The feeling when you receive an offer letter is similar for everyone. First comes relief, followed by a desire to wrap things up quickly. So, before you even take a good look at the numbers, the words "Yes, that sounds good" often come out.

The problem is that this initial reaction can turn out to be the most expensive mistake of your entire career.

A survey conducted by Resume Genius in 2025 found that 55 percent of 1,000 full-time workers in the U.S. accepted their first salary offer without negotiation. This means that more than half of the respondents mistook the first number presented by the company as the final figure.

However, the results for those who attempted to negotiate tell a completely different story. Those who negotiated their salary received, on average, 18.83 percent more than the initial offer.

When you do the math, it becomes clear. If you accepted a $70,000 offer without negotiation, on average, it would have risen to around $83,000 if you had negotiated.

What's even more painful is that this difference doesn't just end after one year. Future salary increases are typically calculated as a percentage of your current base salary, and the baseline for your next job negotiation starts from the number you accepted.

In the same survey, 57 percent of respondents regretted not negotiating or wished they had asked for a bit more. This indicates that the choice to just "accept it for now" lingers long after the fact.

From the perspective of a company's HR team, the reasons are clear.

A survey of over 2,000 hiring managers revealed that 45 percent of employers set their offer amounts with the expectation that negotiations will occur.

This means that the initial offer is not the maximum the company can provide, but rather a starting point that allows for negotiation. When setting budget bands, they often throw out a number that is below the midpoint, anticipating counteroffers.

Yet, many candidates sign right away due to worries that the offer might be rescinded.

A 2022 survey by Fidelity Investments of 1,524 U.S. adults shows that this concern is exaggerated. Among those who made a counteroffer regarding salary or benefits, or both, 85 percent received at least part of what they requested.

In contrast, 58 percent of respondents in the same survey accepted the first offer without attempting to negotiate. The chances of an offer being rescinded simply for politely requesting a number adjustment are much lower than candidates fear.

From the company's perspective, it is far more costly to start the hiring process all over again. Considering the time and money spent on interviews, screening, and internal approvals, losing a candidate is more regrettable.

There are also noticeable differences based on gender. In the same survey, 51 percent of men and 39 percent of women attempted to negotiate.

However, when they did negotiate, women had a success rate of 82 percent, which is actually higher than the 76 percent success rate for men. This suggests that while fewer women attempt to negotiate, those who do tend to achieve favorable outcomes.

So, if the reason you hesitate to negotiate is the fear of making a bad impression, the data suggests that this concern is not well-founded.

The first thing to do in practice is to not respond immediately during the call when you receive the offer. Simply saying, "I need time to consider" is sufficient, and this is a standard procedure across the industry.

After receiving a written offer, it's appropriate to spend at least a day or two conducting market research and calculations. If you don't take that time and respond immediately during the call, you lose your negotiating leverage.

Next, you should not only look at the base salary but also prioritize the entire package, including signing bonuses, paid time off, and remote work days.

If the base salary increase is limited, there are often opportunities to negotiate on start dates, bonuses, or remote work conditions. Since each company has different negotiable items, there's no need to insist on just one aspect.

It's also important to back up your requests with data. Having a clear understanding of the market salary range for similar roles and experience levels will give you a significant advantage at the negotiation table.

Providing evidence like, "The market rate for this role and experience level is in this range" is much easier for HR to consider than simply saying, "Give me more."

Claiming you have competing offers is a completely different issue. If this is later found to be untrue, the risk of losing trust is much greater, and in a small industry, such rumors spread faster than you might think.

Not every position has significant room for negotiation. Public institutions or organizations based on a step system typically have fixed bands, leaving little room for maneuvering.

In such cases, it's more realistic to look for negotiable items within the regulations, such as recognition of service or vacation days, rather than focusing solely on base salary.

Conversely, startups or performance-based organizations often have wider individual negotiation ranges, so the results can vary significantly based on your preparation.

When you put all of this together, the conclusion is simple. With the data leaning so heavily in one direction, there's no reason not to negotiate.

If it were me, I wouldn't sign right away when I receive the offer. I would take at least a day to review, check the market numbers, and then respond.

The first offer is not a report card; it's just the starting point for negotiation. The difference in bank balances between those who understand this and those who don't will likely be significant years down the line.