Salary negotiation: How to ask for what you're worth (2026)
A lot of people underestimate their own value - and it shows directly in their paycheck. A salary negotiation is not a necessary evil, it is the key to more independence, security and self-determination. Because if you do not negotiate, you lose out. Salary negotiations are therefore a must. In this article you will learn how to master them and get the most out of them with the right preparation and strategy.
Table of contents
- Why salary negotiations are worth it
- Side note: the gender pay gap
- Preparation is everything: your homework before the negotiation
- Side note: mindset
- 12 tips for a successful salary negotiation
- What to do when the conversation does not go as planned
- Salary negotiations when working part-time or returning to work
- New salary achieved - what now?
- Conclusion: confident into your next salary round
Why salary negotiations are worth it
The value of your work is expressed through your salary. A lower salary is therefore a reflection of lower appreciation. Talking about money at work is unavoidable.
Since 1981 the Swiss federal constitution has stated that equal pay must be given for equal work. The federal government is actively committed to equal pay between the genders. Unfortunately this measure does not go far enough - Swiss women earn on average 16.2% less than men. This phenomenon is called the gender pay gap - the wage difference between the genders. It exists in both the private and public sector in Switzerland.
Side note: the gender pay gap
A distinction is made between an explained and an unexplained wage gap. 51.8% of the gender pay gap can be explained, meaning it can be traced back to concrete reasons such as job type, industry, care work or level of education. The remaining unexplained wage gap can be attributed to gender-based wage discrimination.
As if that were not enough, there is also a gender lifetime earnings gap. Analyses show that over the course of her entire life, a woman earns around 51.5% less income than a man. This number correlates drastically with the number of children. In other words, the more children a woman has, the less income she earns over the course of her life - up to 68% less than a man if she has three or more children.
Gender pay gaps have many causes and some of them are not in the hands of women. What has since been disproved is the old way of thinking that women negotiate less and are therefore paid less. A study of nearly 2,000 MBA graduates between 2015 and 2019 found that even more women than men negotiated their salary offer - 54% versus 44%.
So why do we still have gender pay gaps? To answer that question thoroughly we would need another whole article. What we do know is that women are often socially penalised in salary negotiations. A Harvard study confirms that confident behaviour from women in salary negotiations is associated with negative evaluations. This does not make negotiating any easier, but it does show how urgently a shift in thinking is needed in this area.
Preparation is everything: your homework before the negotiation
With the right preparation you lay the foundation for your success in the negotiation.
First and foremost it is essential that you build and continuously develop your human capital.
What do I mean by that? If you continuously acquire new skills throughout your career, you steadily increase your human capital and consequently your value. Every project - even outside of work or as a freelancer - develops you further. The more you learn, whether through further education or learning by doing in your current role, the higher your chances of achieving a better salary. According to a large McKinsey study, role changes that involve a big leap - such as moving into a new area of responsibility or taking on more leadership - are particularly valuable. They lead to larger salary increases because many new skills are acquired or applied in the process.
For that reason, document your own achievements regularly and reflect on them. The focus should be on your own learning curve and your individual human capital.
💡 Tip: Create a folder on your computer where you save every piece of positive feedback from managers or colleagues. That could be a screenshot of an email or a note about verbal praise you received after a presentation.
Side note: mindset
If you struggle with the idea of "selling yourself" and think your manager should just see your value and hard work - I have to disappoint you. Having a manager who fights for your goals and hands you everything on a silver platter is about as likely as winning the lottery.
So do not wait for someone to notice and recognise your value and potential. Take your career into your own hands and clearly communicate what you do, for whom and how successfully.
Be clear about your ambitions and goals. What do you want to achieve within the company? Then you can discuss with your manager what the path to get there looks like and what you need to do and know to get there. Stay on it and check in with your manager regularly to see whether you are on track or what you could do better.
Make sure your performance is focused on delivering economic value. Internal networking can also play a big role - it makes you visible within the company and strengthens your own position. To move up, it helps to build a solid personal brand. Especially as a woman, you should pay attention to making your added value visible within your company - so that it is reflected in your salary negotiation later.
Why does this matter?
Especially in large companies, there are frequent discussions at leadership level about who gets promoted. Your direct manager needs a strong argument for why you deserve the promotion. Managers think in terms of budgets, company goals and team dynamics. Someone who comes prepared - with numbers, impact and development potential - makes it easier for their manager to say yes or to advocate for them in the next budget round.
Ideally, the leadership above your direct manager already knows your name and has heard of you before.
It is also crucially important that you know your own market value outside of the company. Research industry-standard salaries on platforms like Kununu or Glassdoor and get an overview of similar roles and what they pay.
💡 Tip: Use LinkedIn connection requests and conversations to get insights into different salary ranges.
Networking matters here too. Especially if you are looking for a new job, your network can be enormously helpful. Connect regularly with people in your industry on LinkedIn and accept requests from headhunters - you never know what might come of it. Optimise your LinkedIn profile with keywords that recruiters would search for and share content on topics that are relevant to you and your industry.
Part of your preparation is also choosing the right moment for the conversation. Some companies have annual employee review conversations that can serve as a starting point. If your salary negotiation is tied to a job change, it makes sense to negotiate right from the start and set a strong foundation. According to a German study, professionals in a new job earn around 30% more - sometimes even up to 46% more. Renegotiating later is usually much harder.
12 tips for a successful salary negotiation
Before the salary negotiation
- Set clear goals. Think very carefully before the conversation about what your expectations are. What do you want to achieve? How much do you want to earn? What is your minimum? Only when you are clear about your own goals can you show up with confidence and advocate for yourself.
- Build in room to negotiate. The salary you state should be higher than what you actually want. This gives you room to negotiate and leads you to your real target. Add around 5% to 10% to your desired salary to keep it realistic and fair.
- Do not focus only on salary. Beyond a salary increase, you should also bring up other topics in the conversation. Benefits, further education, one-off bonuses or a promotion can all be valuable for your career. Make yourself a wish list before the negotiation.
- Practice the conversation. Practice makes perfect - this is one of the most important parts of your preparation. Practice the conversation several times on your own and role-play it with a friend.
- Prepare for counter-arguments. Ideally the conversation goes smoothly, but it is very possible that your manager will not immediately agree to your requests. In that case stay calm and respond factually. Think in advance about what objections your counterpart might raise:
- "Unfortunately we do not have budget right now"
- "I am not sure you are ready yet"
- "Now is just not the right time"
💡 Tip: ChatGPT can be a useful sparring partner for practising your arguments and helping you counter objections.
During the salary negotiation
- Body language and presence. Beyond what you say, your presence and body language have a strong impact on the person you are speaking with. According to the 55-38-7 rule, the actual words you say account for only 7% of the impact - 55% is your body language and 38% is your tone of voice. An upright posture, a clear voice, eye contact and calm gestures matter enormously.
- State a number, do not ask. We often tend to ask our managers how a raise might look instead of stating what we want. This comes across as uncertain and gives away control. Bring up the desired raise yourself - well argued of course - so you do not hand over the power to negotiate.
- Stay factual. You do not need to justify or apologise for your requests. Communicate with confidence and objectivity. Avoid emotional language and stay professional even in heated moments. If you feel a conversation getting too intense, ask for time to think and schedule a new meeting.
Use phrases like:
- "I increased customer satisfaction by 12% last year - that should be reflected in my salary."
- "My market value according to XYZ is CHF X.- - I would like to refer to that."
- "What are the next steps so we can adjust my salary?"
- Name concrete achievements. Show specifically how you have created added value for the company. Be as specific as possible:
- How much revenue did you generate?
- Which KPIs were you able to positively influence?
- Did you improve customer satisfaction?
- Do not negotiate defensively. Women often negotiate too defensively and try to keep the conversation harmonious. Remind yourself that salary negotiation is your right - and just like your colleagues you deserve fair pay. Stand up for it.
After the salary negotiation
- Standing still is going backwards. Once you have finally received the salary increase you wanted, that conversation should definitely not be your last. Actively request feedback sessions and regular adjustments.
- Follow up if it does not work out immediately. Of course your manager might still say no despite everything. Do not take this as a failure - stay active. Schedule a follow-up conversation and stay clear about what you want.
What to do when the conversation does not go as planned
Even with perfect preparation and execution, you might not reach your goals. If your manager rejects your requests, the key is to stay calm and explore the reasons. Is there a general budget freeze? Have you not reached your personal targets? In this situation try not to lose your composure - listen carefully instead. Then agree directly on a follow-up negotiation in a few months. Ideally write down concrete actions and developments with your manager that you should achieve by then.
Salary negotiations when working part-time or returning to work
If you work part-time or are returning to work after having a child, it can be easy to feel like you owe the company something. Thoughts like "I am so grateful they let me do this" or "my employer is so flexible" are understandable - but not helpful. Because even in a part-time role you give 100% during your working hours, and when you return to work you still deserve a market-rate salary. Just like your full-time colleagues you have the right to negotiate and you should use it.
New salary achieved - what now?
If you have reached your new desired salary, a promotion or another goal - congratulations, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Maybe you want to reward yourself with a new handbag or put the extra income towards something you have been wanting. Of course you should celebrate this success - but I would not be a financial planner if I did not encourage you to put your extra earnings to good use.
Instead of spending more each month on going out, holidays and hobbies, how about setting aside the difference for your taxes or investing it in ETFs? If you are not yet investing at all, I recommend starting with a good beginner's guide to investing. Or download a financial starter kit that prepares you perfectly for your first investment.
Conclusion: confident into your next salary round
My advice to you is this - see salary negotiations above all as an opportunity to make the value of your work visible through an appropriate salary. It is your chance to stand up for yourself and present your achievements with confidence. Only by facing these "uncomfortable" conversations and practising them over and over can you build a fair, self-determined career in the long term.
And remember - a lower salary today also means a lower pension tomorrow. Especially if you work part-time frequently or take on a lot of family responsibility, you are financially particularly dependent on your negotiating power. Use it.
