The RIGHT WAY to negotiate your post-military salary in 2021! As a candidate, it's up to you what you disclose and to whom.I've been on both sides of this negotiation. There have been recent changes in our ability to offer you additional steps when you are a new federal employee. The step 1 is all we will be offering. But you may be able to negotiate a salary above the low end of the range. Start with your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). Any job offer may have room for negotiation, although major changes in terms are more likely in upper management positions. It takes both art and strategy. Utilizing legal knowledge and negotiating skills, lawyers must tackle multiple elements of a case.