Global Salaries: What Should Your Salary Expectation?

That email has finally arrived.

After weeks of interviews, technical exams, and cultural fit discussions... there it is: the offer email you've been waiting for from that exciting startup in Berlin or that major tech giant in Silicon Valley. Your heart races as you scan the lines: "It was a great process... Our team is looking forward to working with you... As a final step, what are your salary expectations?"

And there it is. The question that seems so simple but is packed with dozens of dynamics. The excitement suddenly gives way to stress. Your mind races with questions:

• Should I base my request on the Turkish market?

• Or should I align it with the standards in Germany or the US, where the company is located?

• If I ask for too much, will they think I'm unrealistic and disqualify me?

• If I ask for too little, won't I be doing myself an injustice and losing out on potential savings?

If this scenario sounds familiar, you're not alone. As Turkey's talent pool opens up to the globe, this question has become more critical than ever. This article aims to be more than just a salary negotiation guide. It's a roadmap to help you understand your value, build your strategy, and sit down at that table (or on that Zoom call) with confidence.

The Core Dilemma: Istanbul Realities or Global Standards?

To understand the salary issue, we first need to honestly lay out both sides' perspectives. This is like a game of chess. To anticipate the moves, you need to know what your opponent is thinking.

The Company's Perspective (Usually): Geo-Adjustment

Many foreign companies, especially those with established policies, adopt a "location-based pay" model. What does this mean? The company might say, "For the same role, we pay someone in Berlin €80,000 and someone in San Francisco $150,000. Since the cost of living in Istanbul is lower than in Berlin, we can offer you a salary equivalent to the top tier of the Istanbul market, let's say €50,000."

There's a certain logic behind this approach from their point of view:

1. Budget Efficiency: It's less costly for the company.

2. Internal Equity: They try to create a perception of "fairness" by ensuring employees living in the same city receive similar salaries.

3. Market Reality: They use the argument, "We're already offering you a salary well above your local market rate."

While this model might sound logical at first, it's an approach that confines talent's value to geography. And this brings us to your most powerful argument.

Your Perspective: Delivering Global Value

With the Python code you write, you're solving a data problem in Berlin, or with the React interface you design, you're making life easier for users in the US. The value you produce, your skills, and your experience have no geography. The technology you use is global, the problem you solve is global, and the market you operate in is global. So why should your compensation be local?

This is the foundation of the "location-agnostic pay" philosophy. Proponents of this philosophy argue: "If the output of a job can be produced remotely from anywhere in the world at the same quality, the money that goes into that person's bank account shouldn't be determined solely by their postal code."

These two opposing views form the basis of the negotiation. Your goal is to shift the discussion from the company's "cost-focused" perspective to your "value-focused" perspective.

The Three Main Salary Models: Understanding the Negotiation Spectrum

In practice, these two opposing views usually manifest in one of three primary salary models. Knowing which one you'll encounter will help you define your strategy.

1. The Purely Location-Based Model (Local Market Top) This is the model where the company bases your salary entirely on the market conditions of your country of residence, not its own. They will offer you the Dollar/Euro equivalent of the highest possible salary for a tech director or senior developer in Turkey.

• When to Expect It: It's often seen in companies that are new to remote work, lack a clear policy on the matter, or prioritize cost optimization.

• How to Approach It: This offer might still be very good by Turkish standards, but it falls short of the global potential. Your strongest negotiation tool here is to thoroughly research the "top-tier" data for Turkey. Knowing the salaries paid by major tech firms and well-funded startups in Turkey, in Dollar/Euro terms, can help you push even this offer higher.

  
  

2. The Location-Agnostic Global Model (Global Benchmark) This is every remote employee's dream. Companies like GitLab, pioneers of this model, determine a role's value and pay everyone the same salary (or within a very narrow band) regardless of where they live. They often use a high-cost market like San Francisco as a benchmark.

• When to Expect It: This is typically found in "Remote-First" companies that embrace this philosophy to compete for global talent and view fair compensation as a core cultural principle.

• How to Approach It: If you're interviewing with a company like this, you're in luck. The negotiation here usually revolves around the level of the role (senior, staff, principal) and how well you fit that level. Additional benefits like stock options might be more of a negotiation point than the base salary itself.

  
  

3. The Hybrid / Blended Model (The Realistic Middle Ground) This is the model you'll encounter most frequently. The company sets a global salary standard (e.g., a Berlin salary) but adjusts it down slightly based on a cost-of-living index for your location. For example, they might say, "Our salary band for this role in Berlin is €70,000-€80,000, but for Istanbul, we apply 80% of that band."

• When to Expect It: This is the preferred, realistic middle ground for many global companies that are experienced in remote work but still trying to balance costs.

• How to Approach It: This is where your strategy will truly shine. The company has already acknowledged a global standard. Your job is to argue why that "80%" adjustment figure should be higher for you. It's entirely possible to push that percentage to 85%, 90%, or even higher with arguments based on your "niche skills," the "extra value you'll bring to the company," and "other offers in the market."

Strategic Preparation: 4 Steps to Take Before You Name Your Number

You know the theory. Now it's time to build your personal strategy. Before you reply to that email or go into that meeting, make sure you complete these four steps.

Step 1: Assess Your Value (Know Your Value Proposition) Forget the salary for a moment. Who are you? You're not just a "Senior Developer." Perhaps you are a "Senior Backend Developer with 5 years of experience, specialized in integrating payment systems for high-traffic e-commerce sites, and AWS certified." List your skills, experiences, and niche knowledge (e.g., a specific framework, industry expertise). These will be the arguments you present during the negotiation.

Step 2: X-Ray the Market (Do Your Research) Acting on assumptions is the easiest way to lose money. Collect data. But from the right sources:

• Levels.fyi: This is the gold standard, especially for large and mid-sized tech companies. You can see salary, stock, and bonus information by company, role, and level. It has a rich database for companies beyond "FAANG" (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) as well.
  
  

• Glassdoor / LinkedIn Salary: These are good starting points, but remember that the data is self-reported and can sometimes be outdated. Cross-reference with multiple sources.
  
  

• Remote Job Boards: Sites like Otta or We Work Remotely sometimes list salary ranges in their job postings. This gives you a direct idea of the market rate in the company's home country.
  
  

• Your Network: The most valuable information comes from someone you trust. Don't hesitate to politely ask acquaintances working remotely for foreign companies for general information. A question like, "What do you think would be a fair range for a senior role?" is often more comfortable to answer than asking for a specific number.

  
  

Step 3: Define Your Range Don't get stuck on a single number. Create a three-tiered salary range for yourself:

1. Your Ideal Number (Your Target): This is the number that will make you genuinely happy, close to global standards, based on your research. You should start the negotiation by stating this number or slightly above it.
   
   

2. Your Realistic Number (Your Acceptance Point): This is a solid figure that still satisfies you, representing a hybrid model or what you believe you can achieve through negotiation.
   
   

3. Your Walk-away Number: This is your red line. It's the point below which you would not accept the offer, regardless of all the benefits. It should generally be slightly above the top-tier salary in the Turkish market to make the extra effort of working for a foreign company (different time zones, cultural adaptation, etc.) worthwhile.
   
   

   
   

Step 4: Think Total Compensation The salary is just the tip of the iceberg. Especially in global tech companies, the "Total Compensation Package" is much more important. When negotiating, don't focus solely on the base salary:

• Stock Options / RSUs: This can be the most valuable part of the package, especially at a startup or a public company. Stocks vesting over 4 years can create value equal to or even greater than your salary.

• Performance Bonus: This can be 10%, 20%, or more of your annual salary.

• Sign-on Bonus: A one-time payment to incentivize you to accept the offer.

• Other Benefits: Health insurance, a home office setup budget (often between $500-$1000), a learning and development budget, and a gym membership can add up to thousands of dollars in annual value. Sometimes, a slightly lower base salary combined with a great stock package can be far more lucrative than a high salary with no bonus.

Conclusion: Value Knows No Geography

As a tech professional from Turkey entering the global stage, you have a tremendous advantage: you offer world-class skills and value. It is your absolute right to ask for that value to be compensated.

That salary negotiation is not an exam or a moment to ask for a favor. It is a professional business discussion between you and your potential employer about mutual value and expectations. Being prepared, speaking with data, and knowing your own worth are your most powerful weapons in this discussion.

Remember, if that company reached out to you, it's because they need you. Negotiation is the art of fairly determining the compensation for that need. Buckle up, do your research, and never hesitate to ask for what you deserve. Because the value you create doesn't have a zip code.