Last week I attended a conference organized by the Mines de Nantes and Mines Nantes Alumni , led by Vincent Frey and about "Salary Negotiation". In short: Never try to be right. Nobody likes to be wrong, including your interviewer. Avoid "yes, but…" sentences. Do not argue. There is no right price. Do not listen to your engineer's voice, setting a salary is not rational. Do not justify your claim. Do not insulate your salary claim. Example: "I have five years experience, I want _ k€ and I am available internationally". Do not seek approval from the other party after telling the salary you want. On the contrary, if the amount announced by your interviewer does not suit you, insulate the salary. Make a pause, ask her/him to repeat. You must be able to give your salary expectation right away when asked during an interview. If the salary you requested is lowered, negotiate a concession , even hypothetical. You can only get what you ask for.