How to use this checklist
Check off the 11 items across Preparation, Market Research, and Negotiation Strategy. The Preparation items — researched market range from Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Payscale, or industry surveys, quantified achievements, practiced talking points, and a firm walk-away number — are the foundation. Without market data you're negotiating against yourself. Be honest: "practiced talking points" only counts if you've rehearsed out loud, and "documented achievements" only counts if they include numbers.
What your result means
70%+ means you've done the research, set boundaries, and are ready to negotiate from data rather than personal need. 40-69% typically flags gaps in Negotiation Strategy (no alternative offers, no objection prep, no timing plan) or thin market research. Below 40% usually means the market range isn't pinned down yet; without that number, you can't tell whether the offer is fair, below market, or above it.
When to trust it
This checklist measures preparation, not whether the negotiation will succeed — outcomes also depend on the employer's budget, timing, and your leverage. The 25th-75th percentile range from salary sites is a benchmark, not a guarantee; total compensation (equity, signing bonus, benefits worth 20-30% of salary) can shift the real value significantly. For senior or specialized roles, an industry recruiter can give a more accurate read on current market rates than public databases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I tell them my current salary?
Where it's legal to ask (beware: many states and countries now ban the question), you're not obligated to answer with a number. Better move: redirect to your target for this role — 'I'm focused on roles in the $X-Y range' — because anchoring on your current salary chains your offer to your past, not the job's value. If pressed, give a range that's honest but ends where you want the negotiation to start.
Is it better to negotiate salary or sign-on bonus?
Salary, almost always — it compounds. Every future raise, bonus percentage, and 401(k) match is calculated on base; a one-time bonus is exactly that. The exceptions where a bonus is the smarter ask: you expect to leave within 1-2 years, you've hit the role's salary band ceiling, or the bonus bridges a specific gap like unvested equity you'd walk away from. Otherwise, trade bonus flexibility for base.
What if they say the offer is non-negotiable?
Test it on a different axis. Even with a fixed salary, sign-on bonus, start date, remote days, title, review timing (a 6-month review with a raise conversation), education budget, and leave are all negotiable — and a 6-month comp review often delivers what a frozen base wouldn't. If literally nothing moves, that's useful data about how you'll be treated after you're hired; decide accordingly.