How to negotiate pay in a job interview

As you grow in your career, salary will likely become increasingly important to you. Your skills will diversify, your experience will evolve, and you’re going to want to see that reflected in what new employers pay you. 

But how do you ask for more money in a job interview? It doesn’t have to be daunting. These negotiating tips should help. 

How much money should I ask for in a job interview?

Every job is worth a certain amount, based on the average of what other employers are paying for those same skills in that area. Change city or region, and the pay typically also changes. 

You can research these median salary bands by looking online – try searching for “<your job title> median salary in <your city>”. Our Job Satisfaction and Wage Trends Report contains many recent salary benchmarks, and a lot of job board websites have similar data. 

How to know if you’re worth the upper or lower salary in a range

This is where you would take into account three other factors: 

• Your experience in this type of role. 
• Any unique or desirable skills you have which are directly related to, or transferable to, this role. 
• Any expenses which you’ll incur to take the job, such as travel costs or relocation. 

Next set a minimum salary 

When you know what to ask for, set yourself a salary floor – this is the minimum salary you’ll accept for the role. Any lower and you can’t say yes. 

Later, you will ask for more money than this. Knowing the minimum gives you space to negotiate down. 

Finally, consider your desired perks 

Pay isn’t everything – perks and benefits can also significantly add to your job satisfaction. Think about what you want in your role beyond pay, considering factors like car allowance, more annual leave, insurance or wellness programs, etc. 

Sort all of these perks into your ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. 

• Needs: Your needs are the things you can’t do without, like your salary floor or certain perks (i.e. working from home). Needs are non-negotiable sticking points. Without them, you can’t say yes. 
• Wants: Your wants are things you’d prefer, but could compromise on for the right offer. Wants can be negotiated. 

When to ask about pay in an interview 

In most job interviews it is the hiring manager who will bring up salary, usually by asking about your salary expectations. You’ll respond, they might make a counteroffer, and that’s it. It’s uncommon to have to haggle extensively, and you’ll rarely be the one to bring it up first. 

But what if you do want to bring it up? 

Every so often, you’ll attend an interview where your instincts tell you the salary won't be high enough. In these cases, you may feel the need to bring it up yourself before making too much further progress. 

• What to do: Be polite and professional. Wait for a natural opening in the conversation (so you’re not interrupting), then state your question. Don’t ask too early on, or it may look like you’re only interested in the money. 
• What not to do: Don’t dance around the issue – there's no need to. It's normal, and socially acceptable, to bring up salary directly during a job interview. 

Examples of what to say 

“Before we move on, I’d love to quickly talk about salary.” 

“You mentioned the perks of the job earlier, on that note I’d like to bring up salary and benefits.” 

How to negotiate for pay 

While it's not common to haggle for salary, it is important to be prepared for all outcomes to ensure you find a role which pays what you're worth. 

These are some things to think about: 

1. Clearly state your case 

Always clearly state your case and articulate why you expect the salary that you expect. There are two parts to this, both of which are important: 

1. Give a salary range – not a specific figure. Set this range higher than your salary floor, in case the hiring manager wants to haggle down. This gives you room to negotiate. 
2. Be ready to defend it. If you’re asked why, offer a concise, well-reasoned answer explaining how you came to your salary range. Keep this simple and confident. 

Examples of what to say 

“Based on my past experience and research into the market value of the role, I’m ideally looking for something between 80 to 90K.” 

“I have a lot of unique skills in this area and bring a lot of past experience to the job. With that in mind, and after doing some research into the going rate of this role in this city, I believe 70 to 80 is a competitive salary range.” 

2. Be polite, professional and confident 

Be polite and concise as you discuss your salary. Don't feel bad for asking for an amount which seems above what this job is willing to offer – it may mean that the role isn’t right for you. You’re worth what you’re worth. 

3. Understand the other person may have limitations 

Try not to get frustrated if the hiring manager won’t negotiate – or seems to have very little bargaining room. There’s a good chance they’re working to a set budget and don’t have the authority to go outside of a preset range. This is especially true for larger companies. 

4. Negotiate for other benefits if you can’t get movement on pay 

Some jobs can offer a range of perks on top of pay, and here the hiring manager may be able to get more flexible. 

If it looks like the company won’t move on salary, see if you can get something else. Go back to your list of needs and wants and add more to your counteroffer. 

Remember, a job is a whole deal – not just a salary. You can push for a better deal in lots of ways, not just financially. 

5. Don't feel rushed to accept an offer 

If you’re made an offer in the interview (or anytime afterwards), you don’t have to accept it straight away. In fact, it’s often best to ask for 24-48 hours to think about it. 

In the event that you decide it’s too low, that extra thinking time will help you construct a well-reasoned counteroffer. 

6. Focus on priorities when making a counteroffer 

You can counteroffer in many ways, not just pay. For example, you may wish to negotiate job title, flexible working or any range of other issues. 

Before making your counteroffer, take a moment to dwell on the reasons you can’t accept the offer right now and prioritise this list into the things which matter most. 

Be prepared to let a few things go. Getting stuck on every small detail could stall the application process, making the hiring manager walk away. Knowing your priorities will let you add or subtract items to your counteroffer based on how willing the company looks to negotiate with you. 

7. Negotiate for everything at once 

During a counteroffer, put all your cards on the table together. That is, don’t negotiate one thing, reach an agreement, then bring up the next thing. If it matters to you, bring it all up at the same time – that way the hiring manager can also sort their priorities. 

Need help? Get someone fighting in your corner 

At WOW, we specialise in connecting great talent with great roles. You don’t have to manage this process alone – we can help you structure your CV and figure out your salary expectations, and we can offer personalised job interview coaching to build your confidence. 

Let’s find you a great role which pays what you’re worth – chat with us today, or submit your CV here.