Updated October 2026
If you want to know how to negotiate salary, the core method is simple: get the employer to name a number first, answer with a researched range anchored slightly above your target, and trade on the whole package rather than base pay alone. Below are word-for-word scripts for the four moments that matter: the “expected salary” question, the written offer, the counteroffer, and the raise conversation with your current manager.
Before you talk numbers: build your three figures
Every negotiation goes better when you walk in with three numbers written down, not one.
- Market rate. Collect at least three data points for the same title, seniority and city. Use public statistics (the US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS tables, the UK ONS earnings survey), industry surveys such as PMI’s salary survey for project roles, recruiter conversations, and pay ranges in job ads. Since 7 June 2026, EU member states were due to make employers disclose a starting salary or range to applicants under the EU Pay Transparency Directive, so ads in Europe are becoming a better source, although several countries are late in passing national law.
- Target. The number you would be pleased to sign at.
- Walk-away point. The lowest offer you would accept, after counting commute, benefits, tax and risk. Decide it before the call, not during it.
If the job is in Angola, convert everything to net pay. A gross figure in kwanza means little until you deduct the 3% employee INSS and IRT. Our salary calculator (calculadora, in Portuguese) does this for 2026 rates, including the exemption for monthly income up to 150,000 AOA.
Tip: Write your three figures on paper before every call. People who improvise under pressure almost always concede faster than they planned.
Script 1: “What are your salary expectations?”
This question usually comes at the first screening call. Your aim is to learn the budget before committing to a number.
Deflect once, politely
“I’d like to learn more about the scope of the role before I put a number on it. Could you share the budgeted range for this position?”
If they insist, give a researched range
“Based on what I’m seeing for similar roles in [city] and my [X] years in [skill], I’m looking at somewhere between [target + 5–10%] and [target + 20%], depending on the total package.”
Set the bottom of your range at or a little above your real target. Recruiters tend to treat the low end as your answer, so a range of 80–95 where 80 is your floor is a range of 80.
If they ask what you earn now
“My current package isn’t a great guide because this role is broader. I’m focused on what’s fair for this position, which my research puts at [range].”
In several US states and cities, including California, employers are barred from asking about salary history, and the EU directive also prohibits it once national law is in place. Elsewhere, including Angola, the question is legal, but you are never obliged to answer it.
Script 2: responding to a written offer
Never accept on the call where the offer is made. Thank them, show enthusiasm, and ask for it in writing.
“Thank you, I’m really excited about this. Could you send the full offer in writing, including benefits and start date? I’d like to review it properly and come back to you by [day].”
When you have the document, check every line of the package. Base salary is only part of it, especially in international and expat contracts.
| Package element | What to ask | Easier to move than base? |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Currency, gross or net, paid where | No, it has the most internal rules |
| Signing bonus | Clawback if you leave early? | Often yes |
| Performance bonus | Target percentage, how it is measured, last year’s payout | Sometimes |
| Housing and transport | Paid allowance or company-provided, taxable or not | Yes, in expat and oil and gas packages |
| Rotation or leave | Days per year, flights home, rotation pattern (for example 28/28) | Sometimes |
| Health insurance | Local or international plan, dependants included | Sometimes |
| Title and review date | Can the first salary review be at six months? | Yes, usually costs the employer nothing now |
| Training and certifications | Budget per year, exam fees paid | Yes |
In Angola, the Lei Geral do Trabalho (Lei 12/23) already guarantees a Christmas allowance and a holiday allowance of at least 50% of base salary each, according to the Ministry of Public Administration, Labor and Social Security (MAPTSS). Those are legal minimums, not perks, so do not let an employer present them as extras you should be grateful for.
Script 3: the counteroffer
Ask for one specific number, give one or two reasons tied to value, and then stop talking.
“I’m keen to join and I’d like to make this work. Given my experience leading [specific result, for example the migration that cut reporting time by 40%] and the market data I’ve seen for this level, I was expecting a base of [number]. If we can get to [number], I’m ready to sign this week.”
Why this works:
- A precise figure (for example 87,500 rather than 90,000) signals that you calculated it.
- “Ready to sign” gives the hiring manager something to take to finance.
- Silence after the number lets them respond first. Do not fill the pause by lowering your own ask.
If they say the budget is fixed
“I understand the base is set. Could we look at a signing bonus of [amount], or a guaranteed review at six months with a defined increase if I hit [goal]?”
If they push back hard or pressure you
“I appreciate your position. Let me think about it overnight and I’ll confirm tomorrow morning.”
An exploding deadline of a few hours is a pressure tactic. A reasonable employer gives you at least a day or two.
Getting it closed
When you agree, ask for the revised terms in writing before you resign from your current job. Verbal promises about bonuses and reviews disappear when managers change.
Script 4: asking for a raise
A raise conversation is a business case, not a request for a favor. Book a dedicated meeting rather than raising it at the end of a one-to-one, and do it two or three months before budgets are set, not after.
- Collect evidence. List three to five results from the past year with numbers: revenue, cost saved, hours saved, projects delivered, people trained.
- Show the market. Bring the same three data points you would use for a new job.
- Make one ask. Name a figure or a percentage and a date.
“Over the past year I’ve taken on [new scope], delivered [result 1] and [result 2], and I’m now doing work that’s closer to a [next title] role. Market data for that level is around [range]. I’d like to discuss moving my salary to [number] from [month]. What would you need to see to support that?”
The last question matters. If the answer is “not now,” it converts a refusal into a list of conditions. Follow up with an email that summarizes what was agreed:
“Thanks for today. To confirm, you’ll review my salary in [month] and the criteria are [A] and [B]. I’ll send you a progress update in [month].”
When the answer stays no
If you get no increase after two documented cycles while meeting the agreed goals, take that as information about the employer. Start looking at open roles and practice with our guide to common interview questions and answers.
Mistakes that cost the most money
- Negotiating against yourself. Lowering your number before the employer has even responded.
- Ignoring currency and tax. A dollar salary paid into an Angolan account, a kwanza salary indexed to the dollar and a kwanza salary with no indexation carry very different risks. Ask which one you are being offered.
- Lying about a competing offer. Recruiters talk to each other, and a bluff that gets called can end the process.
- Apologizing. “Sorry, I know this is a lot, but…” invites a no. State your number calmly.
- Accepting first and negotiating later. Your bargaining power is highest between the offer and your signature.
Expats weighing a move should also read our guide to working in Angola as an expat, which covers housing, rotation and visa costs that belong in the package discussion.
Frequently asked questions
Can an employer withdraw an offer because I negotiated?
It can happen, but it is rare when you are polite, specific and reasonable. Asking once, with evidence, is normal professional behavior. Repeated demands or ultimatums carry far more risk.
How much more should I ask for than the offer?
There is no fixed rule. Base your counter on market data rather than a percentage of the offer. If the offer is already at market rate, aim for a modest step up or improvements to bonus, leave or review timing.
Should I negotiate by email or by phone?
Talk numbers by phone or video, where tone helps, and confirm everything by email afterwards. If you get nervous, email is acceptable for the counteroffer itself.
Is it acceptable to negotiate a first job or an internship?
Yes, though there is usually less room on base pay. Start date, training, equipment and a defined review date are often easier to win.
Sources: MAPTSS: Christmas and holiday allowances under Lei 12/23; EU Pay Transparency Directive (EU) 2023/970; California Labor Code section 432.3; US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS; UK Office for National Statistics, earnings data; PMI Project Management Salary Survey.
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