Latest / Job Hopping with Fexingo: Tenure, Loyalty, and the Modern Career Resume / How Job Hoppers Can Negotiate Pay Without Salary History
Transcript
- Lucas: So it's July 2026, and if you've changed jobs in the last couple of years, you may have noticed the salary history question slowly disappearing from applications. Over twenty states now have bans in place — California, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, a bunch of others. Luna: Right, and for job hoppers who've had three or four roles in seven years, that used to be a crutch. You'd say 'well I made X at my last job' and that'd set the floor. Lucas: Exactly. But now that crutch is gone — and honestly, that's a good thing. It forces you to rely on market data rather than your own history. But it also means you need a new playbook. Luna: So what's the first move? Where do you even start when you can't use your own salary as a baseline? Lucas: You start with benchmarking. And I mean real benchmarking — not just googling 'average salary for product manager'. Use sites like Levels.fyi, especially for tech and finance roles. They have crowdsourced data broken down by company, level, and location. Glassdoor's also decent, but take it with a grain of salt — the sample sizes can be small. Luna: I've used Levels.fyi before. It's great for base salary plus equity. But it's heavily skewed toward big tech. What if you're in marketing or operations at a mid-size company? Lucas: Good point. For non-tech roles, I'd look at industry-specific salary surveys. The Robert Half Salary Guide is solid for finance and accounting. For marketing, there's the ANA survey. And if you're in a niche field, tap your network. Reach out to five people in similar roles and ask for a range. Most people will share if you ask respectfully. Luna: So once you have a number, how do you avoid anchoring yourself too low when they ask 'what are you looking for?' Lucas: That's the million-dollar question. My advice: don't give a specific number early. Instead, say something like 'I'm looking for a package that's competitive for this role and level based on market data. Could you share the budgeted range?' Many recruiters will actually tell you. Luna: But some won't. They'll push back and say 'just give me a number'. Lucas: Right. If they insist, give a range — but make it wide and anchored to the market. Say 'Based on my research, the typical total compensation for this level is between $150,000 and $180,000, but I'm flexible depending on the full package.' That keeps you in the game without locking into a low number. Luna: And 'full package' means base, bonus, equity, sign-on — the whole thing. For job hoppers, equity can be tricky because you might not vest before you leave. Lucas: That's a really important point. If you typically stay two years at a company, you'll only get one or two equity grants to vest. So you need to negotiate a higher base salary and a larger sign-on bonus to compensate. That's a trade-off you can make explicitly: 'I'm willing to accept a lower equity grant if you can increase the base by $15,000.' Luna: Yeah, and some companies are open to that, especially if they know you're a high performer who likely won't stay for the full four-year vest. They'd rather give you cash upfront than equity that might never fully vest. Lucas: Exactly. And here's another tactic: if you have multiple offers, you can use them to push each company. Job hoppers often have more offers because they're more practiced at interviewing. So don't be afraid to say 'I have another offer at $165,000 base — can you match or beat that?' Luna: But what if you don't have another offer? Can you still create leverage? Lucas: You can. You can use the market data as leverage. Say 'I've done my research and I see that the 75th percentile for this role is $170,000. I believe my skills and experience justify that.' If they push back, you can ask for a signing bonus or a guaranteed first-year bonus to bridge the gap. Luna: That's smart. And one thing I've noticed: the best time to negotiate is after you've received a verbal offer but before you see the written offer. That's when they're most flexible. Lucas: Absolutely. You want to negotiate before they've typed it up. Once it's in writing, it's harder to change. So when the recruiter calls to give you the good news, ask for a day to review, then come back with your counter. Luna: You know, this kind of practical advice is exactly why I love doing this show. It's stuff you can actually use. Lucas: Yeah, and that's the whole point. If you've gotten value from episodes like this, a couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo makes a real difference in keeping these ad-free and focused on what matters. Luna: Just a small way to support the work. No pressure, but it adds up. Lucas: Exactly. So back to compensation — one more tactic I want to cover: the 'expected salary' question on applications. You see a required field and you have to put something. Luna: Ugh, I hate that. What do you put — $0? Lucas: Some people put 0 or 99999, but that can backfire. Better to put your researched market range — for example, '$150,000 to $180,000.' That signals you know what you're worth but aren't locked in. Luna: And if the application only allows a single number? Lucas: Then put the midpoint of your range. But be ready to discuss it in the interview. If they bring it up, say 'That was my initial estimate based on market data, but I'm open to a broader discussion about total compensation.' Luna: Good. And final thought: as salary history bans spread — I think we'll see more states follow — the skill of negotiating without a history becomes more critical. Job hoppers who master this will have a huge advantage. Lucas: Absolutely. The market rate is your friend. Use it, don't be afraid to ask for data, and remember that total compensation is more than just base salary. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back next week. Luna: See you then.