Use these AI prompts to bag a fatter paycheck at your next job

There’s something mysterious about salary figures — companies rarely reveal their exact budgets, and what ends up on your offer letter often feels like it’s been plucked from thin air. Negotiations can be tricky, sometimes downright uncomfortable, and many people either settle too quickly or avoid the conversation entirely. But walking away without negotiating can mean leaving serious money on the table.

This is where AI changes the game. From pulling precise, up-to-date market salary data to role-playing those tense back-and-forth conversations, AI tools like ChatGPT, or even Google's Gemini can give you the kind of prep that makes negotiations feel less like a gamble and more like a strategy. Whether you’re gunning for a higher base salary, extra benefits, or that elusive signing bonus, AI can help you decode the mystery, sharpen your pitch, and walk away with a package that reflects your true value.

Step one: research your true market value

Before you can negotiate confidently, you need to know what you’re worth. AI tools like ChatGPT can help you quickly pull together reliable salary ranges. A good prompt might be:

"Give me the current salary range for a [role] at [company] in [location]. Review my LinkedIn profile [link] and recommend both a realistic pay package, as well as an ambitious high-end one that I could target."

ChatGPT often cites sources like Glassdoor, and you can cross-check that data with friends or colleagues in similar roles. Having these numbers ready means you’ll walk into the discussion armed with facts rather than guesses.

Step two: practice with AI voice simulations

Confidence is where most candidates stumble. The average person changes jobs about 12 times in their life, according to Zippia, while recruiters negotiate more in a month than most people do in decades. That’s a huge experience gap — and practice is the only way to close it.

AI voice features can simulate realistic back-and-forth negotiations. Of the tools tested — ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity — ChatGPT’s voice model felt the most authentic. The free version works well, though heavy users may consider the paid tier.

A sample practice prompt could be:

“I am anticipating an offer from [company] for the position of [role/title]. I am being offerred [offered salary], but I was expecting [expectaion]. Help me negotiate an increase, and help me practice through role-playing. Also, give me feedback as to how to negotiate better.”

During these simulations, the AI might tell you your request is outside budget and push you to justify it with data — exactly the kind of resistance you’ll meet in a real negotiation.

Step three: make practice a habit

AI won’t know everything about your situation — like how well your interviews went or whether there are other candidates in the mix. But it’s still one of the best tools to sharpen your delivery, responses, and overall confidence.

Just 15 minutes a day for three to four days can make a noticeable difference. That one hour of preparation could translate into thousands of dollars added to your annual salary.

Bottom line? Most people leave money on the table because they don’t ask. With the right research and some AI-powered practice, you can walk into your next negotiation ready to win.