Ask a Career Advisor: Can You Lose a Job Offer by Negotiating Salary? (2024)

FAQs

Ask a Career Advisor: Can You Lose a Job Offer by Negotiating Salary? ›

If you're respectful, realistic, and strategic when negotiating salary, there is little risk that you'll lose the job offer entirely,” said Cole.

It is possible to lose a job offer while negotiating a salary, but Appiah said it only happens in certain contexts. The job offer tends only to be rescinded if the candidate is “negotiating for the sake of negotiating” or the number they are proposing is unreasonable.

Offering a job, even in writing, does not mean you are working for them. It means you have been offered a job. If during the negotiations the company feels you are not the person they want to fill the position they can withdraw their offer.

Unless the employer explicitly stipulates that their offers are nonnegotiable, that's typically a mistake. In fact, because they expect job candidates to negotiate salary, employers typically offer somewhat less than they are willing to pay.

Strive for agreement and harmony in your negotiation and that you appreciate their offer and that you are negotiating to benefit both the company and you. Overall, we recommend that you start with a figure that's no more than 10-20% above the initial salary.

What is this? But you should know that in almost every case, the company expects you to negotiate and it's in your best interest to give it a shot. In fact, a study by Salary.com found 84% of employers expect job applicants to negotiate salary during the interview stage.

Avoid bringing up salary negotiations in the hiring process until you have a firm offer. Don't try to get one company to match another company's offer. You can turn to a salary website for information, but don't rely only on the estimates for salary negotiations.

While employers are anticipating that you'll negotiate salary, there are mistakes that could cost you. “Be mindful of your tone. If you come across as entitled, demanding, or adversarial, the employer may reject your counteroffer, or worse, rescind their original offer and move on to someone else,” warned Cole.

Short answer- no, they won't rescind your offer, so no worries there. But there IS a right way to advocate for yourself and request what's fair to you. The most recent salary negotiation I assisted a client with came in $15k higher than the initial offer because my client simply asked!

Should you ever accept the first salary offer? ›

Just as experts often advise job candidates to never accept an employer's first offer for a salary, an employer may counter your desired salary with a new number. You can choose to accept the employer's counter offer or negotiate further.

I want to be upfront with you that the salary is lower than I was expecting based on my skills and experience. I'd like to be at a number more like $X. I'm really interested in this opportunity and would love to make this work with you.”

Entry-level base salaries are usually subject to no more than 10 percent of the original salary offered. Note that many top employers have set, non-negotiable salaries at this level. Mid-level positions typically have a negotiation range of between 10 and 20 percent.

Remember, you're applying for entry level, and you shouldn't expect something on the higher range. Consider negotiating lower if 10-20% places you above the average. Is the pay in-line with average pay, but still believe you can negotiate based on your skills? Consider a range between 5-7% above.

“I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to discuss salary expectations with me. Ultimately, I will have to decline this role/job offer as the salary is too far outside my expectations to leave my current position.”

Don't take it personally if you're getting a job offer lower than your current or expected salary, and most importantly, always be professional and polite with your responses. Be clear and straightforward about your expected payment range, and don't be afraid to ask for it.

Sometimes, when following up on a salary negotiation, you may encounter challenges or changes. For instance, you may not hear back from the employer after sending your follow-up message. In this case, you should wait a few days before trying to contact them again, and use a different method if possible.