How to Negotiate Salary
Learn how to negotiate your salary with confidence. Get clear steps, example wording, and expert advice to secure a better pay rise or job offer in the UK.
I’ll say this upfront because it is important to understand: wanting to earn more isn’t greedy or unreasonable. It’s absolutely normal.
In my role as a career advisor who helps people launch or switch careers, the majority of people I work with are looking to find a new job so they can improve their income and quality of life. However, many of them struggle when it comes to talking about money and negotiating salary.
Salary conversations can feel uncomfortable, but here’s how I encourage you to reframe those thoughts: it isn’t a confrontation, it’s a professional discussion about value.
Knowing your skills, your impact, and how you’ve developed over time (by gaining qualifications and experience, or through continued professional development) gives you something solid to stand on. When you’re prepared, the conversation feels a lot less daunting and far more constructive.
Written by
Kirsten has worked in career development, recruitment, and people-focused roles for several years. She knows what it’s like to navigate career change and to search for a role that's more aligned with your goals; she's proud of the work she does to help our customers develop the tools, mindset, and confidence to land jobs they’re proud of.
What's on this page?
Jump to:
- When Is the Right Time to Negotiate Salary?
- Do Your Homework First: The Prep That Makes Things Easier
- How Qualifications and Skills Strengthen Your Negotiating Position
- What to Say
- How to Respond If They Push Back
- Conclusion: It's a Salary Negotiation, Not a Confrontation
- How to Negotiate Salary FAQs
When Is the Right Time to Negotiate Salary?
Timing matters more than most people realise. Strong cases can fall flat simply because the conversation happened at the wrong moment.
In practice, there are two common situations where negotiating makes sense.
- The first is when you’re already in a role and feel your pay no longer reflects what you do.
- The second is after you’ve received a job offer, when expectations are still being set.
So how do you know the timing is right? Look for signals.
- Maybe your role has recently expanded.
- Maybe you’ve got clear performance results you can point to.
- Or maybe the market has shifted and your skills are now in higher demand.
In tech roles especially, negotiation is expected. Employers often build in room for discussion, so raising the topic professionally won’t come as a surprise.
Fact: Median UK Pay Continues to Rise in 2026 - and this could be important to your negotiation
In 2025, the median full-time salary in the UK reached £39,039, representing a 4.3% increase year on year. This shows that, despite economic uncertainty, pay levels are still moving upward across the labour market.
If average pay is rising, understanding how your salary compares to current market levels gives you a stronger footing when negotiating. It helps shift the conversation from personal need to fair market value.
Do Your Homework First: The Prep That Makes Things Easier
This is the part most people skip, and it’s usually where confidence unravels. Preparation takes the emotion out of the conversation. When you’ve done the work upfront, you’re not relying on how you feel in the moment; you’re relying on facts.
Before you start the conversation, make sure you’re clear on:
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Market salary ranges for your role, level, and location, not just national averages.
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Your actual responsibilities versus your job title, especially if your role has grown over time.
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The business impact you’ve had, focusing on outcomes rather than effort. Think saved time, improved systems, smoother delivery, and stronger results.
A really useful way to pull this together is to run through a personal skills audit. We walk you through this step by step in our guide on how to do a personal skills audit.
How Qualifications and Skills Strengthen Your Negotiating Position
One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in recent years is that employers pay for capability, not just time served. Tenure still matters, but it’s your skills and how you apply them that really move the salary needle, especially in tech and project management roles.
Professional training and recognised certifications give weight to your case.
They show you’ve invested in staying current, that you understand industry standards, and that you can step into greater responsibility with less risk to the business. That makes higher pay easier to justify because it’s linked to what you can deliver, not just how long you’ve been around.
When learning is tied to real outcomes, like improved delivery, better data insight, or stronger stakeholder management, it becomes business value, not a personal request.
What to Say
When it comes to negotiating salary, the words you choose often shape the conversation outcome. The right wording keeps the conversation calm, professional, and focused on value. The wrong wording can make it feel emotional or confrontational, even when that’s not your intention.
Here are a few simple scripts you can adapt to suit your own situation.
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Asking for a pay rise in your current role:
“I’d like to talk about my salary in light of how my role has developed and the impact I’ve been having. Based on my responsibilities and current market rates, I believe an adjustment is fair.”
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Responding to an offer below expectations:
“I’m really positive about the role. Based on my experience and the skills I’d be bringing, I was hoping we could look at a salary closer to £X. Is there flexibility there?”
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If the employer hesitates:
“I understand there are constraints. Could we talk about what would need to happen for this to be reviewed in the near future?”
Keep your tone calm and collaborative throughout. Negotiation works best when it feels like a two-way conversation, not a demand, and that shift in mindset can change how the whole discussion goes.
Fact: Nearly Half of Employers Stuck to Planned Pay Rises
Research found that 49% of employers delivered the pay increases they originally planned in 2025, while 36% awarded lower increases due to budget pressures. Outcomes vary widely between organisations.
This is why preparation matters so much. A well-evidenced case helps you stand out, even when budgets are tight.
How to Respond If They Push Back
Pushback is a normal part of salary discussions. I always tell people not to read too much into it. A pause or a “not right now” usually reflects budgets and processes, not a judgment on your performance.
If you hear “it’s not in the budget”, keep the conversation open. You might respond with, “I understand. Could we talk about what would need to change for this to be reviewed?” That shifts the focus to future action.
If the response is “now isn’t the right time”, ask for clarity. “When would be a better time to revisit this?” gives you something concrete to work towards.
If an immediate increase isn’t possible, negotiate alternatives. That could include:
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A clear review timeline
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A development plan linked to progression
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Adjustments to role scope or responsibilities
Stay professional and forward-looking throughout. Even if the answer isn’t yes today, how you handle the conversation often shapes what happens next.
Conclusion: It's a Salary Negotiation, Not a Confrontation
From experience, confidence tends to follow action, not the other way around. It grows by preparing, having the first discussion, and realising you can handle it. Even if the outcome isn’t exactly what you hoped for straight away, taking action puts you back in control of your career.
If you’d like a bit of support before you take that step, we’re happy to help. You can book a free consultation with one of our career experts to talk through your situation and your career goals below.
