Salary Negotiation Scripts: What to Actually Say to Get 10–20% More

Here's the hard truth about salary offers: most of them have room to move, and most candidates don't move them.

Around 84% of employers expect candidates to negotiate. Most offers include an implicit buffer of 10–20%, and companies budget for it. But roughly half of job candidates accept the first offer as given — often because they don't know what to say, don't want to seem greedy, or are afraid of losing the offer entirely.

None of those fears are well-founded. Negotiating is expected, professional, and in almost every case, well-received by the employer. You just need to know what to say.

Here are the scripts. Word for word. Plus the four moments in a job search where candidates most often leave money on the table, and how to handle each one.

Before Any Script: Know Your Numbers

No script works without preparation. Before any salary conversation:

1. Research the market. Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Kununu (Germany/DACH), LinkedIn Salary Insights. Find 5+ data points for this role, this city, this company size, this seniority. Calculate:
   • The 25th percentile (lower end)
   • The 50th percentile (market median)
   • The 75th percentile (upper end)
2. Know your floor. What's the lowest offer you'd accept without regret? Write this down. You need to be able to say no without hesitating.
3. Know your target. What offer would make you feel well-paid and excited? This is usually the 75th percentile for your market, +/- adjustments for company size and funding.
4. Know your ceiling. What would be genuinely above-market? Rare, but it happens. Know when to stop pushing.

You never share your floor. You sometimes share your target. Your ceiling is an internal anchor.

The Four Moments to Watch For

Money conversations happen at predictable stages. Each one needs a different script.

Moment 1: The Application Form Asks for Salary Expectations

The most common mistake: typing a specific number into a salary field on an application.

Don't do it. A specific number anchors you, gives away leverage before you've even had an interview, and often accidentally excludes you (if the number's too high) or underprices you (if too low).

What to do:

• If the form lets you, write "Negotiable" or "Open to discussion."
• If it forces a number, write your target — the 75th percentile number from your market research.
• If it forces a range, use your market research to write a range from the 60th to 90th percentile.

Never put your floor in the form. Employers use application-stage salary info as a ceiling, not a floor.

Moment 2: Screening Call Asks for Expectations

Five minutes into the screening call, the recruiter asks: "So, what are your salary expectations?"

Your goal: defer without seeming evasive.

Script:

"I want to make sure the role is a fit before getting into specifics. Could you share the range budgeted for this role? That'll help me give you a useful answer."

This works about 70% of the time. The recruiter will give you a range. Now you know their budget, and they don't know your expectations.

If they push back: "I'd really like to hear your expectations first."

Script:

"That's fair. Based on the role as I understand it and the market for this type of position, I'd expect somewhere in the range of €[75th-percentile minus 5%] to €[90th-percentile]. But I'd want to calibrate that once I understand the full scope of the role."

The key move: give a range, not a number. Make the range wide enough to leave negotiation room. Use market research, not your current salary, as the anchor.

Moment 3: The Offer Arrives

The call comes. "We're excited to extend an offer. The base salary is €[X]."

Regardless of the number, your next sentence should not be yes or no. It should be:

Script:

"Thank you — I really appreciate it. I'd like to take a couple of days to review the full package and come back with any questions. Could we schedule a follow-up for Thursday?"

This buys you time. It signals professionalism, not hesitation. And it prevents the most expensive mistake in negotiation: saying yes too fast.

Take 24–72 hours. Review the full compensation package (base, bonus, equity, benefits, vacation). Compare against your market research. Decide on a counter.

Moment 4: The Counter-Offer

You've done the research. You're countering.

The script structure:

1. Enthusiasm: Confirm you want the role.
2. Rationale: Anchor your request in market data or specific value.
3. Specific ask: One clear counter number.
4. Open close: Invite discussion.

Script (initial counter):

"I'm genuinely excited about this role and about joining the team. I've been reviewing the offer against the broader market for [role] at companies of your size in [city]. Based on my research, roles at this level are paying between €[lower] and €[upper], with my background — [specific unique qualifications] — putting me in the upper end of that range. I'd like to propose a base of €[your counter], which would bring the offer in line with that market. Is there flexibility on the base?"

Key elements:

• You named a specific counter number. Ranges invite meeting in the middle; specific numbers become anchors.
• Your number is 10–15% above their offer, within your researched market.
• You tied the ask to market data, not personal need. Never "I need more because my rent is expensive."
• You asked an open question ("Is there flexibility?"), not a demand.

What If They Say No?

If they come back with "The offer is firm," your next move depends on what you actually want.

Scenario A: Negotiate the full package

Base often has less flex than other components. Try:

Script:

"I understand. In that case, I'd like to discuss a few other pieces. Would there be flexibility on the signing bonus / additional equity / an earlier performance review / additional vacation days?"

Common levers to pull:

• Signing bonus (easier for the employer to approve than a higher base)
• Annual review commitment — "Could we commit to a review at 6 months rather than 12?"
• Equity or RSU grants (for roles where this applies)
• Additional vacation days
• Remote work flexibility
• Professional development budget
• Earlier start date for benefits / bonus eligibility

Scenario B: Hold your position

If you're genuinely between a yes and a no at their number, sometimes holding wins.

Script:

"I understand. I'd love to make this work. Given the scope and what I'd be bringing, €[your counter] is really the number I'd feel good accepting at. If that's not possible now, I'd understand — I'm happy to continue exploring other opportunities if there's no flex on this."

This is a risk. Only use it if you're genuinely willing to walk. But if your counter is market-reasonable, employers usually come back with something — even a small increase — rather than lose a candidate they've already chosen.

Scenario C: Use a competing offer (if you have one)

If you genuinely have another offer, leverage it.

Script:

"I want to be transparent — I have another offer at €[competing offer] that I need to respond to by [date]. Your role is my preferred choice, but I'd need the compensation to be competitive. Is there any flex to match or exceed €[competing offer]?"

Rules for using this:

• Only use it if it's real. Bluffing here, if caught, ruins trust and can cost you the offer.
• Don't name the company. Keep it vague.
• Don't use it as a threat. Use it as information.

Common Mistakes

"I'm really looking for at least €X."

"At least" gives away that you'd take less. Never use it. State your counter as a specific number.

"I can't accept less than my current salary."

Your current salary is irrelevant. What matters is the market rate for this role and what the employer budgets for it. Tying your counter to your current salary caps your growth.

Accepting immediately, then regretting it.

Always take 24–72 hours. Always. The employer won't rescind because you took two days. They will rescind — or hold it against you later — if you ask for a raise three months into the job because you accepted the initial offer too fast.

Negotiating on email when you could negotiate on call.

Email negotiations go worse than phone negotiations. Real-time back-and-forth gives you more signal, more chance to adjust, and more social pressure on the employer to move. When possible, get the call.

Negotiating benefits you don't care about.

Don't pad your counter with asks you don't actually want — it looks like you're negotiating for sport. Pick the things you'd genuinely use (vacation, signing bonus, etc.) and focus the ask there.

Germany-Specific Notes

A few things to know for negotiations in the German market:

• Base salary in Germany is typically annual, gross. (Bruttojahresgehalt.) Don't confuse with net (netto) — the take-home difference is significant after German tax and social contributions.
• 13th / 14th month pay is common in some industries. Factor it into the total compensation. A €60K base with a 13th month is effectively €65K.
• Urlaubstage (vacation days) are negotiable in many cases, and Germany's legal minimum is 20 days — most white-collar jobs offer 28–30, and some offer more.
• Bonuses tend to be more modest in Germany than in US/UK roles. Don't expect large performance bonuses; negotiate base instead.
• Negotiation tone is more direct than in US/UK. German recruiters appreciate a clear, fact-based ask. Less softening language, more specifics.

The Biggest Leverage Point You're Missing

Most candidates don't realize: the moment of maximum leverage is between verbal offer and signed contract.

Before the verbal offer, you haven't yet been chosen. After the signed contract, you've committed. In between — typically a 3–7 day window — the employer has already emotionally hired you. They've told their team. They've stopped interviewing. Walking away now is costly for them.

That's when negotiation works best. Not at the screening call. Not after you've signed. In that narrow window between "we want to make you an offer" and "welcome aboard."

Use it.

The Summary

• Prepare numbers before you negotiate. Floor, target, ceiling.
• Defer on early salary questions. Get their range before giving yours.
• Take 24–72 hours before responding to an offer. Always.
• Counter with specific numbers, backed by market data.
• If base is firm, negotiate the full package. Signing bonus, equity, vacation, review cadence.
• Don't bluff about competing offers. Use real ones; don't invent.
• Time-box the negotiation. Two rounds, three max. Extending it starts to cost goodwill.

Most candidates who follow this framework see an offer increase of 8–15%. Over a career, that compounds into hundreds of thousands.

Do the negotiation. It's expected. It's fair. And it's the one part of the job search you can't outsource — this conversation is yours.

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