Why This Matters
Negotiating a job offer can increase your salary by 5-10% or more, impacting your lifetime career earnings (Glassdoor, 2023). Understanding salary norms and effective negotiation helps you secure a fair and satisfying role you are excited to accept.
Pro Tip 🪄: Though an email may feel less intimidating, negotiations are best done in live conversation so when you acknowledge receipt of the offer, ask about timeline and availability for this discussion.
Note: It is important to acknowledge bias and resulting gaps in pay resulting in a loss of $500,000 – $1.25 million over the course of a career. Here is a recent article (The Next Web, 2025) showing that ChatGPT has advised women to ask for lower salaries than males when all other aspects of the candidates were the same. This is an example of how AI reflects bias as it exists in salary data and can perpetuate wage gaps unintentionally.
Action: Be sure to conduct thorough, unbiased research on salary data in order to confidently advocate for yourself in negotiation.
Wage Gap: Gender
In 2023, among full-time, year-round workers:
- Black women earned 67% of what white, non-Hispanic men earned.
- Hispanic women earned just 58%.
- Asian women were closer to parity at 94%.
- White women earned 80%.
Wage Gap: Disability
Full-time, year-round workers with a disability earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by workers without a disability. When accounting for all workers (including part-time), the gap widens further to just 66 cents for every dollar.
Wage Gap: LGBTQ+
- LGBTQ+ workers overall earn 90 cents for every dollar the typical U.S. worker earns.
- LGBTQ+ Black workers earn 80 cents, and Native American LGBTQ+ workers earn only 70 cents for every dollar.
- Within gender identities: trans women earn 60 cents, and non‑binary/genderqueer individuals earn 70 cents for every dollar earned by the typical U.S. worker.
Quick Start
Research average salaries for your desired role, industry, and location. Find reliable salary information using trusted websites like:
- CareerOneStop (U.S. Dept. of Labor) – Pulls directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics data, packaged in a simpler interface.
- SalaryExpert – Uses employer-reported data, compensation surveys, and cost-of-living analytics. Highly reliable, especially for global and executive roles.
- Salary.com (and CompAnalyst) – Employer-reported and HR-vetted data, widely used by HR departments for benchmarking. Strong accuracy, though some datasets require a subscription.
Know your needs, wants, and goals to decide what salaries fit these requirements. Use a cost of living calculator to determine differences across locations
Determine what outside of salary you value in an offer and how you might negotiate for these. Options include:
- Signing bonus
- Relocation assistance
- Flexible work hours and/or remote work options
- Professional development budget or training
- Vacation days
- Start date
- Equity or stock options
- Performance review timeline and raise schedule
Next Steps
Pro Tip 🪄: Remember this is a partnership between you and the employer. It should be a collective conversation toward a common goal, not an adversarial one.
It is important to carefully read and consider ALL parts of an offer letter. Here are several details that are often included:
- Title and level – this may be a number or code that corresponds with an internal pay band
- Base salary – gross dollar amount (before taxes) and the pay schedule (i.e. every 2 weeks)
- Signing bonus – one-time payment occurring once hired. Check if you need to stay a certain amount of time in order to not have to pay this back.
- Equity or stock options – be sure to ask about vesting schedules (how long you have to work there to keep the employer’s contribution)
- Benefits (healthcare, retirement plans) – know when these are active and if there is a vesting schedule
- Vacation and paid time off – What are paid holidays? Are vacation and sick leave separate or is all PTO earned together? How is it earned (i.e. hours per pay period)
- Work hours and remote/in-office policies
- Probation period or contract length
- Acknowledge receipt of the offer within 24 hours.
- Be polite and appreciative of the offer.
- Ask for time to carefully review and consider the offer in detail. You may inquire by when they need your decision in order to be considerate of their timeline along with your own.
- Negotiate an offer you want to keep. You may be a candidate for several roles so be sure to advocate for an offer you’re excited to accept. This will reduce the appeal of competing offers that may come in after you have accepted, preserving yours and Duke’s reputations.
- Request a meeting to discuss the offer and repeat your enthusiasm for the opportunity.
- Share your research facts confidently without exaggeration.
- Explain your value and experience that justifies negotiation. Keep this professional (i.e. specialized expertise, years of experience, etc.) Personal details regarding your financial need are not appropriate reasons for an employer to adjust salary or other benefits.
- Prioritize what matters most to you. Know what you need and want before the conversation begins and how you’re willing to compromise to reach consensus.
- Use clear and simple language to avoid misunderstandings. If the employer uses terms or phrases you don’t understand, ask them to clarify.
- Practice your conversation with a career coach, friend, or mentor.
Stop Searching Once You Accept:
- Once you accept a written offer, stop interviewing and job searching
- Notify other employers politely that you have accepted another offer and remove your candidacy
- Focus on preparing for your new role!
- Successfully Negotiating Job Offers – Duke resource video
- 15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer – Harvard Business Review
- Program on Negotiation – Harvard University Law School
Templates, Examples, & Frameworks
Subject: Request to Discuss Job Offer Details
Dear [Hiring Manager’s/Recruiter’s Name],
Thank you very much for extending the job offer for the [Position Name] role. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name]. I would appreciate the chance to discuss some details of the offer to ensure a mutual fit.
Could we schedule a brief conversation at your convenience?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
- “Thank you again for the offer! I was wondering if there is flexibility on the start date?”
- “Based on my research and experience, industry standards seem to be closer to $x”
- “I’d love to discuss options for remote work or flexible hours?”
Practice & Improve with Resources
Goal | Resource | Action |
Practice with a real person | Make an appointment to strategize and practice | |
Learn persuasive communication with case examples | Complete modules that use a framework to analyze and shape negotiations | |
Debunk negotiation myths | Gain awareness on common misconceptions | |
Get step-by-step course through Negotiation norms & techniques | Work through the 3 Curriculum Units: Basics, Strategies, & Techniques |
