I just received a job offer for $72,000 but I know the market rate for this role is $80-90K. How do I negotiate without losing the offer?
First, the good news: negotiating a job offer almost never results in the offer being rescinded. In 15 years I have seen it happen exactly zero times when done professionally. Here is your script. "Thank you so much for the offer. I am genuinely excited about this role and the team. I have done some research on market rates for this position in New York and based on my experience and qualifications, I was hoping we could discuss a base salary in the range of $85,000 to $88,000. Is there flexibility on the base compensation?" Notice three things about this script: you express enthusiasm first, you anchor with specific data (market rates, your qualifications), and you give a range with the bottom of your range as your actual target. If they say the salary is firm, negotiate other items: signing bonus ($3-5K is common), an extra week of vacation, remote work flexibility, a guaranteed 6-month performance review with a defined raise target, or a professional development budget. The total compensation package often has more room for negotiation than the base salary. Get everything agreed upon in writing before accepting.
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