Women in the tech industry face unique challenges when it comes to work culture, career advancement and salary negotiation. PayScale gave this presentation to a group of women working in tech in partnership with Seattle Girl Geek Dinners.

1. Speak Up!
Salary Negotiation Tips for Women in
Tech
Aubrey Bach, Marketing Manager
Lydia Frank, Editorial and Marketing Director

2. Negotiate Salary Early and Often
• Salary
plateaus after
age 40, often
earlier for
women.
Source: PayScale

3. "... a 25-year-old who negotiated
a starting salary of $55,000 will
earn $634,000 more than a non-
negotiator who accepted an
initial offer of $50,000.”
Source: Fast Company
Oh snap.

4. Women Are Less Likely to
Negotiate
• Men are more likely to
ask for raises overall.
• 31% of women who did
not negotiate said they
were uncomfortable
talking about salary.
23% of men said the
same.
• 40% of men said they had
always been happy with
their salary. 36% of
women said the same.
• Source: PayScale Salary
Negotiation Guide

5. “Women worry that pushing for more
money will damage their image.
Research shows they're right to be
concerned: Both male and female
managers are less likely to want to
work with women who negotiate
during a job interview.”
- Ashley Milne-Tyte, Planet Money
#TheStruggleIsReal

6. #WorthIt
of people who told us they asked for
raises reported receiving an increase in
pay.
75%

7. Gender Wage Gap?
• When controlled for
job type,
experience,
education, etc., the
gender wage gap
much smaller than
BLS numbers.
• But the gap widens
at the Director level
and above, and can
be wider in certain
job types.
Source: PayScale.com

8. It’s a Gender Job Gap
• The Gender Wage
Gap is a result of
women not going
after high-earning
jobs as often as
men.
• The lack of women
in senior and
leadership roles
contributes greatly
to pay inequity.
Source: Fortune

9. STEM! STEM! STEM!
Source: Fortune

10. Special Challenges for Women in
Tech
• The tech industry
poses special
challenges for
women – earn your
worth.
• Consider YOUR
priorities when
choosing a company
(pay, professional
opportunities,
work/life balance,
benefits, etc.) Source: Catalyst.org

11. 1. What you are worth
2. What they are willing to pay
you
Negotiation 101

12. Determine How Much YOU
Should Earn in A Role – Do Your
Research

13. • The salary
negotiation process
starts as soon as
you fill out the first
application
• Never give a
number or
preferred salary
range first.
The Golden
Rule of
Negotiation

14. Don’t Be
Afraid
• Employers expect
you to negotiate.

15. Negotiation is Logical

16. What is
Compensation?
• Salary
• Bonuses
• Equity
• PTO
• Flex time
• Benefits
• Educational and
growth
opportunities

17. Never Take
The First Offer
• Recruiters expect
you to negotiate.
• If the number they
offer doesn’t meet
the compensation
package you
researched, come
back with a
specific counter
offer.

18. Stick to a
Script
“Not only do I have
[all the standard
requirements that
everyone else has] +
but I also possess
[the following unique
traits that make me a
better candidate and
worth more money].”
- Jim Hopkinson (author of Salary
Tutor)

19. Practice. A Lot.

20. Time Is
Your
Trump
Card.

21. Want More?
payscale.com/salary-negotiation-guide

22. Thank You!
Don’t be a stranger.
Twitter: @aubreybach
Twitter: @lydia_west