My favorite tech salary negotiation tip (that recruiters love, too)
I never ever name a number first.  Doing so puts me in a weaker negotiating position, and if my number is too high, it could disqualify me from consideration even before I get a chance to interview and make a good impression.. not to mention that everything is always negotiable (remonstrances to the contrary not withstanding).<p>Even if I wind up not getting the job, if I had an interview, I&#x27;d have still had a chance to make a good impression, and the people who I impressed might want to hire me later on when they have a bigger budget or perhaps when they&#x27;re working for another company.  If I disqualify myself by naming too high a number, I might never get the interview or the chance to connect or impress, never mind negotiate.  It&#x27;s a lose-lose for me and the company.  So, no, I never name a number first.<p>Some recruiters have pressured me very hard to name a number, some even telling me that they were paid by the employer to get that number.  Well, I&#x27;m not getting paid to give out that number, and I&#x27;m not going to participate in a free salary survey that puts me in a weaker negotiating position.  Fortunately it&#x27;s still a seller&#x27;s market for IT talent, and there&#x27;s no shortage of recruiters, most of whom respect to keep my current and desired salary confidential.