How to negotiate a tech offer.

The anatomy of a tech offer

Before you can negotiate anything, know what you actually received. A senior tech offer typically has seven components:

• Base salary - cash, guaranteed, taxed as ordinary income.
• Annual bonus / target bonus - usually 10–25% of base, at-risk.
• Sign-on bonus - one-time cash, often clawback-attached (usually 12–24 months).
• Equity grant - RSUs (public) or options (private). Vesting schedule matters as much as the number.
• Refresh / annual equity - often quiet. Ask.
• Relocation and one-time expenses - negotiable, often left on the table.
• Benefits and time off - PTO, remote flexibility, sabbatical, 401k match.

When a candidate says "the offer was $250K," they usually mean base. The total compensation, TC, is often 40–80% higher once you add bonus, sign-on, and equity. Every one of those seven components is negotiable. Not equally, but every one.

When to counter

The single biggest mistake I see is countering the moment the recruiter says "the offer is [number]." Do not respond in the same conversation.

The right sequence:

1. Get the offer verbally.
2. Ask for it in writing.
3. Thank them. Say you want 48–72 hours to review it with your family.
4. Do not say a number. Do not say "let me think." Do not say "I was hoping for more."
5. Hang up.

The 48-hour gap is the leverage. It moves you from "hot candidate" to "candidate they might lose." Recruiters have quotas. Losing a signed offer costs them more than a $20K counter.

The counter script that works

Get on a call - never negotiate in writing. Writing gives them time to build a case; the call forces a decision. The script:

"Thanks again for the offer. I want to be straightforward with you - I'm excited about the role, and I want to make this work. Based on the market data I'm seeing at my level and based on the other conversations I'm in, I was expecting [target TC number], with the base closer to [base number]. Is there room to move on base and sign-on to close that gap?"

Notice the mechanics:

• You lead with excitement - you're not leaving.
• You anchor on total comp, not just base - that's where the real levers are.
• You name "other conversations" - leverage without naming companies.
• You give them two specific levers (base, sign-on) - makes it easy to say yes to one.
• You end with a question - the ball is in their court.

What to counter when you have no other offer

The "leverage myth" says you need a competing offer to negotiate. Not true - but the language changes. Without a competing offer, replace "other conversations" with market data:

"Levels.fyi and my private network for [target title] at [comparable companies] show TC in the [range] - this offer is coming in below that band. Is there room to close that?"

Do the research. Bring specific comparables. Recruiters know these numbers - pretending you don't is what kills the counter.

The mistakes that cost $30K–$80K

1. Countering base only. Base is the hardest lever. Sign-on and equity are usually easier - separate budgets, less politically visible internally.
2. Giving a number first. If a recruiter asks your expectation before an offer, deflect: "I'm looking at total comp at market for this level. What's the range you're working with?"
3. Accepting equity without vesting math. A $400K four-year grant with a one-year cliff and 25/25/25/25 vesting is not the same product as $400K with a six-month cliff and 40/30/20/10 front-loading. Model both.
4. Not asking about the refresh. Every senior offer at a public company has an annual refresh grant. Not asking is not the same as not getting it - it just gets quieter.
5. Signing the day the offer arrives. Every recruiter loves this. Every candidate loses $10K–$30K doing it.
6. Negotiating over email. Get on the call. Every time.
7. Accepting the first counter. If they moved once, they can move twice. The second counter is almost always smaller - but $8K on base is $8K compounding for four years.

Special cases

Startup equity. Options are a lottery ticket. Ask for the strike price, the current 409A valuation, the last preferred round price, the option pool size, and the liquidation preference. If they will not share those, that is the negotiation.

Fully remote roles. Location-based comp is negotiable. If they cited a "band adjustment" for your zip code, ask what band they'd offer if you moved. The delta is often $30K.

Executive levels (VP+). Add severance to the negotiation. Six months severance on a $400K base is $200K of protection. Almost every VP+ offer will negotiate this; almost no VP+ candidate asks.

What "leverage" actually is

Leverage is not a competing offer. Leverage is the recruiter's belief that you might not sign. The 48-hour pause creates it. The market data quantifies it. The counter script uses it. And walking away, genuinely, once, calmly, is what makes it real.

If any of that feels harder to do alone than to read, that's the reason the Senior Landing Program™ includes negotiation. Modeled offer, benchmarks, the script you'll actually say, on the call with you if you want. Clients average +$40K over their original ask. The program pays for itself on that lift alone.