I think another factor I didn't talk about was pay transparency. My state has it and it's slowly expanding so outside of like, Netflix's "100-600k" range you don't really have to play many games here. Know your worth and pick in that range internally. Go above if you really feel you can.
I do want to emphasize being careful with current times, though. I've heard of very mild negotiations (were talking a 5k counter offer or an extra week of vacation time) leading to rescindings in 2023. Which is unheard of from 2022 or before. They'd at least hold firm in the worst case. But we're still in the middle of this circus that is probably going well into 2025.
I see "know your worth" advice pretty frequently, and I tend to think it is pretty bad advice for software developers. "Your worth" is completely dependent on the business the employer is in, and then of course a lot of that "worth" can be due to the employer already having a huge market (e.g. I've seen small decisions result in multiple millions of additional revenue, but those multiple millions were only possible because the employer was already pulling in billions).
Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but I think better advice is to simply do a lot of research on what comparable salaries are for the position you're looking for. There are tons of information sources online now that can give good info on accurate salaries, including breakdown of cash, bonus, equity, etc.
To your last point, you better be aware of who has the leverage when you start negotiating. If there are a hundred other qualified candidates, and you really need the job, going into "battle mode" over 2-3 percent is not a good idea. On the flip side, if you really are that "purple squirrel" for which there are few if any compliments, go for all you can get.
I think we're in general agreement. I say that's what "know your worth" is about. If you choose a web dev position, you're probably less vital than someone who works deep down in compilers.
Your worth is a mixture of (but not limited to) your expertise and how you sell yourself, the supply and health of the market, and what markets are offering vs. What they can potentially pay. Too many factors to give universal advice. So you'll need to fill in the variables based on your current experiences.
Right now the market is horrible and I'm not a purple squirrel. So I want to take what I can get for now and just focusing on relieving short term debt over long term plans to improve myself.
Sure. that's part of "what they could potentially pay you". Startups don't have money for 400k engineers without crazy VC money and a ton of confidence. For the rest, they offer equity.
If that's what you seek or think is your worth is an entirely different discussion.
I do want to emphasize being careful with current times, though. I've heard of very mild negotiations (were talking a 5k counter offer or an extra week of vacation time) leading to rescindings in 2023. Which is unheard of from 2022 or before. They'd at least hold firm in the worst case. But we're still in the middle of this circus that is probably going well into 2025.