There is the largest number the employer would be willing to pay, and there is the smallest number the employee would be willing to accept, and in a just world

There is the largest number the employer would be willing to pay, and there is the smallest number the employee would be willing to accept, and in a just world the two parties would have equal footing in the battle to arrive at a number in the middle. However, the employer has powerful systems dedicated to pushing the value toward the lower number, while the employee has only their intuition and fear.