Let’s be honest — negotiating salary feels awkward. You’re excited about a job offer, relieved the interviews are finally over, and the last thing you want to do is risk it all by asking for more money. So most people just… don’t. They say “thank you so much” and accept whatever number lands on the table. That’s a mistake, and it’s a costly one. A single unnegotiated salary doesn’t just cost you money today — it follows you through every raise, bonus, and future offer that gets calculated as a percentage of your current pay. Over a 30-year career, that gap can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.…