How to Negotiate a Higher Salary: 3 Evidence-Based Tips!
About this video
Jeff Su summarizes a LinkedIn and Austin Belcak report built on over 93,000 data points about negotiating job offers, then teaches three techniques from it. The headline findings he presents: people who negotiate earn up to two times more (100 percent more) over their careers, yet 54 percent of candidates do not negotiate; using the report’s figures — an average US salary around $63,000 per the Social Security Administration and 10 to 20 percent increases when changing jobs per Investopedia — his worked example of two people over 40 years ends with a $154,000 annual salary gap and a $1.9 million cumulative earnings difference. Half of candidates fear losing the offer, but he reports 84 percent of employers expect negotiation and budget for it, 90 percent say they have never withdrawn an offer because someone negotiated, and 73 percent are not offended; the top reasons people skip negotiating are fear of losing the offer (50 percent), not wanting to seem greedy (35 percent), and lack of confidence (33 percent). He also reports that 93 percent of candidates who negotiated received more than their original offer. Technique one: avoid the early salary trap by asking the recruiter to share the budgeted range first, since leverage grows the further you advance. Technique two: prepare a bolstering range from levels.fyi, Glassdoor, salary.com, and h1bdata.info plus about 10 comparable job descriptions, structuring the range so its low end sits near your target, because a Columbia study he cites found ranges outperform single numbers and employers anchor on the low end. Technique three: follow the double nope rule across three rounds — Plan A maximizes base salary, Plan B turns to equity and bonuses, Plan C to perks such as PTO, remote flexibility, and continuing education budgets. His bonus tip: take negotiation advice from people only one or two steps ahead of you.
Key takeaways
- Negotiate: per the LinkedIn/Belcak report, most employers expect it, budget for it, and almost never withdraw offers over it
- Deflect early salary questions by asking for the role’s budgeted range; leverage grows later in the process
- Build a bolstering range from salary databases and comparable postings, with the low end near your target
- Plan three negotiation rounds: base salary first, then equity and bonuses, then perks like PTO and flexibility
- If fear holds you back, pretend you are negotiating on behalf of a friend
Episode details: published January 7, 2025 · 7:59 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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