Understanding typical negotiation ranges, what companies expect, and real client outcomes from successful negotiations.
Category: Pillar Pages · Published 2026-03-09 · Updated 2026-03-09
How Much Should You Counter a Job Offer?
You've received an offer. You know you should negotiate. But now you're staring at the number and asking yourself: How much is too much?
Ask for too little, and you leave money on the table. Ask for too much, and you worry they'll pull the offer. So what's the right amount?
What Companies Expect
Here's something most people don't realise: companies expect you to negotiate. Recruiters and hiring managers build flexibility into their initial offers — and most of them are quietly surprised when a candidate doesn't push back.
Not negotiating signals one of two things: that you don't know your market value, or that you're desperate for the role. Neither is good for your career.
Real Client Outcomes
When my clients counter strategically, the results speak for themselves. A few recent examples:
- A Product Manager who turned a flat offer into roughly $42K of additional value in year one through a stronger base, a better bonus, and a larger equity grant.
- An Engineering Manager who added $35K in total compensation by negotiating both base and a sign-on bonus the company originally said wasn't on the table.
- A first-time negotiator who walked away with several thousand more in base salary — a change that compounds into tens of thousands over the next decade of raises.
You're not being greedy when you counter. You're being strategic — and asking for what was very likely already allocated for you.
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Want Help With Your Counter?
The exact number you should counter — and the words you use to deliver it — depends on your role, your leverage, and the company on the other side of the table. That's what we build together in a strategy session.
Need help determining your exact counter strategy? Book a 90-Minute Negotiation Intensive and we'll build your game plan together.