How to Negotiate a Developer Salary (With the Actual Email I Sent)

Got the offer. Now what? Most developers accept the first number. Or they counter with a random 10% bump and hope for the best. Both approaches leave money on the table. I negotiated three offers in the past year. One added $15K to the base. One added an extra week of PTO. One went nowhere because the company had a rigid band system. Here's what I learned about what works and what doesn't. Before the offer call Negotiation starts before the number hits your inbox. Research the range. Check Level