Salary Negotiation Checklist

Every time I have watched someone leave $20,000+ on the table in a salary negotiation, it was because they improvised. They felt the awkwardness of the pause, named a number, and accepted the first counter. A checklist solves this. It removes emotional load from the moment of pressure and replaces it with a sequence you have already decided on.

The specific numbers in the FAANG midlevel market tell the story. A Senior Software Engineer offer at Google in 2025 typically comes in at roughly $180,000 base + $60,000 target bonus + $160,000/yr RSU vest for a year-one TC of about $400,000. The same level at Meta lands at $205,000 base + $70,000 bonus + $180,000/yr RSU, closer to $455,000 TC. That is a $55,000/year gap for the same work, the same level, the same city. Without a checklist, candidates walk into both calls with the same script and end up anchored to whatever the first recruiter named.

Last year I coached a product manager taking a Series C offer. Recruiter came in at $175,000 base + $25,000 sign-on + 0.15% equity over four years. Candidate was ready to sign. We ran the checklist.

Research turned up that the same level at three direct competitors was $195-210k base. Positioning: candidate had two other late-stage interviews. Anchor: we countered at $200,000 base + $40,000 sign-on + 0.22% equity. Recruiter came back with $192,000 base + $35,000 sign-on + 0.20% equity. Candidate took it. Total delta from the first offer: $17,000/yr in base (compounds into $85k over 5 years) plus $10k sign-on plus an extra $150k in equity at modeled liquidity. Call took 48 hours end to end.

The checklist did the work. The candidate did not have to improvise at the exact moment when emotional pressure was highest.

1. The false urgency move. "We need a decision by Friday or we go to the next candidate." Real deadlines exist, but they are usually tied to a signed offer expiring or a candidate pool closing at end of quarter. Ask directly: "What happens if I need until Monday?" If the answer is vague, the deadline is soft.

2. The band ceiling claim. "This is already at the top of band for L5." Translation: base is at the ceiling. Sign-on, equity, start date, and PTO are almost always still negotiable. Do not let a band-ceiling statement close the entire conversation.

3. The "take it or leave it" framing. "This is our best and final." Sometimes real. More often, a negotiation tactic the recruiter has been coached to use. Respond with: "I appreciate that — can you confirm with the hiring manager that this is the final structure, and I'll make a decision within 24 hours?" Ninety percent of the time the number moves a little more.

Walking is a skill. You should walk if: (1) the base offer is more than 20% below the 50th percentile of verified market data for the level, (2) the company refuses to put terms in writing after a verbal agreement, (3) the equity vest schedule includes a cliff longer than 1 year or a back-loaded structure that vests only 10% in year one, or (4) you discover during reference calls that the team has turned over more than 40% in the last 18 months.

Walking away is also leverage. Recruiters know that candidates who can walk negotiate from strength. The candidates who get the best offers are not the ones who need the job the most — they are the ones who credibly do not.

Hour 0: thank the recruiter, confirm receipt, say you need 2-3 business days. Do not discuss numbers on the call.

Hour 1-24: run every number through a calculator. Use the Take-Home Pay Calculator to see the after-tax reality in your state. Use the Total Compensation Analyzer to compare against the competing offer. Use the RSU Calculator to model the equity at 50%, 100%, and 150% of current price. Print everything.

Hour 24-36: draft the written counter. Keep it to six sentences. Anchor one dollar number, cite 1-2 data points, bundle the ask, close with commitment language.

Hour 36-48: send it. Follow up exactly one business day later if no response.

As of 2026, pay transparency laws are in effect in Colorado, California, New York state, New York City, Washington, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. Employers with 15+ employees in these jurisdictions are required to publish a good-faith salary range in job postings. The ranges are real data — use them.

Even when the posted range is wide ($140-220k is common), the midpoint is usually the company's target. Anchoring at the midpoint plus 10% is a defensible number. Below the midpoint is where first-time negotiators end up when they do not have data.

Before any negotiation with a multi-state employer, check their job postings in Colorado and NYC — they must disclose there even if the role is remote or based elsewhere. That posting is your starting data point.

This checklist answers the question "what do I do?" It does not answer "how much is this actually worth?" For that, pair it with the Salary Negotiation Lifetime Value calculator to see how a $10,000 negotiation bump compounds into six figures over a 30-year career. A one-time $15,000 bump at age 30, with 3% annual raises, becomes roughly $680,000 in additional lifetime earnings before investment growth. Negotiation is not a one-time moment — it is the rate multiplier on every raise that follows.

Take the Negotiation Readiness Quiz before you start to identify the weak spots in your prep. If you score below 60, spend another week on research before you send the counter.

This is not legal, financial, or employment advice. Salary negotiation outcomes depend on the specific employer, role, market conditions, and jurisdiction. Employment law varies by state and locality — pay transparency, right-to-know, and non-compete rules change frequently. If your negotiation involves a non-compete, deferred compensation, equity at a pre-IPO company, or a severance package, consult a licensed employment attorney. This checklist is distilled from public comp data and practitioner experience. It is not a substitute for professional advice on your specific situation.