They asked me if my salary range was negotiable. I said no. Was I right to do that?

[mangopeach]

I'm a psych NP.  Had an interview this morning. I have a little over a  year's experience as an NP. Towards the end of the interview, they asked me what salary I was looking for.   I gave them my salary range with the lowest number being what I currently make to the highest number - my current salary plus 10K - Thinking that there would be room to negotiate somewhere in between.   The look they gave me was kind of " are you serious, look".  They asked me if I would be willing to negotiate.  Negotiate as in lower.

I don't think I responded well. I  told them I am not willing to  go lower than what I am currently making.  Program director said, "well you wouldn't be on call or anything, nobody would be bothering you after 5pm and its 4 days a week.". The way she said it, I sensed that she was not happy with the salary range I was looking for.   I'd be going to 2 different locations, which I don't mind.  Its in my home state and the cost of living is higher than where I am now, so it doesn't make sense to take a lower salary to live in a more expensive state.    Seems like they were really interested until salary came up. Was there a better way  that I should  have  handled this? They haven't said no. They said they are still interviewing and would get back to me. However I sense that I won't hear back because they are not willing to pay what I am looking for. 

They have never used an NP. I would be the only NP and there's one MD.  

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Why is your range current salary plus $10k? 

What are your relative billing/reimbursements?

Will you be making them money? 

They may have sticker shock if this is the first NP they have hired, but your salary requirements are not dependent on them. The only mistake you made is giving them a salary range so close to what you currently make, pending the billing answers. 

Many things go into a salary negotiation, but the bottom line is that they make far more than they spend on NPs, especially certain specialties. Get away from thinking as a nurse in the salary/hourly range, and consider the value you would bring to their practice, then negotiate accordingly.

Reducing your base salary is not "negotiating", it's "caving". Stand your ground if you think you're worth it. For new grads, there's a lot less room to wrangle - you're an anybody with no experience essentially. When you have something they want (particular knowledge, experience, training, personality) - negotiate.

[ArmaniX, MSN, APRN]

Know your worth and know your bottom line. Perhaps you could’ve entertained the idea for negotiation if only to detail why you deserve a pay in the range you wanted. 

[myoglobin, ASN, BSN, MSN]

Everything is negotiable let’s say they offered you a one million dollar house but offered a salary that was 30 percent less? What, if they offered a lower base, but threw in a percentage of profits or equity in the company?