One of the most important skills in anyone's career is the literacy of negotiating one's own compensation for work. Unfortunately, many workers are afraid to negotiate out of fear of losing their seat at the table or simply because they don't understand exactly what they are "selling." The labor market functions on the principles of supply and demand: your knowledge is the "commodity," and the employer is the "institution" that needs exactly that.
Many people come to an interview with the idea "I want 1,500 EUR net." The employer actually doesn't care about your net at all. The employer cares about how much "cost" you create for them (Gross 2). The amount that arrives in your account after contribution and tax payments (Net) is influenced by factors the employer has absolutely no control over: whether you are married, have dependent family members, or which municipality you are registered in.
When you realize that an employee with two children in a municipality without high local taxes would "cost exactly the same" to the employer in Gross terms but receive 200 EUR more net, you will understand that negotiation must happen along the line of the gross base, which is fixed and the same everywhere.
"I want a raise because I've been here a long time, I work hard, and my rent has gone up."
"I achieved a 15% productivity increase in my department, I process X clients a day which is above average, directly earning the company Y amount. Therefore, I believe matching my salary to a higher gross range is justified."
Never come unprepared. Before negotiating, check official statistical bureau websites for your specific field of work. Research platforms and forums for workplace ratings. If the average and median gross salary for your senior and expert level is 2,400 EUR, then you have a concrete document to refer to when proposing 2,600 EUR for your above-average effort.
4. Set a Negotiation Framework: Minimum, Target, and Goal
Employers sometimes have their hands tied by company hierarchy budgets. So, when you hit a wall with the base gross, open "Option B." Gross is not everything. If a company cannot raise the gross by 300 EUR because it would cost them 450 EUR with all obligations, they might be able to offer a monthly tax-free utility allowance (100 EUR) because it costs the company exactly zero euros in contributions, or cover education costs. Think flexibly.