This is a great question, as there is definitely an etiquette to turning down an offer. This is because life is a marathon and not a sprint, and burning bridges by being insensitive or callous will win you no friends and potentially close doors that you may well want to open in the future.

First of all, thanking them for taking the time to get to know you and to extend an offer is A#1. You then tell them how impressed you were with their organization, thoughtfulness and approach to the business. You say that you found an opportunity that you feel at this point in your career is a better fit for you, but that this in no way reflects on their organization or the opportunity.

This shouldn't be BS: this should be the truth. And if you've done a really good job, you'll be able to stay in touch with your main advocate at the place you turned down. This might be a source of business opportunities as well as potential employment opportunities down the road.

Being good at saying "no" is more important than being smart at saying "yes." Don't waste an opportunity to build - rather than burn - a bridge. The thoughtful "no" can accomplish this.

Believe it or not, employers are used to this. I was tired of my job, so I got another job and put in my two weeks. My boss requested a couple of days to get with upper management to work out a counter offer. This counter offer was enough to secure my decision to stay.

I politely called the other job, apologized to them, informed them that unfortunately my current employer countered with something that I couldn't refuse, but I appreciated their time and consideration.

Despite this exchange, nearly 2 years later they were still willing to hire me. Unfortunately they still couldn't compete, so I stayed with my employer.

Do what's best for you. Even my boss told me this. “I won't hold any decision against you. If leaving is what you need to do, then do it. We will be sad to see you go, but will support whatever decision you make.”

But, always make sure you don't burn bridges. Don't ghost the Employer that already accepted you. Make a professio al and polite call to explain the situation. They will understand.

I was very recently in an identical situation, choosing between two great opportunities. In case it helps others, here's what I wrote to the one I turned down:

###

Dear ****** and *****,
It's with regret I must tell you I have decided to take the offer at
******. This was a very, very difficult decision, but in the end I
think it's the right one for me at this time. I'll be working with
Ruby and cloud infrastructure, solving problems in the web performance optimization and analytics space. It's a different kind of role, as I'll be helping drive the product (not just writing code), and there's flexibility to work remotely. I've got passion for WPO and have been dying to work professionally w/ Ruby for a long time. Given all that,
the difficulty of my decision just underscores how compelling this
opportunity at ******* was; I like the team very much, would have
loved to work with you, and believe strongly that you guys will
succeed. Thank you both very much for your interest in me, and good luck. I hope our paths cross again, till then I'll be rooting for you.

Sincerely,
Chris

###

FYI, this resulted in a new linkedin connection and a reply from the CEO saying [paraphrased] "Good luck --and our door's still open if it doesn't work out".

If you are sure about your decision then set up a call with the other company to inform them about your decision. Talking over the phone is best but you can also write an email if you prefer.

On your call/ in your email, thank the employer for the time they have spent interviewing you and then let them know that you have decided to go with another offer which you feel is the better opportunity for you at this time (you don’t have to go into the details). Next, one of two things can happen. You may receive another counter offer to consider from this employer, which you can still reject if the other opportunity is still better for you, or, they will thank you for considering their company and end the process there. If you have made a really good impression, then some employers will say something like “there may be more opportunities to work together in the future!”.

Don’t worry about the rejected company taking things personally. Employers know that to get the best candidates we must present the best packages that we can. Keep your rejection communications professional, considerate and concise and you will probably leave doors open for yourself in the future!

The goal is to be respectful, and to keep the conversation open and frank. The offer you are about to refuse might turn into the offer you end up accepting, since you might learn something new during this last call.

For instance, you might not have realized the scope of the position, or might not have negotiated the compensation, or were unaware of recent developments at the company - having an open mind during this conversation is a good thing.

With that in mind, it's reasonable to turn offers down one by one (if you have multiple), before accepting the offer from your preferred company.

In terms of process, I'd suggest:

• Email the hiring manager that you'd like a quick chat over the phone
• Talk to him/her in person on the phone, telling them you won't be accepting the offer
• If you liked anything at all about the offered job, clearly state these. Did you like the company? Your role? The team?
• Listen to the hiring manager's final spiel
• If it sways you, think about it. Otherwise, decline and offer to send qualified candidates over

The best way to do this is to include the following three key points in your conversation:

1. A Gracious Thank You
2. A Well-Thought Out Rationale
3. Forward Momentum

Thank You
The very first thing you must start with when turning down a job offer is a heartfelt thank you to the person who extended the offer. Make sure to communicate that you are appreciative of the offer and state that you respect both the organization and the other person — don't make it seem as though the position was beneath you or that you didn't give the offer serious thought and consideration.
Rationale
Next comes your rationale for turning down the job. This is the most difficult aspect of the conversation but also the most important. There are myriad reasons a job won't be a perfect fit and many of them are perfectly plausible and valid. Others may be harder to justify or voice (it's hard to decline on the grounds of the hiring manager being a jerk or the fact that you can't bear to leave the West Coast).
Even if your rationale strays from the politically correct or socially acceptable, 99% of the time you can communicate even the most delicate of reasons in a professional and tactful way. Here is some helpful language around five common reasons you might turn down an offer:

• 
  External Factors: Geography, family, timing. It's always easier to blame a decision on someone or something else: if issues beyond your control prevent you from accepting a position, be honest: "Unfortunately, I can't make the move because of family obligations." Or, "As much as I am interested in the position, I've decided it's not the right time to uproot my family and move across the country."
  
• 
  Money: It's absolutely okay to turn down a position that doesn't pay well (enough). You are allowed to say: "I wish I could make it work, however I need to be at a higher compensation level. I'm sure you understand."
• 
  Lack of Skills/Qualifications: If you don't have the requisite skill-set to knock the ball out of the park or you suspect you're being set up to fail, then the best way to bow out is to state this: "After much consideration, I've decided I can't realistically exceed expectations and I'd never want to join an organization where I won't be able to under promise and over deliver."
• 
  People Issues: You can't tell someone you don't like them or their colleagues, but you can use "cultural fit" as a catchall when your personality doesn't jive with a team or organization. For instance, "I respect the work you all do but I just don't think it's the right fit for me personally. I'm going to continue looking for something more face-paced/more entrepreneurial/ with a flatter organizational structure, etc.
• 
  Dead End: If a job is appealing today but won't move you in the right direction towards your ultimate career goals, you are entitled to say so. People will generally respect your long-term career goals. "As much as I'd love to join the team, I really need to get some fundraising experience so that I can transition into a development role in the next few years. Truthfully, the program manager position just isn't going to do that for me."

Forward Momentum
Once you've given a thoughtful reason for why you've turned down the position, thank your counter-party again and offer to stay in touch or wish them luck with the hiring process. You can acknowledge that you'd like to be kept abreast of new opportunities or revisit the situation if your external factors happen to change. It's not crazy to think that the employer you dismiss today may be appealing to you down the road, so keep the relationship positive and the door open.

Thanks for A2A. First, realize that the companies you got your offers from can rescind them at will at any time.

Second, you do not want to antagonize any potential future employer, you do not want to get what is nebulously described “a reputation”… but you do want to do what is the best for your career.

Third, take a stock of your skills/education, of the market, of the respective companies reputation and standing.

Then make up your mind. There are ramifications to any decision, and you need to mitigate them to the best of your abilities. Call the hiring manager of the company which offer you’ve decided to turn down, ASAP, and explain that a better opportunity came along. This sort of situations is not uncommon, it is a free agent economy - your would be manager might come knocking on your door in the future. What managers do NOT like is nasty surprises at the last moment.

Be as professional as you can be - no “emergency situations”, no “dead grandma” and “dog ate my job offer” excuses; any manager worth his salt will see right through these.

Be prepared for counter-offer - you need to be clear on what would make you stay with the company (if anything).

P.S. Of course, some companies could be vengeful, and put you on black “no hire” list - be ready for this possibility, and ask yourself whether you’d even want to work for such a company.

It depends on the situation.

There are people who will tell you that it’s unethical.
There are people who will tell you do what’s best for you.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Look, the basic facts of life are this.

We live and work in a Capitalist society.
Workers are commodities, particularly in STEM roles, but pretty much everywhere now.
Accepting a role and backing out after you’ve accepted is totally acceptable. It is all how you approach the discussion.

If, after considering the role, you decide that you’ve had a change of heart, better to make that decision now during the acceptance phase then after you’ve quit your current job and started the new one.

Most of us are really busy. We don’t often take the time to consider what accepting the job really means. Oftentimes, this realization doesn’t set in until you’re about to give your notice at your current job, or prepare to get mentally and physically ready to start a new role.

If there’s ANY doubt in your mind about whether this is the right position, the answer should be NO. Never go into a new role with reservations, or feeling like you need to continue on with the new role ONLY because you have accepted the role. That’s not a good sign. You should NEVER commit to something as important as employment based upon guilt or ‘trade-offs’.

There are lots of legitimate reasons for backing out after accepting a new role.

1. New to the area, and unfamiliar with location and company.
2. Excessive travel commitments, including ‘super commutting’ (3–4+ hrs a day).
3. Contract vs. Permanent roles. No one really wants to be a contingent staff member.
4. Inadequate benefits.
5. Limited or no Paid Time Off.
6. Joining a ‘project’ vs. joining a team and/or a company.
7. Extensive pressure from Recruiters and Account Executives who are working on commission. If they don't close a sale by hiring you, they don’t make money.
8. Limited / no opportunity for advancement.
9. Money (and this is usually towards the top of the list, but it’s not the most important consideration after a certain level).
10. Ability to be in control of your own destiny.
11. Accountability to family for presence, stability, and enough energy to be available and not be brain dead from work or commute stress.
12. The ability to live a life outside of work.

I recently accepted an offer and rescinded my acceptance. I was put under a LOT of pressure by a 3rd party recruiter to make a decision before I was finished with final interviews and offers. I was asked to make a decision before I could asses the opportunities properly. This is, of course, exactly what they were hoping for with an aggressive push to ‘close’ my candidacy.

So I made an initial bad decision by accepting the offer. After multiple offers came in, I had to evaluate them against each other on their own merits. I realized that I had made a big mistake with my commitment. I withdrew my application after 2 days of acceptance. At the same time, the company I agreed to work for made an aggressive push to start me the same week, even after I told them that I already had a job that I hadn’t given notice yet. This was a red flag and my radar was active and making me look at this situation in a different light. In hindsight, it’s clear that this was a tactic to get me to start immediately so that no other offers would be in play. Aggressive sales tactics usually yield very unpredictable results.

When I sat down to prepare to give notice with my current employer, and to start to be mentally and logistically ready to take on the new role, what I realized is that I would be signing up for a 4+ hour daily commute each day. I was new to the area, and didn’t understand the time commitment involved in the travel back/forth to work.

In hindsight, the recruiter and account executives both knew what I was committing to in terms of travel. They also knew that this wasn’t a viable work commute. No one in their right mind would sign up for that unless they had no other alternatives. They pushed to ‘close’ the sale because that’s the business that they’re in.

I realized that there was no possible way that I could support that kind of commute. The next morning I sent e-mail and explained that I wasn’t able to accept the role and would be backing out.

The blowback from the account executive was initially very strong. When I agreed to speak with her on the phone, things settled down. I explained that an aggressive ‘close’ on my candidacy really was a disservice to all concerned parties. If I took the role, I’d just end up quitting after a short time. No one could sustain that kind of daily commute. It was a Lose/Lose situation. I would lose my existing job, lose my new job and be unemployed. The client employer would lose the resource that they desperately wanted, and the recruiter and account executive would lose the revenue. In all likelihood I’d end up burning multiple bridges, including my own, in the process.

We agreed to let the acceptance fail. They were not happy, but it’s my choice.

There are sometimes circumstances that are beyond candidate’s control that result in backing out of an accepted offer.

Aggressive sales and closing tactics by AE’s and Recruiters can yield very unpredictable results. For them, they just want to put an approved body in a chair so that they can pick up commissions and residuals.

Good recruiters, account executives and hiring managers know that it’s not just about the sale. They will provide you the time that you need to make the best decision for your own needs and circumstances. If it results in you not accepting the offer, they’re generally ok with that too. People come and go from companies every day. It's a huge risk to force someone to take on a role that they aren’t comfortable with, for whatever reason. Good managers know that a single bad hire can ruin a team.

It’s up to each person to evaluate their own needs and risk tolerance. Backing out of an acceptance is totally OK. It’s your life, your family, your money that’s riding on this decision. Honor has nothing to do with that. You can’t eat cheap nobility.

"Thank you for your offer, but I chose someone else" will be fine.

This is assuming that you've definitely decided to go with one job. It might be worth your effort to talk with the other manager before you reject the offer. If there is a specific reason that you choose a job, the other manager might be flexible.

One thing about jobs offers is that managers really don't take these sorts of things personally. You are the top name on the list. If you don't take the job, they'll cross your name off, and go for number two.

Also, I wouldn't spend a lot of your time, explaining why you took the other job.

I would politely call whichever contact number I’ve been given (maybe the team leader - maybe the HR department) - or email if that’s the way they’ve been communicating with you - and say that “Regrettably, I had a better offer, so I find myself unable to accept your job offer.”

You *MIGHT* want to explain why - because sometimes they’ll up their offer to try to get you on board.

One time this happened to me, I was able to talk up their offer by $10,000/year - and in another case, I was able to negotiate an extra 10 days of annual vacation.

At that point, you can go back to the OTHER job and do the same thing - in effect starting a “bidding war”.

But don’t over-do it, only give each company one chance to up their bid - then pick the best.

Is it acceptable? Sure. Does it suck on both sides, definitely.

When you accept an offer with a company and then turn around to decline it before starting, it leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. The same type of taste you might get after agreeing to meet someone on a date, getting stood up and never hearing back from them again.

I’ve seen this happen more times than I’d like but it’s also understandable. It’s almost always because somewhere along the line, the candidate wasn’t being honest. If you’re an active candidate and you’re exploring multiple companies, just tell your recruiter at each company or the third party one if applicable.

Good recruiters will either expedite the process for you so you can make a more educated decision or tell you they can’t move that fast. I certainly do. I’ve had multiple candidates I catch at the end of their job hunt and I’m up front with them if I can get them to an offer in a reasonable amount of time. If I can, we agree to consider all offers on the table. If I can’t, I let them know and they either don’t interview or they hold off accepting other offers for the time being.

Look, there are tons of bad recruiters. Depending on your perspective, you might think there are more bad ones than good ones. Third party ones are also harder to negotiate with because of the triangle effect: you, company and recruiter.

Sometimes expectations don’t match up or you learn something about the company, team or role you didn’t know before accepting. If you can’t come to a reasonable and happy fix, it’s totally okay to decline after accepting.

You must be thinking why a recruiter would tell you this. It’s in my best interest to hire you right?

First off, it’s your career. You’ll spend thousands of hours and way too much of your waking hours doing this job. If you’re unhappy for any reason, you shouldn’t take the job.

While the employer or recruiter might not be happy right away, they’ll soon realize that it’s much more expensive to replace you when you leave (which will likely be sooner than expected).

Second, if you have a better opportunity on the table, you should take it! Seriously, as a recruiter I’m genuinely happy when you take an offer with a company that’s a better fit. Of course, I hope my company is the better fit and our offer is ideal but things happen.

Lastly, don’t burn bridges. Follow these 5 tips below.

1. Don’t use the offers as a method to simply get more money from the company you want to join. It’s okay to go back and negotiate for more money if it makes sense but if you’re a jerk about being all about the money, it’ll likely never work out.
2. Respect the recruiter at both companies. They are often the ones who will keep in touch with you and re-engage you in the next 6+ months. If you tell the recruiter to stay in touch, actually respond back when they contact you. It’s a two way relationship.
3. Keep attending events you’re invited to. It’s okay to be a passive candidate. In fact, at any given time, most people are passive candidates. If you get invited to go to a happy hour or dinner, take it up if you’re free and continue being “top of my mind” for the other company.
4. Don’t bad mouth the other company. Companies are almost always aware of the other’s culture and the pros/cons. In general, it’s never a good idea to bad mouth another employer.
5. Lastly, say thank you, to both the recruiter and hiring manager at the company you’re declining. This goes a long way for building relationships that can sometimes open doors another time. This is especially the case when you’ve already accepted the offer.

Note: These tips originally came from another Quora post I wrote comparing Google and Facebook and what happens if you decline an offer for the other. You can read that original one here.

Absolutely. I was in that position in my early 20’s. I accepted a job offer and then a week later (days before starting the new job) I received a call that a job I had interviewed for a month earlier was being offered to me. I accepted the new offer and immediately called the other company and talked directly to the person who offered me the job. I explained the circumstances and she wasn’t “happy”, but she did understand that the other position offered me true advancement and a long term future. I worked for that organization for over 30 years. Be honest with the people at the job you’re turning down, because you never know if you’re going to run into that person or if you may want to revisit that company.

Is it legal? Generally speaking, yes. I suspect there may be some circumstances where if you have already signed an employment contract, it may take more than a simple “I changed my mind” to get out of that.

Is it moral? Well, since (here in the US) the prospective employer is generally free to say, “Circumstances have changed, and we’re withdrawing our job offer,” then you certainly have the same right with no moral stigma attached.

Is it a smart practice? Here’s where things get tricky.

Generally speaking, there are four major reasons why you might renege on an accepted job offer:

1. Your family/personal circumstances have changed, requiring you to pass up this job and attend to those personal matters. OK? Absolutely.
2. You have learned something about the company and/or the job position that changes your decision. OK? Again, yes, though there could be some repercussions.
3. You suddenly got a new offer from another firm that you want more. OK? Well, yeah, but things have a way of coming around. Just know again that there could be repercussions later on.
4. Your current employer made a counter-offer to get you to stay. Sigh. This is the one with the most potential to blow up in your face.

Let’s talk about that last one. Here’s the dilemma: often, your employer will ignore the raises, benefits, and promotions that they should have been giving you until you threaten to leave, at which point they suddenly scramble to match your offer, etc. But if you choose to stay, often they’ll never quite trust you again, feeling that you forced them into this decision. That may mean that you now top their list of people to let go of/replace if that becomes necessary. Having just gotten a big (if deserved) bump in pay and/or title, you may now be on the slow track for any future raises, promotions, etc.

My strong recommendation is that you clearly and directly raise the issue of pay and promotion with your management chain before you accept any outside position. Then, if it’s clear they won’t budge, go find another job - and do not accept any counteroffer from your current employer if you do choose to leave. It will almost always end badly if you do.

That’s my experience and observations. Others may have differing opinions.

As J. Schaffzin says, you have to be prepared to deal with the consequences.

I absolutely hate when applicants do this. Here's why.

• Our hiring process is thorough enough that, by the time an applicant is offered a job, he or she should know a great deal about it (about our agency culture, the job duties, the team, the scheduling expectations, the benefits, promotion opportunities, etc). So an applicant should really know what he or she is getting into at that point.
• I will always accept it if the applicant of my choice needs a few days to think the offer over. If you have any doubts, you should ask for this before accepting.
• I have invested significant time in you (reference checking, etc).
• I may have (like your potential employer) invested actual money, too. In my case, I pay for expensive pre-hire screenings.
• The hiring manager (and anyone else who has interviewed the applicant) is emotionally invested in the applicant. A decline is often a terrible disappointment.
• I have likely already turned down all my other applicants.
• My other front-running applicants may have accepted other offers, which means I will have to start the recruiting process from scratch. A three-week vacancy suddenly becomes a three month ordeal.

So, yup, I hate what you are proposing.

However, there are times when it is appropriate.

• If you have learned something absolutely untenable about the job.
• If you are positive (or close to positive) that you will quit the job once you find something else.
• If you can let the recruiter down in a way that is respectful and professional, and that won't leave you black-listed.

But in most cases, if you have done your due diligence as an applicant, you won't ever get to this stage.

• You will ask lots of thoughtful questions at all stages of the process.
• You will study the body language of your interviewer(s).
• You will pay attention to your intuition and act on it, whether that leads you to withdraw, or to ask more questions.
• You will know what you want, need and admire in a job, and what you will absolutely hate.
• You will know what is negotiable for you and what isn't.
• You will be honest with yourself at all times.

Don’t show up for work.

Your acceptance of a job offer, followed by your written recanting of your acceptance, does not leave you burdened by an enforceable contract requiring you to work at a particular place. The company whose offer you first accepted has no hold on you.

Most likely, the manager you contacted doesn’t want to waste time answering you. Or he may have his nose out of joint, due to resentment that he now has to find and hire someone else. So he will return the insult, he thinks, by snubbing you.

Either way, it’s immaterial. That company has suffered no damage or loss due to your declining to work there, so they have no basis for any action against you. If, for example, they had paid all the moving and transportation costs to bring you and your family to California from New York, only to have you then say you aren’t going to work for them after all, they would have a good basis to sue you for recovery of all those costs, plus the costs of recovery.

But that is not the case here. Start your preferred new job, with a happy heart and without worrying about the other company. Just don’t ever apply there again for a job, because you will probably encounter someone who will remember this incident, and who will make sure you don’t get another offer from them.

I declined a job offer I already accepted, because two days after accepting I received another offer I could absolutely not refuse. I just said I had received a better offer and decided to take it. They were fine about it although the agent who lost his commission was very irate. Legally there no problem unless the company decided to take you to court for breech of contract, and then they would have to establish damages, which after only two days, they are not likely to do.

I have used this tactic, taught to me in college, my entire life…and one time, it actually happened.

My college professor told us, as we were getting ready to graduate, never turn down a job. Just ask for so much money that they’d say no. Worst case, is they’d say yes and you’d make that much money.

Well…I was living in sunny California when a trading platform in New York City, right on Broad…a couple of buildings down from the New York Stock Exchange called. I didn’t want to live in NYC, so I used that tactic. We had a great interview session, and we went to salary negotiations. I still did not want to leave California, so I asked for so much money, I knew they’d say “No.”

I remember my wife walking in the room after my interview asking, “How did it go?” I simply responded…”Pack your bags. We’re moving to New York.”

Recently, I learned there is a name for this. It’s called “Fuck your feelings money.” I didn’t make it up…It’s a real thing.

First you need the right mindset. Lots of people turn down jobs because the money is not right, in fact it surprises some people that it isn’t the top reason.

So you’re doing something that should not shock them much, in fact if they are doing their job right and checked what you wanted, they should be expecting it, and your mindset should be that you are delivering a simple message that is just business with no emotional issues at all for anyone.

Your optimal mindset is like that of buying a car, you’d like the model on offer but it is not fundamental to your life.

That of course does not mean they won’t have emotional issues and this endgame goes several ways.

I regard it as more polite to phone someone and say something along the lines of how much you liked the job and the firm, to thank the person for the time they have spent with you, but that you are too far apart on money and wish them well in their work. In particular you should say something about how you had liked the idea of bringing your skills in X to the project.

It never hurts to leave a good impression and although it’s not that likely you will ever want to work for them, it might happen.

Recruiters like me get paid for placing people, so they’ve put in effort that won’t pay off, some will try and guilt trip you into accepting the role and talk up the non-money aspects. They HR will sometimes say “we will look at your pay in 6 months and if you prove yourself, we will move you up” . Do not believe them. In 6 months you’ve quit you old job and moving again so quickly can look bad, so HR will most likely come up with some semi-plausible BS about your performance, the firm’s P&L, the market or if they are outsourced HR simply not respond at all.

A recruitment process outsourcer (RPO) is the easiest to deal with, they are paid to turn up at 9:30 and the most precise timing mechanism in the world is not the 10^-16 clock at the UK National Phyical Laboratory, but an RPO leaving a exactly 5:00 PM they simply don’t care.

However they may be prepared to up their offer, and that is why in the rejection I asked to you mention how you could have made a contribution to their objectives. Since you’ve been through the interview process you usually know what they want and their prioritiers and so when making any pitch to them should include a polite version of “you need to get X done, I’ve been doing X for years and am good at it”

So the your rejection of their offer is the last move in that dance before you find other partners. You only get the best price if the other side knows you will walk away and you’ve just done that.

So be prepared to for one last round of bargaining. Your mindset should be free of any fear of losing a job you don’t want on these terms, it is not a moral judgement of your worth as a person or them as an employer, it is that you see yourself as more valuable than they do.

To get the best result go for a sinlge hard number and say something like “we’ve spent a lot of time on this process and I know your time is valuable so we can shake hands or leave it for another day, I will take the job for X”

They will often have to go to some higher authority to get that and will want assurance that if they fight the good fight that you won’t just turn them down again which makes them look bad.

It is worth knowing that contrary to what you read in salary surveys, the uncertainty in what you might be worth is large on both sides, though HR in large firms have a tendency to think that the only rate in town is what they have read somewhere.

That maximises your chances of getting the job at the money you find acceptable.

I’d also finally add a curious bit of economics that is not intuiive at all.

Which is better of identical jobs paying ?

75,000 or 78,231.42

That’s a not trivial gap, but the precision of the second number tells us something which requires you to be brutally honest with yourself.

A number like that comes out of a process, it is some questionable function of market rates, inflation, cost of living, where the firm wants to be in the quality/price spectrum of staff it hires and some internal political process.

Your contribution to the firm is not the main factor, in fact for programmers I can make a case that contribution correlates negatively with pay.

So if in your heart you know that you’re near or below average at whatever you do (which is where most of us are most of the time), then an alogirthm that determines your pay is your friend.

If you are confident that you are noticeably better then the exactly 75K job may well be at a firm where contribution is more important than HR’s questionable spreadheet.