Salary Negotiation Prep Worksheet

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2026년 3월 25일

💰 Salary Negotiation Series

🛠 How-To Guide

C-1-H1

Salary Negotiation Prep Worksheet (1 Hour)

This is a working document, not a reading exercise. Print it, open a notes app, or just work through it section by section. One hour from now, you'll have a specific number, the research to back it up, a written opener, and a plan for every response they might give. That's what walking in prepared actually looks like.

📅 Updated January 2026 ⏱ 60 min to complete 🎯 New offer + internal raise 📄 Print-friendly layout

Before you start

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Block 60 uninterrupted minutes. Don't rush this. The quality of your preparation is the quality of your outcome.

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Have the written offer (or the internal salary data you've collected) in front of you as you work.

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Write in full sentences where the worksheet asks for it. Vague notes produce vague conversations. Specific writing produces specific results.

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Read the companion articles first if you haven't: C-1-P (Playbook), C-1-C2 (Scripts).

Time breakdown

20 min

Sections 1–2
Research

20 min

Sections 3–4
Your numbers

20 min

Sections 5–6
Scripts & practice

Market Research

⏱ ~10 minutes · Have 2–3 browser tabs open

Your market number is the foundation of everything that follows. A well-researched number is confident. A guess is nervous. Use at least two sources — three if you can. Record what each one says so you can triangulate.

Recommended sources (open these now)

Levels.fyi Glassdoor LinkedIn Salary Payscale BLS (US) Blind A peer in a similar role

📝 Fill in: Market data by source

Source	Salary range found	Notes (location, level, company size)
Source 1	$_____ – $_____	e.g. NYC, senior, 1,000+ employees
Source 2	$_____ – $_____
Source 3	$_____ – $_____
Peer / recruiter input	$_____ – $_____	Most accurate — weight this highest

📝 Fill in: Market synthesis

The overall market range I'm seeing

$_______

The midpoint of that range

$_______

The upper quartile (top 25%)

$_______

This is typically where you want to anchor your ask if your skills and experience justify it.

Any factors that push you above or below midpoint?

e.g. Specialist skills that are scarce, a very large company that pays above market, a low-cost city, recent career gap, etc.

Your Case for the Number

⏱ ~10 minutes · Specific, concrete, no fluff

Market data tells them what the role is worth. This section tells them what you are worth — and why the gap between the offer and your ask is justified. Write in complete sentences. You will use this language on the call.

What counts as a strong rationale — and what doesn't

❌ Weak rationale

"I have X years of experience"

"I need to pay my bills"

"I feel I deserve more"

"My last company paid me $Y"

✓ Strong rationale

Specific delivered outcomes with numbers

Rare or in-demand skills you hold

Market data showing the gap

Scope of role vs. your experience level

📝 Fill in: Your three strongest justifications

Justification (specific result, skill, or experience)

e.g. "Led the migration of a legacy payment system handling $200M/year — completed 3 weeks ahead of schedule with zero downtime."

Justification (specific result, skill, or experience)

e.g. "One of fewer than 200 certified practitioners of [framework] in North America."

Justification (specific result, skill, or experience)

e.g. "Have done this exact role at a competitor — zero ramp-up time, I can contribute from week one."

Your Three Numbers

⏱ ~10 minutes · The most important section

These three numbers are your entire decision-making framework. Set them now, before the conversation, when you're calm and have your research in front of you. The moment the negotiation is live, these numbers are fixed — you don't revise them under pressure.

Target Number

The number you ask for first

🎯

This is slightly above — or at — market mid-point. It should be a number you'd be genuinely happy to accept if they said yes immediately. Not inflated to seem ambitious; not conservative to seem reasonable. The honest market rate for what you bring.

My target (base salary):

$_____________

Sanity check: Is this at or above the midpoint of your market research? Does it feel defensible with the justifications you wrote in Section 2? If yes, it's your target.

Stretch Number

Use when your leverage is unusually high

📈

10–15% above your target. Use this number if you have a competing offer, know the role has been open for months, or hold genuinely rare skills. It should still be defensible — ambitious but not disconnected from market reality.

My stretch (base salary):

$_____________

Conditions where I'd use this:

When to use it: Competing offer in hand · Role open 3+ months · Unique, scarce skill set · Exploding job market for your specialty

Walk-Away Number

Do not share this. Ever.

🚪

The absolute minimum you'd accept — factoring in the full package — without regret. Below this number, the role isn't worth taking. This is a private anchor only. It never enters the negotiation conversation.

My walk-away (total package value):

$_____________

The rule: If the final offer — including all alternative levers — doesn't reach this number, you decline. You made this decision when you were calm and had all the data. Honor it when it's hard.

📝 Fill in: The gap you're trying to close

Their offer

$_______

My target

$_______

The gap

$_______

This gap is what you're negotiating to close — in base salary, or across other levers in Section 4.

Alternative Levers

⏱ ~10 minutes · Your backup plan when base is fixed

If base salary genuinely can't move, these are your alternatives. Rank them in advance — you don't want to be deciding their priority in real time during the negotiation. For each one, note whether you'd accept it and roughly what value it would need to represent to close the gap.

📝 Fill in: Alternative levers, ranked by priority

#	Lever	Would I accept?	What I'd need it to be worth / what I'd ask for
1	Signing bonus	Y / N	$_____ one-time
2	Equity / RSU grant	Y / N	_____ additional units
3	Remote / hybrid flexibility	Y / N	Full remote / _____ days
4	Earlier review date	Y / N	6-month review + target $____
5	Title / level upgrade	Y / N	From _______ to _______
6	Additional PTO	Y / N	_____ additional days/year
7	L&D / conference budget	Y / N	$_____ / year
8	Other: ________________	Y / N

My pivot line (memorize this):

"If base salary is truly fixed, I'd love to look at the broader package — specifically [your #1 lever] and [your #2 lever]. Is there flexibility there?"

Fill in your top two levers from the table above and practice this line out loud before the call.

Your Scripts

⏱ ~10 minutes · Write, then say aloud three times

Write your actual opening line below — in your own voice, using the structure from the playbook. Then your response if they say no on base. Then the close. Having these written makes the call dramatically easier.

📝 Script A — Your opening ask

Say this out loud 3× after writing

Structure: [Enthusiasm] + [The ask + brief rationale] + [Question] + [Silence]

Example: "Thanks so much for sending everything over — I've reviewed it carefully and I'm genuinely excited about this role and the team. The one thing I'd love to discuss is the base salary. Based on my research and the experience I'm bringing, I was hoping we could get to $[X]. Is that something you have flexibility on?"

My version:

📝 Script B — If they say base is fixed

Pivot, don't fold

Structure: [Accept the constraint] + [Pivot to levers] + [Specific ask on lever #1]

Example: "I appreciate you being straight with me. Can we look at the broader package? I'm particularly interested in whether there's flexibility on [lever 1] or [lever 2] — I'm genuinely trying to make this work."

My version (with my actual top levers filled in):

📝 Script C — Accepting the offer

Warm, forward-looking, done

Structure: [Genuine enthusiasm] + [Formal acceptance] + [Next steps]

Example: "I'm really glad we could get to a place that works — I'm excited to formally accept. I'm looking forward to getting started. What are the next steps on paperwork?"

My version:

📝 Script D — Declining the offer

Warm, brief, bridge intact

Structure: [Genuine thanks] + [Brief, non-specific reason] + [Leave the door open]

Example: "I really appreciate everything — the process has been great throughout. After careful thought, I don't think I can make the numbers work at this level. I hope our paths cross again."

My version:

Final Checks

⏱ ~10 minutes · Don't skip this

You've done the work. These final checks make sure nothing slips through — and that you're walking into the call in the right headspace, not just with the right notes.

☑ Logistics checklist

I have the written offer in front of me and have read every line — base, bonus, equity, benefits, review timeline.

I know whether I'm doing this by phone, video, or email — and I've prepared accordingly. (If phone/video: quiet space, notes nearby, no distractions.)

I know the recruiter's name and have their contact details ready for follow-up.

I know what state/country laws apply to salary history questions (see C-1-C1) — and how I'll respond if asked.

I know this company's policy on geo-based comp — and have factored location into my ask if relevant.

☑ Pre-call mindset checklist

I've said my opening line out loud — not just in my head — at least three times. It feels natural.

I've reminded myself: this is a business transaction. A low first offer is not a verdict on my worth. It's a budget number.

I've reminded myself: after my ask, I stop talking. I do not fill the silence. I count to ten if I have to.

I know my walk-away number. If the final package — all levers exhausted — doesn't reach it, I will decline. I've accepted that possibility.

I will not apologize for asking. I will not add "I know it's a lot" or "I'm very flexible" after my number. I will say it and stop.

Your negotiation at a glance — fill this in last, keep it in front of you on the call

Their offer

$_________

My target ask

$_________

My stretch (if leverage is high)

$_________

Walk-away (private)

$_________

If base is fixed, I pivot to

1. ___________________ 2. ___________________

My three justifications (one line each)

1. ______________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________

Using this worksheet for an internal raise

The same six sections apply — with three modifications specific to negotiating with a current employer.

Section 1 modification: Research your company's bands, not just the open market

If your company posts salary ranges on job listings (required in several US states), look at comparable roles. If not, check Glassdoor and Blind for your specific employer. The internal rate and the open market rate may differ — you need to know both.

Section 2 modification: Lead with recent impact, not tenure

Your three justifications should be recent — ideally from the past 12 months. "I've been here four years" is not a justification. "I led the product launch that drove $3M in new ARR this year" is. If you can't name three concrete contributions from the past year, that's useful information about the timing of this ask.

Section 5 modification: Add a "what if they defer" script

Internal conversations often end with "not right now" rather than yes or no. Write a response for this: "I understand — can we set specific criteria together so I know exactly what I need to demonstrate to make this case at the next review cycle? I'd love a clear target, not a vague 'we'll see.'" Then follow up in writing with a summary of whatever was discussed.

✅

You're prepared. Now make the call.

The preparation you just did is more than 90% of people bring to this conversation. Trust your research, trust your numbers, and trust the scripts. The first thirty seconds are the hardest. After that, it's a conversation.

Review the Playbook → Review the Scripts →

Salary Negotiation Series

C-1-P

The Complete Salary Negotiation Playbook (2026) ↗

C-1-C1

When and How to Bring Up Salary ↗

C-1-C2

Exactly What to Say in a Salary Negotiation ↗

C-1-C3

Why Salary Negotiations Fail ↗

C-1-H1

Salary Negotiation Prep Worksheet · You are here

Using this worksheet for an internal raise

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