More than Half of Workers Negotiated Salary on Last Job Offer

Many job applicants are taking a seat at the bargaining table, new research from global staffing firm Robert Half shows. More than half of professionals polled (54%) said they tried to negotiate a higher salary with their last employment offer.

Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Miami, Los Angeles and Phoenix have the most workers who negotiated compensation, while Pittsburgh, Sacramento and Minneapolis have the fewest.

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Additional findings:

Two-thirds of men surveyed (66%) asked for more money, versus 46% of women.
Professionals making more than $100,000 per year were most likely to negotiate an offer: 64% of this group said they had gone to the bargaining table.
Of those who didn’t request a higher salary, 55% said it was because they were happy with the amount proposed.
In a separate survey of managers, more than one-third of respondents (35%) said they typically discuss pay with job candidates during the first in-person interview; 20% wait for the second meeting, and 15% bring it up when making the job offer. Thirteen percent talk about compensation during the initial phone or video screening.

“Job seekers should always be ready to negotiate salary with prospective employers. The current hiring climate gives in-demand workers even more reason to flex their bargaining power,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half. “Professionals can enlist a recruiter to negotiate on their behalf and research market rates to strengthen their case for higher pay.”

McDonald added, “Companies need to regularly evaluate how their compensation packages stack up against the competition. Workers care about their paychecks, but benefits and perks like vacation time, flexible scheduling and professional development options also weigh into their decisions.”

For additional information on hiring and compensation, download the Robert Half 2020 Salary Guides.

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