Hi there.
I am due for a promotion to senior at a B4 (large market) contemplating jumping to another B4 (same large market, same line of service but with another specialized group I want to get into – the very reason I'm leaving), possibly going in as a senior. I'm not so concerned about the title at this point since realistically, managers and senior managers don't really care who gets the work done, but I do have a question about salary negotiation. When asked about my current salary, I was honest (and perhaps dumb) and put in my actual salary, which I know is under market by a good amount given the unique conditions when I joined. I can't disclose too much without identifying myself, but my current firm tried to make it up to me by giving me huge bonuses to get me closer to what I should be getting (which I'd also reported to the recruiter). My dilemma is this: I understand that the base salary jump from staff to senior is usually quite significant, but the new offer coming in is roughly 10% lower than what I'd expect to get as a senior at my current firm. The new firm possibly just saw how low my current base is and thought that a 15% increase would be fair for anyone getting promoted to senior. For what it's worth, the new firm seemed to like me and expressed their need for someone with my background, but I don't know how much room I have when it comes to negotiating my salary. Any advice would be appreciated – thank you!