Reference

Negotiation: prepare four numbers, then talk.

The dominant determinant of salary negotiation outcomes is preparation, not technique. Walk in with four specific numbers and the conversation runs itself.

The four numbers

Market rate band. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of compensation for the role in the city, sourced from levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Robert Half, and LinkedIn Salary Insights. Three or four sources, not one.
Your current total compensation. Base salary + bonus + equity vest + benefits value (health, 401(k) match, paid leave). Often higher than the “salary” figure most candidates anchor on.
Your reservation point. The lowest offer you'd accept. Below this, you walk. Computed as: minimum acceptable take-home for your living expenses + a target savings rate + a buffer for the discomfort of staying in a sub-optimal role.
Your aspiration point. The number you'd be excited about. The strongly-positive outcome. Typically the 75th percentile of the market band or 110 % of your current TC, whichever is higher.

BATNA: the best alternative

Your “Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement” is your fall-back if this offer doesn't work out. A second job offer, an existing role you're choosing not to leave, or a defined plan to keep searching. The strength of your BATNA is the strongest single determinant of outcome — not your negotiation skill, not the company's budget.

The asymmetric information problem. The employer knows their internal band. You don't. Without a credible BATNA, the employer can offer the bottom of the band confident that you'll either accept or expose your weakness by negotiating poorly. With a credible BATNA, you can credibly walk — which forces the employer to either improve the offer or accept losing the candidate.

Responses to three common interviewer questions

“What's your current salary?” In jurisdictions where asking is now illegal (California, NY, parts of EU), state that you're not comfortable disclosing prior compensation and redirect to expected compensation for this role. In jurisdictions where it remains legal, the strongest answer is still to redirect: “I'm focused on what this role pays. Based on my research, roles at this level in [city] are paying [X-Y range].”
“What are you looking for?” Avoid stating a single number first. Provide a range that starts at your aspiration point: “Based on the market data I've gathered, I'm targeting the [aspiration] to [aspiration + 15%] range, depending on the total package.” The range signals you've prepared and anchors high.
“That's outside our band.” Test it. Ask: “What's the upper edge of your band for this role and level? I want to make sure we're aligned on the role you're hiring for.” Often the hiring manager has more flexibility than the recruiter has communicated, particularly on signing bonus or equity rather than base.

What's actually negotiable

Base salary. Usually 5–15 % of room above the initial offer in normal markets; 0–5 % in tight-budget markets.
Sign-on bonus. Often more flexible than base. Doesn't increase the company's recurring cost.
Equity grant. At early-stage and tech companies, the largest single negotiation lever; can swing 50 %+ in either direction.
Annual bonus target. The percentage of base offered as bonus target; often standardised by level but worth confirming.
Vacation days. Easier to negotiate than salary at the post-offer stage.
Start date. Useful as a low-cost trade-off (delay a few weeks) for a higher-cost element.
Title. Often more flexible than the level/band. A “Senior” modifier or a “Lead” in the title can add years to your career trajectory at no salary cost to the employer.

The negotiation timeline

Before the first interview. Gather market data. Set your reservation and aspiration points.
During interviews. Don't disclose. Express enthusiasm for the role and the company.
After the first verbal offer. Acknowledge the offer, ask for time to evaluate (24–48 hours minimum, 72–120 hours ideal). Ask for the offer in writing.
Counter-offer. One single, specific counter-offer with rationale. Not a range.
Final response. Accept, walk, or one final small adjustment.

What this calculator can do for you here

The calculator on this site doesn't help you determine market rate — that's external data work. But it does help you translate between different presentation formats: convert an annual offer to its hourly equivalent, compare that to a contractor rate you might already have, and check the take-home implication. Useful when an offer comes in as “$X salary plus Y bonus” and you want to compare it to a contracting alternative quoted in $/hour.