A Guide to Negotiating Senior-Level Salaries
Njeri was offered a regional finance role and nearly accepted the first figure out of relief. A short negotiation conversation, backed by market data we helped her prepare, added 22% to her base pay before she signed anything, a single conversation that will compound across every future raise and job change for the rest of her career.
What the research actually shows about negotiating
Across studies reviewed by Harvard Business School researchers and the National Bureau of Economic Research, the average salary increase from negotiating sits at 18.83% above the original offer. Yet 55% of candidates still accept the first offer without attempting to negotiate at all, according to a 2025 Resume Genius survey of 1,000 US workers despite 73% of candidates in the same research saying salary is the most important factor in accepting a job.
Of those who do negotiate, the success rate is strong: roughly 66–78% report walking away with a better outcome, based on Pew Research Center and Resume Genius data. Fears about offers being rescinded over a reasonable counter are, according to most reviewed research, largely unfounded employers withdrawing offers after a professional counter is considered rare.
Anchoring research adds a useful, if slightly uncomfortable, detail: a University of Idaho study testing negotiation scenarios found that candidates who anchored high with a specific, research-backed number received meaningfully higher offers than those who didn’t anchor at all even when the final number settled somewhere in between.
PRO TIP: Use a research-anchored phrase rather than a bare number: “Based on my research into similar roles at this level, I understand the range is typically X to Y.” It anchors high while sounding grounded, not arbitrary.
Research the market range before any conversation
Use regional salary data — not global averages that don’t reflect local context. A benchmark pulled from US or European sources will badly mislead a negotiation for a Nairobi- or Lagos-based role. Local salary surveys, recruiter conversations, and industry-specific benchmarks give you a defensible number to anchor around.
Never give the first number if you can avoid it
Ask about the budgeted range for the role instead. Whoever names a number first sets the anchor for the entire conversation and it’s almost always better for that anchor to come from the employer’s budget, not your own guess at what might be acceptable.
Negotiate the whole package, not just base pay
Bonus structure, relocation support, leave days, and professional development budget are all on the table, and often more flexible than base salary itself, which may be constrained by internal pay bands. If base pay genuinely can’t move, these areas frequently can.
Practice saying your number out loud before the call
Hesitation in delivery undermines confidence in the room, even when the number itself is entirely fair and well-researched. Say it out loud, alone, several times, until it feels like a plain statement of fact rather than a request you’re bracing to be turned down for.
THE MISTAKE WE SEE MOST OFTEN: Candidates negotiate apologetically — hedging with “I don’t want to be difficult, but…” before stating their number. Research consistently shows this kind of over-accommodating framing doesn’t win goodwill; it signals uncertainty about your own value, which can quietly reduce what you’re offered.
Employers expect negotiation at senior level. Not negotiating is often read as uncertainty about your own value, not gratitude and the data suggests the risk everyone fears (a rescinded offer) almost never actually happens.
Ready to take the next step in your career?
KETH Africa (Kizuna Edge Talent Hub) helps African professionals build CVs, LinkedIn profiles, and career strategies that open doors to executive and global opportunities.
Email: kethafrica@gmail.com | info@kizunaedgetalenthub.com
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