Why is there such a big gap between what grads expect and what they're offered?
The short answer: expectations have drifted well above what the market is paying. Current undergraduates expect to earn about $80,004 on average one year after graduation, according to a Clever Real Estate survey of 769 undergraduates conducted in February and March 2026 and independently reported by CNBC, USA TODAY, and The Hill. Meanwhile, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported in its 2025 Summer Salary Survey that the final overall average starting salary for the Class of 2024 was $65,677, up 2.2% from the Class of 2023's average of $64,291.
That is a meaningful gap, and it matters because the number in your head shapes how you react to a real offer. If you walk into a negotiation expecting $80,000 and the offer is in the mid-$60,000s, you may feel insulted when, in fact, you are looking at a competitive number for many fields. The first step in negotiating well is recalibrating your anchor to reality, not to wishful thinking.
Should you actually negotiate your first offer, or just take it?
In most cases, you should negotiate. According to the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, hiring managers often expect candidates to negotiate, so initial offers are frequently set somewhat below what the organization is actually willing to pay. That means accepting an offer outright, unless you are explicitly told it is nonnegotiable, is typically a mistake.
This is the part new grads most often get wrong. There is a fear that asking for more will cause the offer to be pulled, but that almost never happens in a professional negotiation conducted in good faith. Employers build a small cushion into the initial number precisely because they anticipate a conversation. Declining to have that conversation simply leaves the cushion on the table. The goal is not to be aggressive; it is to treat the offer as the opening of a discussion rather than the final word.
The practical move is simple. When you receive an offer, thank the employer, express genuine enthusiasm for the role, and ask for time to review it. Then come back with a specific, reasoned counter rather than a vague hope for "more."
What number should you counter with?
Anchor your counter to your specific field, not to a national average or a personal target. Starting salaries vary widely by discipline, and using the wrong benchmark undercuts your credibility. NACE's Winter 2025 Salary Survey projected that engineering graduates top the list at $78,731, computer engineering at $82,565, and business at $65,276 for the Class of 2025. If you are a business graduate citing an engineering-level number, the employer will know your figure is unmoored from your market.
So do the work before you counter. Find the projected or reported starting range for your degree, your role, and ideally your region and industry. Then frame your counter inside or slightly above that range, and tie it to something concrete: a relevant internship, a technical skill the team needs, a second language, a certification, or strong project work. A counter that sounds like "based on the typical starting range for this role and my experience with X, I was hoping we could get to Y" lands far better than a number with no reasoning behind it.
If you genuinely have no leverage on base pay, widen the conversation. Signing bonuses, a guaranteed early performance review, additional paid time off, relocation support, or a professional development budget are all negotiable and all carry real value.
How does the current job market affect your leverage?
The backdrop for the Class of 2026 is cautious, and that should shape your tone, not silence you. NACE's Job Outlook 2026, published in November 2025, found employers projecting just a 1.6% increase in hiring compared with the Class of 2025, with a plurality, 45%, characterizing the market as "fair." That is neither booming nor collapsing; it is steady but careful.
In a market like this, leverage comes less from competing offers, which may be harder to line up, and more from how well you fit the specific role. That is why the field-specific anchoring matters so much right now. You are not arguing that you deserve more in the abstract; you are demonstrating that your skills map directly to what the employer needs, and that the number you are asking for reflects the going rate for that fit.
A cautious market also means your delivery matters. Stay warm, collaborative, and clearly excited about the job. You want the hiring manager to feel they are bringing on someone reasonable and motivated, not someone who will be difficult. The phrasing "I'm very excited about this role; is there any flexibility on the base salary?" keeps the door open and the relationship intact.
What if the offer really is below market?
If your research shows the offer sits well below the typical range for your field and region, you have a strong, fact-based case. Present the market data calmly and ask whether the salary can be brought closer to it. If the employer holds firm and the gap is large, you are within your rights to weigh whether the role is worth taking as a stepping stone or whether to keep looking.
Remember that your first salary becomes the baseline for future raises and, often, your next job's offer. Closing even part of the gap now compounds over time. That long view is the best reason to have the conversation, even when it feels uncomfortable in the moment.