How to Negotiate a Starting Salary in the UK (With Scripts)

Here's a sobering thought: most pay rises are a percentage of your current salary. That means the number you agree before your first day quietly shapes every rise, bonus and pension contribution that follows, and a £2,000 gap at the start rarely stays £2,000.

Yet plenty of people accept the first offer within minutes of hearing it. The salary is fine, maybe a bit lower than they hoped, and the temptation is to say yes before anyone changes their mind.

Resist that for a day. Employers rarely withdraw an offer because a candidate asked a reasonable question politely, and many first offers leave some room. Here's how to find your number, when to ask, exactly what to say, and what to go for when the base pay really won't move.

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Step 1: Work out your number before you talk

You need a figure you can justify, not a feeling. "I was hoping for a bit more" gives the hiring manager nothing to take to whoever signs off the budget. Evidence does.

Gather three things:

• The advertised range, if there was one. If the offer sits at the bottom, there may be room to move up within it.
• What similar roles pay. Look at ten or so current adverts for the same title and level in your area. Recruiter salary guides help, and the ONS publishes earnings by occupation in its Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.
• Your own position. Your current salary if you have one, any competing offer, and any skills that are harder to find than usual, such as a specialist certification, a second language or sector experience.

That last point is your leverage, so be specific about it. Put the job advert and your CV side by side and note which of their priorities you meet unusually well. CVPilot's keyword extractor pulls the main requirements out of an advert, which makes it quicker to see where you're a strong match.

From all of that, pick two numbers: your target (what you'll ask for) and your walk-away (the lowest you'd accept). Keep the walk-away to yourself. Once you say it out loud, it tends to become the offer.

Where to look for salary evidence

Source	What it tells you
Live adverts for the same title	The going rate in your area right now
Recruiter salary guides	Typical bands by seniority, sector and region
ONS earnings data	Broad pay levels by occupation, useful as a sense check
Published pay scales (NHS Agenda for Change, teachers' pay ranges, civil service grades)	The exact band and pay points where pay is set nationally
People already in similar roles	What's really negotiable at that employer, and what isn't

How high should you aim?

Ask for a specific, researched figure a little above what you'd be happy with. Negotiations often land somewhere in the middle, so a target of £34,000 against an offer of £31,000 leaves space for a sensible compromise.

A precise number you can explain beats a round one. "£33,500" signals you've done the maths, while "about 35" sounds like a guess. Stay realistic, though: a jump far above the market rate with no evidence usually ends the conversation rather than starting one.

Key Takeaway: Walk in with a target backed by adverts, pay data and your own strengths, and a private walk-away figure you never say out loud.

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Step 2: Time it properly

The best moment is after you have an offer and before you accept it. At that point they've decided they want you, and they've already spent time and money getting there.

If the offer comes by phone, you don't have to respond on the spot. Thank them warmly and ask for a short pause: "Thank you, that's great news. Could you send the details over in writing, and could I come back to you by Thursday?" Nobody reasonable objects to that.

Use the time to look at the full package, not only the salary. Pension contributions, bonus, holiday and working pattern all affect what the offer is worth to you. If you're asked for salary expectations earlier in the process, give a researched range rather than a single low number. Our guide to answering the salary expectations question covers that stage.

Key Takeaway: Negotiate in the window between offer and acceptance, and never feel you have to say yes on the first call.

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Step 3: Make the ask

Start by being positive about the job, then ask. Short and warm beats long and defensive. Here are three scripts for common situations.

If the offer is below the market rate

"Thank you, I'm really pleased to get the offer and I'm keen on the role. Based on what similar roles are paying and the experience I'd bring, I was hoping for something closer to £34,000. Is there flexibility on the salary?"

If you have a competing offer

"I'd like to be open with you. I have another offer at £36,000. This role is my first choice, so if you're able to get closer to that figure, I'd be happy to accept."

Only use this if it's true. Recruiters sometimes ask to see the other offer, and being caught out would cost you far more than the extra money.

If you're moving from another job

"I'm excited about the move. At the moment I'm on £31,000 plus a bonus, so this offer would be roughly a sideways step. Could we look at £34,000 to make the change work?"

Then stop talking. Silence feels awkward, but it gives them space to respond without you filling the gap by negotiating against yourself.

Phone or video is usually better than email for this part, because tone comes across. You sound keen rather than demanding, and you can hear how the idea lands.

Key Takeaway: Open with enthusiasm, name one specific figure, give one reason, then let them answer.

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Step 4: Handle the answer

Whatever they say, stay friendly and keep the conversation going. You're about to work with these people.

They say	You say
"Let me check and come back to you"	Thank them and give them a few days. This is the most common response.
"We can do £33,000"	If it meets your target or is close, accept graciously and ask for the updated offer in writing.
"The salary is fixed"	Ask about the other parts of the package (see below).
"That's above the band for this role"	Ask what the top of the band is and what it would take to reach it.
"No, this is our best offer"	Decide against your walk-away figure. If it's above it, accepting is still a good outcome.

Once you've agreed, get the final figure in writing before you resign from your current job. According to GOV.UK, employees are entitled to a written statement of their main terms, including pay, from their first day, but you want the number confirmed well before then.

Key Takeaway: A polite, researched request is normal. The worst realistic outcome is usually "no", with the original offer still on the table.

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When the salary won't move

Some salaries really are fixed: many graduate schemes, public sector pay scales and roles with published bands. That doesn't mean the whole offer is fixed.

In the public sector, the question to ask is often which point on the scale you start at. Many employers can place you higher up a band if your previous experience is relevant, but they may not offer it unless you ask and explain what that experience is.

Elsewhere, there's often flexibility on:

• A salary review after six months rather than twelve, agreed in writing
• A sign-on payment
• Extra annual leave
• Hybrid or flexible working arrangements
• A training budget or a funded professional qualification
• A later start date if you need it

Pick one or two that matter most to you rather than asking for all of them. A focused request looks considered; a shopping list looks like you're not sure what you want.

Key Takeaway: When the base salary is set, negotiate the starting point on the scale, an early review or the benefits that matter most to you.

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Negotiating by email

Email is fine, especially if that's how the offer arrived. Keep it to a few lines and make it easy to say yes:

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for the offer for the Marketing Executive role. I'm excited about joining the team.

Having looked at similar roles, and considering my two years of campaign experience, I'd like to ask whether a starting salary of £32,000 is possible.

I'm keen to get this agreed and look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Amira

Notice what's missing: no apology, no long justification, no ultimatum. It reads as a normal professional conversation, which is exactly what it is.

Key Takeaway: A negotiation email should be short, positive and specific, with one figure and one reason.

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Mistakes to avoid

• Accepting on the call and then trying to negotiate afterwards
• Inventing a competing offer
• Justifying the ask with personal costs (rent, childcare, commuting) rather than the value you bring to the role
• Asking for a huge jump with no evidence behind it
• Negotiating by text or instant message, where tone is easy to misread
• Resigning before the agreed figure is in writing

The personal costs point catches a lot of people out. Employers pay for the role, not your circumstances, so anchor every request to the market rate and what you'll deliver.

Key Takeaway: Most negotiation mistakes come from rushing. Slow down, stick to evidence and get everything in writing.

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Once the salary is agreed, look at the whole offer. Our framework for comparing job offers covers what else to weigh up, and our guide to negotiating within a salary range goes deeper on advertised bands.

Still applying elsewhere so you have more than one option? A second offer is the strongest negotiating position there is. Check each application with CVPilot's free ATS checker before you send it, so your CV gets past the automated sift and in front of a person.

Ready to optimise your CV? Try CVPilot free and see your ATS score in under 60 seconds.