Your BATNA
BATNA: Accept the competing offer at $130k, assuming its role scope, benefits, stability, location, and growth prospects are reasonably comparable.
BATNA strength: Moderate to strong.
- It is a real alternative, not a hypothetical one.
- It is already $10k above the current offer.
- Market data supports $135k–$150k for senior engineers.
- Your leverage is strongest before you accept or reject either offer.
Before negotiating, compare total compensation—not just base salary:
- Bonus and equity
- Retirement contributions
- Health insurance costs
- PTO
- Remote-work flexibility
- Title and responsibilities
- Promotion trajectory
- Signing bonus
- Commute or relocation costs
If the competing offer is materially weaker in these areas, discount its effective value accordingly.
Their Likely BATNA
Their BATNA is to:
- Hire their second-choice candidate.
- Reopen the search and absorb delays.
- Redistribute the work among the current team.
- Leave the role vacant temporarily.
For a senior engineering role, these options can be costly due to recruiting time, interview hours, lost productivity, and delayed projects. However, they may also have:
- A strict salary band
- Internal-equity constraints
- Other qualified finalists
- Flexibility in signing bonus, equity, title, or review timing rather than base salary
Your objective is to make improving the offer feel easier and less costly than losing you.
Anchor and Justification Script
Anchor: $150k base salary
This is credible because it is at the top of the stated market range and gives room to negotiate toward a likely target of $140k–$145k.
Word-for-word script:
“Thank you again for the offer. I’m genuinely excited about the role, especially the opportunity to contribute to [specific project, product, or team objective]. After reviewing the scope of the position, the market range for comparable senior engineering roles, and another offer I have at $130,000