How to Negotiate Your Salary in Tech
You've probably been there. A recruiter shares a number, you say "sounds great," and then you spend the rest of the day wondering if you just left money on the table. If that's happened to you more than once, you're not bad at this. Nobody ever taught you how. Salary conversations in tech come with their own language (levels, bands, comp ranges), and most of us are never handed the glossary. I spent seven years as a Business Analyst and Product Owner figuring it out the hard way, so here's everything I wish someone had told me on day one.
The moment salary got real for me
Picture this. You’re three years into a job you’re good at. You’ve trained the last two new hires, you’re the one people go to when something breaks, and your manager tells you every review cycle that you’re “crushing it.” Then one afternoon, a coworker you onboarded yourself mentions over lunch that she negotiated her offer up to $12,000 more than what you’re making. She isn’t bragging. She assumes you did the same. You smile and change the subject, but the rest of the day you’re doing the math in your head. That’s $12,000 a year, for three years, plus every raise that was calculated as a percentage of the lower number. All because when your offer came in, you said “thank you so much, I accept” within the hour, grateful just to be chosen.
That moment is what pushed me to learn this stuff. Here's what I've figured out since.
Tip 1: Do your research before you ever talk numbers
This one sounds obvious, and most people think they're already doing it. Most of us aren't doing it thoroughly enough.
A few years into my career, I came across Chloe Shih on YouTube. She was one of the first women in tech I found who talked about salary openly and specifically, not in vague hypotheticals. What I took from her is that the negotiation doesn't start when someone asks you for a number. It starts weeks before, in the research phase.
Before you get on a call with a company, understand the leveling structure. What's the difference between the role they're hiring you into and the one above it? What does that mean for compensation? Ask them to walk you through it: why this level, and what does progression look like from here?
When they ask, "What are your compensation expectations?" you have more options than you think:
"I'm still gathering information and don't have a firm number yet."
"I'm currently exploring roles in the range of X to Y."
"What's the budget for this position?"
That last one puts it back on them to answer first. That's not awkward. That's smart.
Then do the actual research. Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Candor, and Moonchaser all exist so you can see what companies are paying at your level, in your market. You can't let someone hand you a number and call it non-negotiable without already knowing whether that's true.
Chloe also pointed me to Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator. The core idea is that good negotiation isn't about being aggressive. It's about understanding what the other side needs and using that empathy to reach a better outcome for everyone. It changed how I approach these conversations.
Tip 2: Keep investing in yourself, because it's your biggest leverage
This is the tip I almost never hear in salary negotiation content, and I think it might be the most important one.
Negotiation is a lot easier when you have something to negotiate with. The strongest thing you can bring into that conversation isn't a competing offer. It's a skillset that has visibly grown. Over seven years as a BA and PO, I've kept investing in my own development through courses, certifications, self-directed learning, and projects that pushed me into areas I wasn't fully comfortable in yet. Every time I've been able to point to that growth in a negotiation, it has landed differently.
There's a big difference between saying "I've been here a year and I think I deserve more" and saying "Here's what I've built, here's what I've led, and here's what I can do now that I couldn't do twelve months ago." One is a request. The other is a case.
Don't wait for the negotiation to start building your value. Build it every day. Your salary ceiling is tied to what you bring to the table, so keep raising the table.
Tip 3: Build relationships with people who talk about money openly
This one took me longer to figure out than any of the tactical stuff, and it has made one of the biggest differences.
Salary still feels like a topic we're not supposed to bring up, like it's rude or braggy. I had that feeling too. But that silence costs people money. When you don't know what your peers are making, you can't know whether you're being paid fairly.
You can usually tell pretty quickly who's open to talking about it and who isn't. Don't force it. When you find someone who is, invest in that relationship. Ask questions, share what you know, and treat salary like a normal topic so it becomes one.
Beyond your own network, find the people having this conversation out loud. Chloe Shih was that person for me early on, and now there are so many creators, podcasters, and writers who share what they've made, what they've negotiated, and what they wish they'd known. Especially if you're a woman in tech, seek out those voices. Other people's transparency will teach you what the market looks like and what's possible.
ometimes all it takes is one honest conversation. Imagine grabbing coffee with a mentor who has been in the industry ten years longer than you. You mention, almost in passing, that you’re thinking about asking for a raise but you’re not sure you’ve “earned it yet.” She sets her cup down and asks you three questions: what’s the market range for your role, what have you delivered in the last year, and what would it cost the company to replace you. You can answer the second one easily. You’ve never even looked up the first, and the third never crossed your mind.
Then she says the thing that sticks with you: “Your company isn’t going to pay you what you’re worth. They’re going to pay you what you ask for, as long as it’s reasonable.” Suddenly the conversation isn’t about whether you deserve more. It’s about whether you’re willing to put a number on the table and back it up.
That’s the shift. Negotiation isn’t about being pushy. It’s about walking in with facts instead of hope.
Tip 4: Stop ignoring recruiters, because they're free market research
I know, the recruiter DMs on LinkedIn can feel like noise. Most people either ignore them completely or only respond when they're already worried about their job. Both miss the opportunity.
Even when you're not looking, a recruiter can tell you what companies are paying right now, what they're prioritizing in candidates, and where the demand is in your space. A fifteen-minute call can give you a clearer picture of where you stand than hours of scrolling Glassdoor.
It also gives you practice. Negotiation feels scary partly because we don't do it often enough to get comfortable. Recruiter conversations are low-stakes reps: how you talk about your background, how you answer when they ask about your current salary, and how you push back on a number. None of it costs you anything if you're not interested in the role, and all of it makes you sharper when you are.
So the next time someone reaches out, don't just archive it. Ask what the role pays and see what you learn. Worst case, it's fifteen minutes and a data point. Best case, it changes the direction of your career.
When they say no (or not yet)
This is the moment that trips most people up. You've done the research and made your case, and then you hear "this is our best offer," "the salary is fixed," or "it depends on location."
"It depends on location." You'll hear this a lot with remote roles, and it can feel like a wall. It doesn't have to be. Ask them to show you how the band is structured and where in the band they're placing you. Are you at the bottom, the middle, or the top? Even when the band itself is tied to location, there's often room to move within it.
"This is our best offer." Don't respond right away. You're allowed to say, "I appreciate that. Can I have a day to review everything?" That pause signals that you're thoughtful, not desperate, and it gives you time to come back with a grounded counter instead of a reactive one.
When you come back, be specific. Instead of "I was hoping for more," try: "Based on my research and the market rate for this level, I was expecting something closer to X. Is there flexibility to get there, or room to revisit after 90 days?" Tie it to data and a timeline so they have something concrete to respond to.
If the base truly can't move, ask what can. Total compensation is bigger than the base number. Consider asking about:
A signing bonus
Extra PTO
An earlier review cycle
Remote flexibility
Equity
Sometimes the best wins happen in places you didn't expect.
No one will advocate for your salary like you will
Not your manager, not HR, and not the recruiter on the other end of the call. That responsibility is yours, and the good news is that it's a skill you can learn. Research before you talk numbers, keep investing in yourself, find the people who talk openly about money, use recruiters for data and practice, and when you hit resistance, take the pause and come back with something specific. The conversation isn't over just because they said no once.
Resources mentioned: Chloe Shih's YouTube channel, Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, Levels.fyi | Glassdoor | Candor | and Moonchaser
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