Offer stage
Offer & Salary Guide
Most people leave $5k–$20k on the table at their first offer. Companies build in negotiation room. Use it. This guide covers what to evaluate, how to counter, and what not to say.
The floor. Negotiate this first, but don't stop here.
Get the vesting schedule, cliff, and current valuation. 4-year vest with 1-year cliff is standard. Options at a startup need a realistic exit scenario.
Signing bonus is one-time. Annual bonus is a %. Both are negotiable.
Health, 401k match, equity refresh, PTO, remote policy. At big companies this can be $10k–$20k/year in value.
Base + bonus + equity/year + benefits. Compare TC, not base salary. Use levels.fyi.
This affects your growth more than your salary in year 1. A bad manager in a good company is worse than a good manager in a smaller company.
Is this a role where you'll learn fast? Will you have real ownership? Promotions every 18–24 months is reasonable at a healthy company.
"I'm flexible and more focused on finding the right fit. That said, based on my research for this role and level, I was expecting something in the range of $X–$Y. Is that in line with what you have budgeted?"
Always give a range with the floor being your real minimum. Never give a single number first.
"Thank you so much — I'm really excited about the opportunity. I'd like to take a few days to review everything carefully. When do you need a decision by?"
Never accept on the spot. Always ask for time.
"I'm very excited about this role and [Company]. Based on my research and the value I'd bring, I was hoping we could get to $X on base. Is there flexibility there?"
Counter with a specific number, not a range. Ask for 10–15% above what's offered.
"I understand. Is there any flexibility on the signing bonus or equity then? I want to make this work."
If base is truly fixed (common at large companies with bands), negotiate signing bonus, equity, or start date PTO.
"I want to be transparent — I do have another offer I'm considering. But [Company] is my top choice if we can close the gap. The competing offer is at $X. Is there anything you can do?"
Only say this if it's true. Lying about competing offers is a bad start to a job.
- ✗Accepting on the spot because you're excited — always ask for time
- ✗Negotiating only base salary and ignoring equity and signing bonus
- ✗Not researching market rate before the call — check levels.fyi and Glassdoor first
- ✗Being the first to give a number — let them anchor if possible
- ✗Apologizing for negotiating — it's expected and normal
- ✗Choosing the highest number over the best growth opportunity
- ✗Ignoring the 401k match — a 6% match on $150k base is $9k/year