Salary
Salary negotiation for engineers
How to research your market rate and negotiate your offer with confidence.
6 min read
Most offers have room to move. Negotiating respectfully is expected — and rarely costs you the offer.
Research your range
- Filter jobs on GoTechJob by your role and location, then sort by salary to see posted ranges.
- Many regions now require salary ranges in job posts — use them.
- Consider total compensation: base, bonus, equity, benefits and remote flexibility.
Delay the number
If asked for expectations early, say you'd like to learn more about the role first, or give a researched range anchored at the top of the market.
Negotiate the offer
- Thank them and express enthusiasm.
- Ask for time to review (24–72 hours is normal).
- Counter with a specific number and a reason: market data, competing offers or scope of the role.
- If base is fixed, ask about sign-on bonus, equity, title, start date or learning budget.
Get it in writing
Confirm every agreed change in the written offer before you resign from your current role.