[kcplate]

If one of your negotiation points why you should be paid more is because your colleagues are paid more, you are basing the starting part of your negotiation from a position of “I’m average”. I honestly cannot see how this helps you in anyway.

Sure, managers have budgets and want to keep costs down, but in a career that spanned a couple of decades+ in tech leadership, I always had the flexibility from my employers to assemble the best team I could within my budget. I never had to manipulate people like you are describing. Frankly if you are working for a company where you perceive that happening…you should probably exit asap. That’s toxic.