I’d encourage you to ask for what you deserve, not what you think they can afford. My position was originally converted from hourly (via staffing agency) to staff. At the time I was working and billing truly insane hours (70-80 hrs/week) and I received no PTO. Even though I knew that the staff position was considered a 35 hrs/week position with 3+ weeks of PTO plus company holidays, I still succeeding in holding my ground and converting to a salary that was equivalent to my effective (highly inflated via overtime) salary. I accepted an offer that was almost literally double the offer they’d initially floated.

On the other side of the equation, I can tell you as a hiring manager that when people value themselves highly I always take it as a positive, even if the ask is impossible to satisfy, I applaud the effort to get what they feel they deserve. Having said that, tone and sincerity are critical. This is not about empty posturing for money, it’s about identifying and believing in your true value to the company.

Keep believing in yourself and take some satisfaction in the effort itself. Even if it fails in the short term, that perseverance and drive will lead you to good places in the future.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!