Said It Here

How to negotiate a salary for the first time

First-time negotiators often lack direction on what is fair or what peers in their field are earning. This uncertainty makes it difficult to advocate for a career-changing offer or handle the stress of leaving a current employer before a busy season.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    talking to the owner to renegotiate pay structures
  2. 2
    learning about piece work rates to propose in compensation talks

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Accounting1 person · September 2026

“I have been preparing all weekend and it’s an opportunity that would change my career trajectory and personal life. Any tips?”source ↗

“I also wouldn’t know how to tell my current employer I’m leaving before busy season starts and a short tenure.”source ↗

No_Reward_8831 · r/Accounting · 6 upvotes
r/hvacadvice1 person · September 2026

“I have sold multiple jobs on my own and have closed them out completely and I still only get the $200 commission”source ↗

“I am just looking for some direction and help on how much is fair and what other technicians are getting out here”source ↗

“no matter what I am at 25 an hour unless I make 25% profit that equals more than my thousand dollar pay”source ↗

boofy333 · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised