you feel confident and professional.
Objective Feedback Reports: After each practice, AI provides detailed feedback on your language fluency, key phrases, logical clarity, and even your emotional tone. This feedback is way more helpful than a friend’s “not bad.”
Build “Muscle Memory”: Just like athletes sparring before a big match, you’ll practice enough times that the negotiation process, the pitch, and even possible unexpected scenarios will be embedded in your memory. When the real negotiation happens, you’ll be calm, confident, and ready.

A successful salary negotiation can increase your earnings by tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, over the course of your career. Investing a few hours practicing with AI is one of the best investments you can make in your job search.

Final Thoughts

Let’s recap the five core tips:

Do Your Research: Arm yourself with data to know your market value.
Pick the Right Moment: Negotiate after receiving a written offer to maximize your bargaining power.
Value-Driven Approach: Justify your ask with data and your contributions.
Consider Total Compensation: Look at the entire package, not just the base salary.
Practice with AI: Use AI tools to practice and build unbeatable confidence.

Salary negotiation isn’t a zero-sum game; it’s a process of aligning value. When you’re well-prepared and confident, you’re not just negotiating for a paycheck, but showing your future employer that you are a professional worthy of that high salary.

I wish all job seekers the best of luck in securing the offer that meets your worth!