Compensation is more than just a number on a paycheck. Whether you're exploring new opportunities, preparing for a promotion, or evaluating your current benefits, it’s important to understand the full value of your total compensation—what you’re earning today and what it could mean for your long-term financial goals.
From equity and bonuses to benefits, time off, and flexibility, the most valuable aspects of your compensation may not be reflected in base salary alone. For professionals at any stage, especially those in leadership roles or high-demand fields, there might be more room to shape the offer than you expect.
The key is knowing what to ask for, how to assess the trade-offs, and how each component fits into your broader financial and career goals.
The Art of Negotiations
Professionals typically undervalue their bargaining power when accepting a new position. Research shows that only 44% of workers negotiate, despite evidence that most employers expect workers to negotiate their compensation package and typically prepare their budgets for a bit of back-and-forth.1
Most employers have a salary range in mind for the position. Based on your work history and compensation at your previous employer, your salary offer might fall within that range. You can push for the top of the range if you have the experience or a unique skill set.
Career coaches often recommend not jumping at the first offer and suggest making at least one counteroffer.1 Unfortunately, firms can be rigid regarding cash compensation due to a variety of reasons, including budget constraints and strict pay bands.
If they won’t budge on salary, that might not be the end of the negotiation. Instead, you may want to pivot, acknowledge the salary “is what it is,” and then start discussing additional non-salary benefits.
Hiring managers may have more flexibility in doling out these types of “perks,” so don’t be too shy to ask! Before you make any requests, career coaches suggest emphasizing your enthusiasm for working at the company. This can help establish a positive tone for the upcoming negotiation.
Which Benefits Can Be Negotiated?
Negotiable benefits include a better title, equity, remote and/or flexible work schedules, sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, additional healthcare benefits, and more paid time off.
While we are not career-coaching professionals, and every circumstance is different, let's take a high-level look at each of these potentially negotiable benefits.
Better Job Title2
Some people and organizations don’t pay much attention to job titles. For others, they are extremely important. A job title defines your role in the professional environment, indicating your specialty or rank in the company hierarchy.
Once you've received a job offer, you may not be satisfied with the title that goes along with it. Getting a better title can help increase your comfort in the job you accept and impact your professional connections, as well as your future job prospects.
Before you determine whether to push for a title change, you may want to conduct some research on the company’s culture to see how much weight is given to titles. You also may want to learn how your industry refers to professionals in the same role so you can go into the discussion armed with facts.
Equity: Stock Options and Restricted Stock Units3
Equity compensation is a type of non-cash compensation that certain companies may offer their employees, especially executives and senior staff. Equity compensation can give an employee either direct shares in the company or the right to purchase shares.
As with other parts of the package, equity, if offered, might be negotiable.
Equity can come in the form of stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs), so it’s important to know the difference between the two.
Stock options give you the right—but not the obligation—to purchase a set number of company shares at a specific price, known as the strike price, after a defined waiting period called the vesting period.
Think of it like this: If your company stock increases above your strike price, your options have value—you can buy at a lower price and sell at a higher one. But if the stock price stays below your strike price, your options could end up “underwater” and may not be worth exercising at all.
Key features:
- Provide the right (but not the obligation) to buy company shares at a fixed “strike price”
- Only have value if the stock price exceeds the strike price
- Typically vest over several years (e.g., 25% per year for four years)
- Become liquid when you exercise the option and sell the shares (this requires a buyer or market)
- Might be taxed at exercise (for non-qualified stock options), with any future gains taxed at sale (either short- or long-term capital gains, depending on holding period)
- May be granted by private companies, but liquidity usually requires a future event, like an IPO or acquisition
Because options are only valuable if the stock price rises, they create strong incentives to help grow the company’s value.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) represent a promise to give you company shares once certain restrictions are lifted, usually tied to time (like staying at the company) or performance goals. Unlike options, RSUs don’t require you to buy anything. Once they vest, they’re yours.
Key features: