How to negotiate a salary offer, and compare 2 offers

Before you negotiate: what you need

CareerOneStop, a career site sponsored by the US Department of Labor, says to wait to ask about salary until you receive a job offer. When the offer comes, thank the employer, say you are interested, and ask for at least a day to decide.[1]

Ask the employer about any of these the offer does not mention. You negotiate from the full offer, not the salary line alone.[1][2]

Step 1: research the pay for the role and place

CareerOneStop advises finding the typical pay range for the job in your location and using it to guide your salary goal. Its Salary Finder gives pay by occupation, state, and area. Its data come from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for May 2025.[1][3]

A percentile is a boundary: the median, or 50th percentile, splits the highest paid 50% of workers in an occupation from the lowest paid 50%. By the same logic, 25% of workers earn less than the 25th percentile and 25% earn more than the 75th.[6][5]

Read the table this way: the middle half earned between $36,870 and $51,780, and 10% earned more than $63,590.[4]

Annual figures assume full-time, year-round work of 2,080 hours, so compare an hourly offer with hourly figures. The figures describe May 2025, not today.[6]

Step 2: decide the number you will ask for

CareerOneStop warns against both extremes. If you name a salary that is too high, the employer may assume you would not accept its offer. If you name one too low, your earnings could be unfairly restricted, so aim for the typical range.[1]

Place yourself in that range by what you bring. CareerOneStop asks whether a salary fits your level of education, your experience, and your location: use those to judge where in the range you belong. Compare your experience, skills, and credentials with what the posting asks for, and note where you exceed it.[1][2]

Decide your bottom line before you talk: the lowest salary and benefits you would accept.[2]

Ignore advice to add a fixed percentage to every offer. The government guidance cited here ties your number to the typical range for the job and place instead.[1]

Step 3: how to negotiate salary after a job offer

Base your request on the value you would bring, your skills, and your experience. CareerOneStop says not to use your need for the job or for more income to negotiate. If the offer is much lower than the typical range, it says you can ask for a higher offer or an early salary review.[1]

In CareerOneStop's own example, the offer sits near the bottom of the market range for the job. The candidate asks for a figure still in the lower half of that range. The candidate cites the research, 8 or more years of experience against the 5 the job requires, and a higher security clearance.[2]

CareerOneStop's veterans guide says negotiations are best done by phone or in person. You can still put the request in writing, as its own example letter does.[2]

The result: the employer has a specific figure to answer, reasoned on your value, not your needs.

Step 4: negotiate beyond base pay

An employer may want to meet your needs, but its budget and policies can limit what it offers. CareerOneStop says some benefits may be worth more to you than a higher salary.[1]

In CareerOneStop's example in step 3, the candidate also asks for a relocation stipend covering half the cost of the move. Keep each request reasonable and brief.[2][1]

Step 5: get the final offer in writing

If you accept the job, ask for the offer in writing. Then check that everything you agreed is in the final offer letter: salary, benefits, any review date, and any stipend.[1][2]

If you accept and need to leave your current job, see how to write a resignation letter.

If the employer says no or pushes back

Be ready for a counteroffer, CareerOneStop says. Here are answers you may hear, and a next move for each:[2]

If you decide to decline, thank the employer and ask them to keep you in mind for future openings. CareerOneStop's veterans guide suggests declining respectfully, without burning any bridges.[1][2]

How to compare 2 job offers

CareerOneStop says not to evaluate the salary alone, but the full compensation package. Keep the 2 apart: compare base pay with base pay, then each other item on its own line.[2]

Then weigh what is not in dollars: the work, the schedule, the commute, and the chance to advance. CareerOneStop suggests a list of pros and cons, and talking the offer over with people you trust.[1]

Pay ranges in postings and salary history questions

Your state or city may require employers to list pay ranges in job postings, or bar them from asking about your past pay. New York State does both. In New York State, Labor Law Section 194-B covers businesses with 4 or more employees. They must provide job descriptions and list compensation ranges for designated job opportunities, promotions, and transfers.[7][8]

New York's salary history law took effect on January 6, 2020. Its Department of Labor says employers cannot ask job applicants for their wage or salary history as a condition of employment. The law also bars employers from seeking that information from other sources.[8]

Where a law like this applies, the posted range is a starting point for your research. Check your state or city labor department's site for the rules where the job is, and see the pay and offers hub.