Salary Negotiation for New Grads and First Jobs
Your first offer feels like a gift you should not question, but you can still negotiate it politely. Counteroffer shows new grads how to counter without seeming entitled.
Coaching, not legal or financial advice.
What are you negotiating?
Your offer or current pay
Market-rate band
Talking points
Email template
Timing
Coaching, not legal or financial advice.
Direct answer
Salary negotiation for new grads is absolutely allowed: most entry-level offers have some room, and a polite, researched counter rarely rescinds an offer. Benchmark the role, then ask once for a specific number, often a modest 5 to 10 percent above the offer, framed with gratitude and enthusiasm. Counteroffer benchmarks the role and writes a warm, low-risk script and email for first-time negotiators. Even a small win compounds over your whole career. This is career coaching, not financial advice.
The problem
New grads assume the first number is fixed and accepting fast shows eagerness, so they start their careers underpaid and every future raise builds on that low base.
How Counteroffer handles it
Counteroffer is built for the nerves of a first negotiation. It benchmarks the entry-level role so you know whether the offer is fair, then sets a modest, credible counter and writes a script and email that lead with appreciation and excitement. The tone is low-risk and professional, exactly what a new grad needs to ask without seeming entitled. You learn the muscle of negotiating on a real offer, gently. It is a coaching tool that prepares you, not a promise the number will change.
▲ the numbers
What new grads actually start at, by major (Class of 2025).
You cannot counter a number you have not benchmarked. The National Association of Colleges and Employers projected these average starting salaries for the Class of 2025 at the bachelor's level. Use your field as the anchor, then adjust for your city and the specific employer.
| Field of study | Projected average starting salary (Class of 2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All bachelor's graduates | About $68,680 | The overall average across majors. A useful floor, but your field and metro move it a lot |
| Engineering | $78,731 | Highest of the major groups, up about 2.6 percent over the prior year |
| Computer sciences | $76,251 | Up about 2 percent year over year and still among the strongest |
| Math and sciences | $69,709 | Third highest despite a slight projected dip of nearly 2 percent |
| Business | $65,276 | Up about 2.1 percent over the prior year |
These are national averages, not offers. A software role in San Francisco and the same title in a low-cost metro can differ by twenty thousand dollars or more, so benchmark your exact role, level, and city before you decide whether the number in front of you is fair.
the stat everyone quotes
"If I negotiate my first offer, they will rescind it."
Almost never, when you ask politely and once.
This is the fear that keeps new grads underpaid, and the data does not support it. In Fidelity's survey of young professionals, 85 percent of people who negotiated a job offer got at least part of what they asked for, and the figure was 87 percent for those aged 25 to 35. A polite, researched counter is a normal part of hiring, not an insult to it.
The reason the fear persists is that the same survey found 58 percent of young professionals accepted their first offer without negotiating at all, while only 42 percent countered. When most of your peers never ask, asking feels risky even though it is routine on the employer's side. Recruiters expect a counter and have usually built room into the first number.
Offers get rescinded over conduct, not over a single respectful ask: making aggressive demands, inventing competing offers that do not exist, or reopening terms repeatedly after they have said no. Ask once, in writing, anchored to data, and signal that you intend to accept once it works. That tone almost never costs a new grad the job, and it can raise the base every future raise compounds on.
▲ how to do it
How to negotiate your first job offer, step by step.
Benchmark the role before you say anything
Pull the average starting salary for your field, then narrow it to your city and the specific title. The NACE averages above are a starting point; sites like Glassdoor and Levels.fyi help you place the exact role. Walk in knowing whether the offer is below, at, or above market, because that decides how much room there is to ask for.
Get the whole offer in writing first
Ask for the full offer in writing, including base, any sign-on bonus, and benefits, before you respond. You cannot evaluate or counter a number a recruiter said out loud on a call. Having it in writing also gives you time to benchmark calmly rather than reacting on the spot.
Pick one number and a modest, specific ask
For a first job, anchor on base salary and ask for one specific figure, often a modest 5 to 10 percent above the offer. A precise number like $72,500 reads as researched; a vague "is there any flexibility" gives the recruiter nothing to act on. If base is truly fixed, a sign-on bonus is the easier secondary lever.
Lead with gratitude and enthusiasm
Open by thanking them and saying you are excited to join, then make the ask, then reaffirm that you plan to accept once it works. Warmth is not weakness here; it is exactly what lets a new grad ask for more without seeming entitled. The tone should say I want this job and I want to start on the right number. If the fear of asking is what is stopping you, can you lose a job offer by negotiating covers what actually puts an offer at risk.
Put the ask in one short email
Written asks are easy for a recruiter to forward to whoever approves the budget, and they keep the tone calm. Name the number, anchor it to your benchmark, and keep it to a few sentences. Avoid negotiating over many rounds; ask once clearly and let them respond.
Know your walk point, then accept graciously
Decide in advance the lowest number you will accept, so you are not deciding under pressure. When they respond, whether they meet you fully, partway, or not at all, accept graciously and on time. Even a small win compounds: a higher starting base lifts every raise, bonus, and 401(k) match for years.
copy and paste
The new-grad counter email.
Send this after you have the offer in writing and have benchmarked the role. It leads with enthusiasm, makes one specific ask, and signals you intend to accept once it works, which is exactly the low-risk tone a first negotiation needs.
Subject: Thank you, and one question on the offer Hi [Name], Thank you so much for the offer to join [Company] as a [role]. I am genuinely excited about the team and the work, and I fully intend to accept. Before I sign, I wanted to ask about the base salary. Based on what I am seeing for this role and market, I was hoping we could get to [amount]. Is there room to move toward that number? I am ready to say yes and get started, and I appreciate you considering it. Best, [Your name]
Swap the bracketed parts for your own numbers. Counteroffer writes this for your exact offer.
▲ frequently asked
New-grad salary negotiation questions people actually ask.
Can new grads negotiate salary?
Yes. Most entry-level offers have some room, and recruiters expect a counter. In Fidelity's survey, 85 percent of young people who negotiated got at least part of what they asked for. A polite, benchmarked ask for a specific number rarely costs a new grad the offer, and the higher base compounds through every future raise and bonus.
Will an employer rescind an offer if I negotiate?
Almost never when you ask politely and once. Offers get pulled over conduct, like aggressive demands or fake competing offers, not over a single respectful, data-backed counter. Ask for one specific number in writing, anchor it to market data, and make clear you intend to accept once it works. That tone keeps the offer safe.
How much should a new grad counter a job offer?
For a first job, a modest 5 to 10 percent above the offer is a credible ask. Anchor it to a benchmarked number for your field, city, and title rather than a round guess. Ask for one specific figure, such as $72,500 instead of "a bit more," because a precise number reads as researched and gives the recruiter something concrete to approve.
What is the average starting salary for new grads in 2025?
The National Association of Colleges and Employers projected an average starting salary of about $68,680 for the Class of 2025 at the bachelor's level. It varies widely by major: engineering averaged $78,731, computer sciences $76,251, math and sciences $69,709, and business $65,276. Adjust for your city and the specific employer before you counter.
How do you negotiate salary with no experience?
Anchor to the market rate for the role rather than to your resume. The offer is priced for the job, so benchmark that job by field, city, and title, then ask for one specific number backed by that data. Lead with enthusiasm, keep the ask to a short written message, and if base is fixed, pivot to a sign-on bonus.
Should I negotiate my first job offer or just accept it?
It is worth a single, polite ask in most cases. Accepting the first number leaves money on a base that every future raise builds on, and 58 percent of young professionals accept without countering, so the norm is not to ask, not that asking fails. Benchmark first; if the offer is already above market, it is fine to accept.
Is it better to negotiate base salary or a signing bonus as a new grad?
Push base salary first, because it compounds every raise, bonus, and 401(k) match for your whole career, while a sign-on bonus is a one-time payment. If the recruiter says base is capped by a set entry-level band, a sign-on bonus is the easier secondary lever and still puts real money in your first year.
When should a new grad negotiate salary?
After you have the full offer in writing and before you accept or sign anything. Get the base, bonus, and benefits documented, benchmark the role, then send one written counter with a specific number. Once you accept, the leverage is gone, so the window is the short period between the written offer and your yes.
▲ sources
- NACE: Class of 2025 Salary Projections
- Fidelity Investments: Young Professionals on the Move (job-offer negotiation survey)
- CNBC: 85% of Americans who negotiated a job offer were successful
Last updated July 2026. Figures are estimates and market data changes; verify anything you plan to quote in a negotiation.
▲ what it uses
The features behind new grads and first jobs.
▲ more use cases
Walk in knowing your number.
Counteroffer is educational career coaching, not legal, financial, or HR advice.