Premise: I am a decent negotiator, I have negotiated my fair share of deals, from salaries, to buying stuff around the world markers, to VC rounds. I believe t

Premise: I am a decent negotiator, I have negotiated my fair share of deals, from salaries, to buying stuff around the world markers, to VC rounds. I believe that negotiations is about leverage and not bluffing, about fairness and about negotiating/exchanging informations. Having said that, if you asked $40 and they are thinking in the $30 range, if I were in the company's shoes I would not extend an offer, since: 1. if there's too much disparity, you would not be happy (no allegiance) and you'd stil be looking for something else AND/OR 2. if you asked a too high fee, there's no genuinity in your dealings/negotiation Alas, that's me. If they come back with $30 and you believe that "I am from South Asia and even $30/h is a very big deal", just take it. If you want to negotiate more, just say nothing, act a bit surprised, and tell them that you'll have to think about it. Let some time go by, anywhere between 1/2 and 1 business day, then ask them if they could raise the offer. If they don't... counter something higher, $33 or $35, and see how it goes, you might have to settle half way or... at $30. Beware that when negotiating the other party might actually walk away from the deal. When I am seeking for a job, usually I make is so that I have 2 or more offers on the table. When I am hiring someone (employee or contractor) I make sure I have 2 or 3 suitable candidates that would fulfill the position. YMMV