How to negotiate your salary package

Perceived Change in Market Since 2012

• Many argue the original advice feels dated: post‑LLM, post‑mass‑layoffs, engineers (especially non‑senior, non‑FAANG) have much less bargaining power.
• Others counter that for US engineers with ~5+ years’ experience, strong skills, and especially in top hubs, good packages and negotiation upside still exist.
• Several note that getting in the door is significantly harder now; once you’ve passed the loop, the basic negotiation dynamics haven’t changed much.

Salary vs Equity (and “Lottery Ticket” Risk)

• Strong disagreement on equity: some see startup options as essentially lottery tickets and urge “never trade salary for equity.”
• Others argue equity is finite, planned-for, and much more likely to pay out than lotteries, with higher expected value for those who pick startups well.
• Multiple anecdotes where exits yielded nothing for employees, reinforcing skepticism; others report large wins and insist empirical odds still favor tech over lotteries.

LLMs, Productivity, and Wage Pressure

• Several engineers report LLMs help greatly for greenfield or side projects, but hurt or add little in large, complex codebases.
• Some see LLM hype as employer FUD to justify lowering wages; others note LLMs plus cheaper engineers as a real threat to leverage, especially for weaker/junior devs.

Vacation and Non‑Cash Benefits

• Startups and some companies use extra PTO, flexibility, WFH, and schedule control as negotiation levers when salary is constrained.
• Debate over “unlimited vacation”: critics see it as a corporate benefit (no payout, social pressure not to use it); defenders say culture matters and it can work well.

How Much Power Do Typical Candidates Have?

• Many “rank‑and‑file” posters describe negotiations like: “Here’s $X; take it or leave it,” with no movement on salary, equity, or benefits.
• Others say this reflects weak alternatives: without a strong BATNA (competing offers or a solid current job), you’re not negotiating, you’re begging.

Negotiation Tactics and Timing

• Widely shared tactics: don’t give a number first; ask for their range; focus on total package; be willing to walk away.
• Competing offers are seen as the single biggest lever, but synchronizing multiple offers is described as very hard in today’s slow, asynchronous processes.
• Some concede modest wins (5–10% or small bumps in equity/bonus), others report repeated 20–50% uplifts using these methods.

Employer / Hiring‑Side Perspective

• Several hiring managers describe fixed bands and flow‑chart‑like constraints: recruiters often cannot truly “negotiate,” only move within predefined ranges.
• Common pattern: initial offer intentionally leaves a little room so candidates can “win” a small bump; if they don’t negotiate, that extra may show up later as a bonus.
• Some firms refuse to negotiate at all to keep internal fairness; others will stretch for rare, high‑impact candidates but not for average ones.
• A few note that “offer deadlines” and short acceptance windows are used partly to prevent offer stacking and regain leverage.

Geography, Seniority, and Niche Factors

• Seniors in hot niches (HFT, AI, high‑end infra) report very wide bands and strong leverage; mid‑tier or junior devs often report ghosting and no room to negotiate.
• Location matters: big US hubs and brand‑name employers offer more upside; some non‑US markets are described as structurally low‑pay with minimal flexibility.
• Several emphasize that building a strong track record, niche expertise, or personal brand changes the negotiation game more than any script alone.

Meta: Psychology, Confidence, and “Knowing Your Value”

• One recurring theme: most candidates underestimate their value and don’t even try. Those who do, politely and with leverage, often see life‑changing comp differences.
• Others warn against overconfidence: negotiation has real (if small) risks, including rare rescinded offers or damaged rapport, so candidates should be prepared for that.