As an experienced remote software developer, you’re always looking for the most exciting and rewarding opportunities. Confidently managing salary negotiations is key to ensuring you get the jobs and pay you deserve.
To help streamline your search for the best remote development jobs at top US companies and ensure you’re happy both with your job and your salary negotiation, continue reading to learn everything you should (and shouldn’t) do when negotiating your pay.
Nexton’s top 4 salary negotiation tips
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Do your homework
Knowing the current standards for software developer pay before you enter salary negotiations for a new opportunity is a no-brainer. Indeed, Payscale and Glassdoor are excellent tools for gathering information about current rates for software development roles across the US that you can use in your salary negotiation.
What’s more, you can leverage our latest Tech Salaries & Benefits Trends Report to find up-to-date salary info for your remote engineering role.
However, there is other information you can arm yourself with in order to ensure upcoming salary negotiation tips in your favor.
A great place to start is researching the company and job you’re applying for. Ask yourself;
- Is this a startup or an established company? How will this affect their budget and the way I approach my salary negotiation?
- Is this a senior role and how do my qualifications/skills match what the company is looking for?
- What salaries/perks do the job include, and how do they compete with job offers at other companies of a similar caliber and geographic location?
Remember, software programmer salaries can vary greatly depending on countless factors. Answering the above questions, however, will help you enter a salary negotiation with a solid understanding of your worth, your fit for the job and, ultimately, what pay you can expect to negotiate for.
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Do know your timing
Knowing when to start talking numbers is another key factor in effectively negotiating salary. Compensation can be a sensitive topic, even in a professional setting.
Touching on the topic of money too early can make you seem arrogant, disinterested, and too “money-orientated.” Meanwhile, leaving salary negotiations to the end of the application process can waste both your and the company’s time. At Nexton, we ask our candidates about their salary expectations early in order to place them in the right positions.
Ideally, we recommend bringing up the topic of salary after you’ve caught the eye of your interviewer, shown genuine interest in the company and the job, and proven you’re a good fit. By this stage, the company will likely have a vested interest in you, which automatically serves as leverage in a salary negotiation.
Never try to talk compensation in your first interview, and remember to hold your cards close when asked about your salary expectations by a recruiter. Think of salary negotiations like a game of poker and try to get the recruiter or company to fold first.
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Don’t be pushy or let yourself be pushed around
As an employee, one of the best things you can do is have a healthy relationship with your employer. How you manage yourself when applying for a job and especially in a salary negotiation can have a huge impact on the foundations your professional relationship is built on.
Avoid recklessly waving around counter-offers during a salary negotiation or pushing a hiring manager/recruiter into matching a salary package you’ve seen on Glassdoor. At the same time, don’t let the person interviewing you push you into a submissive or disadvantageous position.
At Nexton, we believe in transparency, which is why we offer information about salary ranges at the moment we approach candidates with a specific opportunity. In general, we recommend working with recruiters or companies who value transparency when it comes to salary negotiations.
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If an offer isn’t right from the start, don’t be scared to ask for more
86% of US senior managers who responded to this Robert Half survey said they are willing to negotiate salaries with their new hires. Yet, only 61% of people from similar surveys say they feel confident entering a salary negotiation when applying for a new job.
At Nexton, we believe that with the right approach, anyone can successfully negotiate a salary for a job they are interested in and qualified for. Also, remember that money isn’t everything, and be sure to take company benefits, paid time off, expected weekly working hours, and company culture into account when considering the final offer made during a salary negotiation.
Successfully negotiating salary as a remote LATAM-based software engineer can seem daunting. But it doesn’t need to be; keep these tips in mind next time you’re interviewing for a job and freshen up your knowledge with our Tech Salaries & Benefits Trends Report before you enter a salary negotiation.
