Mastering Salary Negotiation in 2025: Tips for Engineers to Get What You Deserve

Hey VAP Talks crew! What's up? I’m a DevOps engineer working since 2022 at one of the biggest IT firms in Pune. I make CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins, use Docker and Kubernetes for apps, write scripts in Bash and Python, and manage AWS like EC2 and S3, fix problems late at night with chai, and learn from mistakes. Talking about salary can feel hard, like fixing a big bug. I lost 4-5 job chances by saying too much, but I learned how to do it right. Today, I’ll share simple tips to negotiate your CTC (total pay package), explain why you deserve more, and handle offers smartly – even without sounding like you’re just shopping for jobs. This works for all engineers, not just DevOps. Let’s get you the pay you deserve – ready?

Why Salary Talk Matters in 2025

In 2025, good salary talks can add lots of money to your job offer. For DevOps engineers like me with 2-3 years in Pune, pay is around 5-7 lakhs per year, but with smart talks, it can go to 9-12 lakhs. Don’t take the first number they give. I once got 20% more by preparing well. But if you rush, you might get less. Let’s learn how to do it.

Get Ready Before Talking Money

First, find out what others earn. Check sites like Glassdoor or AmbitionBox for Pune engineer pay. For DevOps, aim higher if you’ve done good work, like making deployments faster or setting up CloudWatch.

Simple Tip: Write down your wins. I usually list things like:

• “Improved operational efficiency by 20% with Shell scripts.”
• “Optimized Kubernetes, performance up by 15%.”

This makes your case strong when asking for more. I once forgot this and asked too little don’t make that mistake!

Always link your value to what the company needs.

Be Smart on the First Call

In the first HR call, don’t give a number. If they ask what you want, say, “I want something like what others get for my skills.” This lets you show your best in interviews first. For me, this worked to talk about my Jenkins and AWS skills without stress.

Simple Tip: First try to understand their budget. Most companies won’t reveal it, so if they ask for your expectations, say:

• “Let’s talk after I know the role better.”
• If they push, say: “I’m okay with what’s standard in the industry.”

Usually, companies agree and move forward with interviews. Some companies are number-obsessed, so if needed, you can say the industry standard hike is 30–50%. Then focus on clearing rounds.

Once you pass all interviews, that’s when you go for bigger numbers, backed with your value. Remember, if a company has already spent so much time and effort on you, they don’t want to lose you.

Explain Why You Want More Pay

When it’s time to talk money (after interviews), ask for more than average, but give good reasons. Say you want to stay long-term. I say, “I’ve built around 3 years of solid experience, and now I want to settle down. I’m looking for stability and long-term growth, not job-hopping. That’s why I expect more than industry standard.” This shows you’re serious.

Simple Tip: Always link your value to the company’s needs. After interviews, you’ll have a good idea of what they’re looking for. Focus on those skills, not just everything you’ve done before.

We are all multiskilled, but you need to highlight what’s most relevant for the role:

• If it is a Developer role, focus on Java, Python, Shell scripting, PL/SQL, APIs, and microservices.
• If it is DevOps, focus on Jenkins, AWS, Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible, Git, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring with CloudWatch or Prometheus, and security best practices. You can also show how you improved automation, reduced downtime, or optimized costs.
• If it is a Consultant, Senior Engineer, or Analyst role, go deeper. Here, they expect both technical and planning skills. Talk about how you: Designed and reviewed DevOps pipelines, Planned cloud migrations and infrastructure architecture, Worked with developers on application design, APIs, database planning, and integrations, Balanced business needs with technical solutions, Guided teams on best practices for security, scaling, and cost optimization.

For example, one company wanted me to migrate their on-prem cloud apps to AWS. I explained step by step:

• How I migrated Unix to Linux systems in a systematic way.
• How I migrated PDFs from on-prem storage to AWS S3 in one year.

Explaining my approach helped me justify my number. While the industry standard hike is 30 to 50 percent, I asked for 100 to 150 percent, and I got it.

In my current company, I got exposure to multiple technologies. That is why in negotiations, I don’t just say what I want, I explain what value I bring.

Even if you have not directly worked in the planning phase, you still join meetings with product owners and analysts. Use that, talk about how you understood the requirements, gave inputs, or coordinated with them. This makes a strong connection and shows you are more than just an executor.

Use an Offer Smartly (Don’t Tell All)

If you already have another job offer, don’t reveal it straight away. Companies might assume you’re only shopping around, and I personally lost 4–5 opportunities by being too open about it. Think of your offer as your ace card; use it wisely and only when it adds value to your negotiation, not before.

Simple Tip: At the beginning, most companies ask if you already have an offer. Instead of saying yes, say: “I have some job talks going on.”

• If they ask why you resigned without an offer, reply: “I’ve worked here for this long, and now I want to grow and take on more responsibility. That’s why I resigned. I also have some opportunities almost finalized.”
• If they then ask why you’re still interviewing, say: “Yes, I accept that I already have one opportunity, but it’s still in talks, not finalized. I believe your role is more suitable for my growth and career path.”
• If they keep pushing, go direct: “You called me because my skills match your requirements, and there’s nothing wrong with exploring better opportunities.”
• Here’s the key point: In my case, I’ve never applied for jobs; companies usually reach out to me with opportunities. Want to know how? Click here.
• But if you’ve applied to a company, you can say: “I applied to a few select organizations, and yours was at the top of my list. Before your call, I also got interest from other companies, but I’m more keen on your role.”

Nail the Salary Chat

I secured my best offer by following these simple negotiation steps. In my first HR call, I kept things simple. I said I was okay with the industry standard and that we could talk about salary later, as the role mattered more than money. This showed them I was role-focused, not just chasing pay. When they asked if I had offers, I didn’t reveal the details; I only said I was in some talks. During the interviews, I realized the actual role was for a DevOps engineer with migration experience, not just a software developer, as they had mentioned earlier. I pointed this out clearly: what they needed, what I could offer, and how rare it was to find someone at my level with hands-on migration experience. This positioned me strongly for a higher package. Later, when HR said my CTC was low and industry standards allow only a 30–50% hike, I played my ace card, another offer I already had.

Before starting the negotiation, I had one number fixed in my mind. I quoted about 1.5 lakh higher than that, and the bargaining began just like how our mothers negotiate in markets. Once they got close to my target, I didn’t stop there; I pushed further by asking for a joining bonus, which helped bridge the final gap and complete my expectations. In the end, this strategy helped me secure the best offer on the table, and you can do it too.

Simple Tips:

• If they pay you X, they’ll earn 4–5X from your work. Don’t hesitate to quote more than the industry average.
• Even if you quoted less earlier, don’t be afraid to revise higher. Say: “After understanding the role better, I see it requires more skills, so I expect more.”
• In the final round, they won’t reject you for quoting high; they’ll just tell you their budget. Losing you means restarting the whole hiring process.
• HR may pressure you with lines like “we can’t go beyond this.” Don’t fall for it. Stay firm, be confident, and use the time they give you to respond.
• Even if they agree to your number, still ask for extras like a joining bonus or relocation bonus. These are big lump sums that make a real difference. So don’t hesitate to bring this up.
• If you finally reach their true maximum and HR genuinely can’t go higher, understand you’ve done your best, and what you now have is the best offer possible.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Don’t ask for too little at first; wait until they’re convinced you’re the right fit. Never badmouth your old job. Frame your decision as wanting growth and more responsibility. And don’t lie about offers without proof, because it can backfire. I learned that being too open too soon can make you look unstable. The better way is to stay honest, confident, and show that you’re someone who will stick around.

Simple Tips:

• Money matters, but so do the company and the role. I’ve rejected offers that were paying 2–3 lakhs more because the company background, location, and long-term stability were more important.
• If you’re experienced, choose companies that are at least 20 years old. Job security is key. For freshers, though, startups can be great for learning fast.
• When you have multiple offers, try to plan the offer letter dates smartly. Aim for the earlier joining date at the company you want most.
• Don’t reject other offers too early. Keep them in the queue until you join your final choice. I rejected 5–6 offers quickly, and it cost me badly. How I came back from that mistake is a story I’ll share in my upcoming blog.

Let’s Wrap It Up – Get That Pay Hike!

There you go, VAP Talks fam – simple ways to talk salary in 2025, explain your worth, and use offers smartly without seeming like a job shopper. From my DevOps time since 2022, preparing stories and staying quiet about offers has helped me. Imagine getting a pay that fits your skills – feels great, right? Let’s chat: What’s your best salary win, or a mistake you learned from? Drop it below – I’ll reply!

Check our Top-5 Free Online Courses for career help or VAP Talks for more tips. Subscribe on Blogger – let’s grow together. Go get that hike, you star! 😎

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