TPM Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a Technical Program Manager Salary
Program managers are a necessity in almost every industry. And as the world becomes more reliant on digital technologies, technical program managers will be more needed than ever.
Receiving a job offer in this growing field can be incredibly exciting. However, before you get too carried away with that excitement and accept your offer, don’t forget about one of the most critical steps of the job search and interview process: technical program manager salary negotiations.
As a technical program manager or TPM, you’ll be tasked with communicating and cross-collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders—from software developers to executive leaders. Successfully negotiating your technical program manager salary is a great way to highlight your communication skills and your ability to collaborate strategically and effectively (while also giving you the chance to increase your total career earnings).
If you’ve never negotiated before, there’s nothing to be worried about—we are going to share with you our salary negotiation strategies that have helped different specialized program managers all over the world negotiate for better compensation. With our proven step-by-step process and key insights, you’ll feel prepared to approach your TPM salary negotiation with confidence.
Don’t want to go through the technical program management salary negotiation process alone? We have additional resources to help you navigate your technical program manager salary negotiation.
If you’re looking for specific advice from a salary negotiation professional on your technical program manager salary negotiation, connect with a Salary Negotiation Coach.
Take our Salary Negotiation Courses or download our Salary Negotiation Templates to receive our strategies, preparing you for all aspects of a TPM salary negotiation.
Understanding the Compensation Components of a Technical Program Manager Salary
Every successful negotiation starts with a thorough understanding of the things included in your compensation package. Even if your technical program manager salary offer seems competitive, you can’t really evaluate it accurately until you take a closer look at each of its individual elements.
Job offers in program management are almost always made up of different compensation components. In addition to a base salary, most technical program managers will also receive an annual performance bonus, initial equity package, sign-on bonus, and other benefits like remote work flexibility.
When considering any job offer, only focusing on the base salary would be a huge mistake. It’s essential that you take the time to evaluate all compensation components carefully so that you can get an accurate picture of how competitive your offer really is.
For example, here is what a Google technical program manager salary may look like in their initial offer:
Google Technical Program Manager Salary
In the next section, we will go over some of these common technical program manager salary components in more detail.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER SALARY
Out of all the different components of your offer, your technical program manager base salary is probably the one you’re most familiar with.
Essentially, your base salary is the fixed guaranteed pay that you receive in exchange for the work you do. But how is your base salary determined?
Almost all companies have set base pay ranges associated with different roles and their different levels. These ranges have specific minimum and maximum amounts that dictate what the base pay for your specific role can be.
For example, the pay range for an entry level technical program manager salary would be different from the range for a senior technical program manager salary at the same company. These ranges also vary across companies (i.e., an Apple technical program manager salary range will differ from the Facebook technical program manager salary range).
Since initial offers rarely come in at the top end of their pay bands, knowing the range for your specific role type is critical. Understanding the base pay bands for your specific role and level gives you the opportunity to negotiate your technical program manager salary to the top end of that range.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER PERFORMANCE BONUS
Most job offers in the tech industry also include an annual performance bonus. An annual technical program manager performance bonus is generally a percentage of your base salary that’s dependent on both company and personal performance. What this means is that your bonus could be more or less depending on the targets you and your company hit.
It’s best to assume the average bonus payout when evaluating this aspect of your offer since it’s unlikely that you or your company will surpass your goals and exceed the target percentages of your bonus.
Unfortunately, these technical program manager performance bonuses are typically non-negotiable since there is often a set target percentage for each role type and level that cannot be changed. However, that doesn’t mean that your performance bonus can’t make a huge difference in your total yearly compensation. And remember: since your bonus is usually a percentage of your base salary, the higher you negotiate your salary, the higher your bonus could be.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER EQUITY PACKAGES
Another element of your job offer to evaluate is your equity package. Technical program manager equity packages are highly sought-after in these types of roles.
As a TPM, you might receive equity offered as either RSUs (restricted stock units or restricted stock awards) or stock options. This grant will include a bundle of shares or options that vest over a defined timeframe (i.e., four years), called a vesting schedule.
Technical program manager equity packages can make a huge difference in your total compensation, but don’t forget that the value of this equity does fluctuate based on the market value of the company you work for. For example, say you secure an Microsoft technical program manager salary—you’ll benefit if IBM’s share value goes up, but you’ll take a loss if IBM’s share value goes down. And if you leave the company before the equity vests, you also risk forgoing it altogether.
Fortunately, equity is usually negotiable for technical program managers. As such, we almost always recommend that you push more equity in your negotiation.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER SIGN-ON BONUS
While it might take some negotiating, most technical program managers will also receive a sign-on bonus in their job offers. A technical program manager sign-on bonus is a one-time bonus that works as an incentive to join the company or to cover any lost bonuses or unvested equity at your current job.
Not all companies provide sign-on bonuses in their initial offers—which is why it’s essential to know how to negotiate for this incredibly lucrative compensation component.
Most technical program manager sign-on bonuses are paid in one lump sum within the first 30 days of employment. However, you’ll typically need to pay the bonus back if you leave the company within your first year (or other designated timeframe). Other companies might approach sign-on bonuses differently. For example, an Amazon technical program manager salary will include sign-on bonuses in year one and year two—which can be paid out monthly instead of in one lump sum payment.
If your offer didn’t come with a sign-on bonus, there’s still a good chance you can negotiate for one. Over the years, we’ve had many successes securing large technical program manager signing bonuses—even when the job seeker wasn’t walking away from money at their current company.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER EQUITY REFRESHER
Something else to consider when evaluating your job offer is your technical program manager equity refresher. While it’s possible to receive an equity refresher (more stock) in an initial offer for a technical program management role, most recruiters will withhold the stock refresher details. This practice is common for Meta technical program manager salary and other companies that offer this annual equity perk.
Your negotiation is the perfect time to ask the hiring team to provide more details about the amount and timeline of the stock refresher. However, don’t be surprised if the hiring team insists on withholding these specific details. Since it’s often challenging to compare this benefit across different technical program manager job offers, we don’t include this component in our total compensation calculation.
BENEFITS AND PERKS FOR TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGERS
Benefits for technical program managers will look very different depending on the specific company. Some of the most common benefits that might be included in your compensation package are comprehensive health plans, parental leave, or even fitness memberships.
Another common perk of many technical program management roles is the option to work remotely—which is something we recommend you bring up during the interview process. However, most other benefits and perks are usually non-negotiable. Though it might be possible in some specific cases to get changes approved via an under-the-table agreement with your future hiring manager (i.e., your manager will be more flexible with your PTO).
Five Key Steps to Negotiate a TPM Salary
Now that you know how each of the different compensation components of your TPM salary work, it’s time to go over the strategies you can use to negotiate for an improved job offer.
Based on years of experience helping hundreds of career professionals successfully negotiate their job offers, we strongly suggest that you wait to begin any negotiations until you have an offer in hand. Waiting until you have an actual offer will give you more leverage to negotiate and you’ll be less likely to make costly mistakes like disclosing your salary expectations to the recruiter too early.
The steps listed below will guide you through our proven strategies for negotiating a technical program manager salary. If you’re looking for more personalized help negotiating, you can also reach out to our team for a quick chat.
1) UNDERSTAND THE COMPONENTS OF YOUR TPM SALARY
This first step should be simple since we have already gone over the most common components of a TPM salary. As a reminder, make sure to review your offer for a base salary, performance bonus, initial equity grant, sign-on bonus, and any benefits and perks. Understanding the specifics of your total compensation is key to any successful negotiation.
You can even use our Total Compensation Calculator in this step to calculate your compensation components if needed.
2) COMPLETE DUE DILIGENCE ON YOUR TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER JOB OFFER BY ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Once you have a thorough understanding of the different elements of your compensation package, your next step should be to ask strategic questions about those specific components.
Start by asking for clarity on any items that the recruiter may have been vague about (i.e., What is the expected equity refresher each year for this role?). The answers you receive will help inform your counteroffer.
Even if you think you already know everything there is to know about your offer, we still recommend that you ask questions. Asking strategic questions can help you establish an effective TPM salary counter while also communicating to the recruiting team that you are serious about the job offer.
If you’re not sure what to ask, you can use our list of Strategic Questions to Build Negotiation Leverage. We suggest starting this phase of the negotiation immediately after you receive the job offer.
3) RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY WHAT A TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER SALARY SHOULD LOOK LIKE
Since the salaries for technical program managers differ by company, you will need to spend some time researching salary ranges for your specific role and level. Your research findings should help you understand the strength of your current offer and how much you should counter for.
Make sure that your research is specific to your exact position, level (i.e., is it a senior technical program manager salary or an entry level technical program manager salary), and where it’s located—whether that be in-person, hybrid, or remote.
There are many online resources you can use in your research, such as PayScale or Salary.com. However, keep in mind that salary ranges on these types of sites are publicly reported by current or past employees, meaning the pay they indicate could differ from what is now offered at that same company. Comparing pay data across multiple sites should help you pull together the most accurate information.
When looking at salary ranges for any job, never forget that you’ll ultimately be expected to manage the same responsibilities as anyone hired for that same position. That’s why we almost always recommend pushing for at least the mid- to top-end of the total pay range for your specific technical program management role regardless of your experience or background. You can use our Total Compensation Research Comparison Tool to help you with your compensation research and identify the pay ranges.
4) SEND A TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER COUNTEROFFER TO THE RECRUITER
Once you’ve completed the first three steps, you’ll be prepared for the part you’ve been waiting for: sending over a technical program manager counteroffer.
You should present your counteroffer to the recruiter by referencing your pay range data findings and how the benefits in your offer differ from other companies and/or your current role.
While you can present your new ask over the phone, we always recommend countering via email. Writing an email gives you the time to draft exactly what you want to say, and it also gives the recruiter something they can forward on and share internally with their team.
Make sure to approach this step professionally and graciously—this is a great opportunity to showcase your communication and collaboration skills that make you a great technical program manager. To ensure proper communication, use our Counteroffer Drafts for examples to help you formulate a strategic counteroffer.
5) HANDLE ANY OBJECTIONS AND KNOW YOU ACHIEVED THE BEST TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER SALARY
In rare cases, the hiring team might immediately respond to your counter with an updated offer package. However, it’s more likely that they will come back to you with a list of reasons why they can’t make any increases to the technical program manager salary.
If you receive pushback like this, respond professionally by stating you understand their constraints, but then ask again if they could take your counter back to their team for one last look. You should still ask even if they insist their team will just say no and continue to follow our Objection Handling Scripts.
Once they agree to take your thoughts back to their team, they should return with a better offer. If the updated compensation package aligns with the pay bands you researched and meets your needs, you should be ready to send over a offer acceptance email.
Congratulations on your successful technical program manager job offer negotiation!
Mistakes to Avoid During Your Technical Program Manager Salary Negotiation
In our years of helping clients negotiate for improved compensation, we’ve found that there are a few common mistakes job seekers make during the salary negotiation process. Below we’ve listed some of the top things you should make sure you avoid when you negotiate your technical program manager salary.
AVOID SHARING SALARY EXPECTATIONS BEFORE YOU GET A JOB OFFER IN TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Just like you shouldn’t start negotiating before you receive an offer, you also shouldn’t share your salary expectations before you have an actual offer in hand. Many people don’t know that sharing your salary expectations often disadvantages you when trying to receive a fair job offer.
Let’s take a look at how sharing your technical program management salary expectations too early could work against you: If you share a lower compensation than what the company could offer, they will be incentivized to now offer you that lower compensation. On the flip side, if you share a number higher than what they could offer, there is a chance that they could choose a different candidate over you. Never forget that recruiting teams are ultimately trying to get the best deal for the companies they work for.
From a logical standpoint, it also doesn’t make much sense to discuss salary expectations before you learn more about the specific technical program management role, its total compensation package, and whether those things feel like a good fit for you. After all, you’re also interviewing them to see if this role is something you want to pursue so be sure to overcome these tactics by responding like this.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO NEGOTIATE A TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER JOB OFFER
If you’re hesitant about negotiating your job offer, know that you’re not alone. Many job candidates choose not to negotiate even if it would mean increasing their total career earnings.
Job seekers often shy away from negotiations because they fear offending the recruiting team or losing out on the job offer altogether. However, you should know that we’ve helped facilitate hundreds of successful salary negotiations and we’ve never seen a company rescind a program management offer because of an attempted negotiation. Don’t let salary negotiation myths keep you from negotiating for an improved offer.
BE REALISTIC BY DOING YOUR TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER SALARY RESEARCH
Even though technical program manager roles pay well, you should still be realistic about the compensation you negotiate for. Make sure that you conduct thorough research so that you only push for compensation that your specific company can realistically provide. For example, the compensation package for a technical program management role at Salesforce might look different than the compensation package for the same role at Nvidia.
The Bottom Line: Negotiate a Technical Program Manager Salary
Here at The Salary Negotiator, we wholeheartedly believe that all technical program managers can—and should—negotiate their job offers. Our salary negotiation strategies are backed by countless successful negotiations; following them should help you receive an improved compensation package and increase your total career earnings.
If you want personalized advice on how to negotiate your technical program manager salary from a professional salary negotiation coach, Book a Consultation today. Our team has years of experience helping program managers of all kinds negotiate for the compensation they deserve.
We also have our How to Negotiate Your Job Offer and How to Negotiate Your Current Salary courses, and Salary Negotiation Templates to give you the confidence and tools needed to negotiate your compensation successfully. With downloadable email templates and job offer negotiation resources, you will be prepared for all aspects of your technical program management offer negotiation.