It's no secret that hiring managers often keep their cards close to their chest during a salary negotiation. Of course, there's always a chance a salary offer falls farther than $10,000 away from your expectations. A low-ball salary offer doesn't always mean a lost cause. "The person you're talking to isn't always the person who decides whether or not you get that higher salary, they're often the person who has to go make the case to someone else," she adds. Candidates who can articulate how the timing of their start date benefits the company's goals have the "best chances" of landing a higher salary, Tolbert adds.

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Persons: Niani Tolbert, Adam Broda, there's, Tolbert, Erin McGoff, isn't, they're, you'd Organizations: CNBC, Amazon, Pew Research Center Locations: New York