Ask before you sign
- Is the bonus target or a guarantee?
- What has to be true for equity to be worth the number on the slide?
- When does health coverage start, and who pays the premium?
- Is the title the level they will use at the next review?
Salary and Negotiation
Price the offer. Then ask once, clearly.
A counter is not a vibe. It is a number, a reason tied to the role, and a sentence that keeps the conversation open.
Research before you name a number
- Three sources. A salary site, a posting that lists a range, and one person who has hired or been hired for the level. One source is a rumor.
- Match level, not title. “Manager” at a 30-person company and at a public company are different jobs. Compare scope.
- Write the range you can defend. A floor you would accept and a target you can explain with the work, not with your rent.
Public ranges are a start. Levels.fyi is useful for many tech roles. O*NET is useful for tasks and typical wages across occupations. Neither knows your offer.
A counter that does not torch the offer
Thanks for the offer. I want the role. Based on the scope — owning the launch calendar for three product lines — I was targeting $148,000 base. If you can meet that, I can confirm this week. If the band stops lower, I am open to talking about the signing bonus or an earlier review.
You thanked them, named the work, named one number, and gave a second lever. You did not apologize, and you did not issue an ultimatum.
Read past the base
Treat these as cash only if you can price them
- Signing bonus, because it is real and one-time.
- A known bonus percentage on base.
- Equity only at a value you would explain to a skeptical friend.
- Leave the “unlimited PTO” line out of the math.
Compare two offers
This adds the pieces you can put a number on. It does not know the market. Numbers stay in this browser.
Guides from the archive
No stories landed here yet.