Sorry for the small novel, but this one requires some context.
In 2018 I graduated with a masters degree in Entomology (and I have bachelors in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management). I LOVE the state and city I'm in and don't want to leave. I never wanted to get into extermination but because those were the only jobs around I took it up, thinking I'd only do it for 6 months to a year. Fast-forward to late 2021 and I had enough of the seasonal work with shitty pay. Plus I always wanted to do something good for the environment and good for people, and needless to say extermination is not that.
I always wanted to get involved with commercial insect production/farming so I started reaching out. I got mostly interviews out of state, offering $20 an hour with some benefits. Eventually I found out a “start-up insect farm” was going to open up sometime within a year (this was back in late February) in a town 30-45 minutes from mine. I interviewed with them, they made me an offer, but I got a weird vibe from them. A few days later I discovered someone was starting a cricket farm IN THE SAME TOWN I LIVE IN, no more than 10 minutes away. I interviewed with them, and they seemed great. This lady had opened up successful cricket farms in 3 states and wanted to do set-up/farm them the same way in mine. She liked moth my academic and personal background breeding insects, and that I would probably start working in July or August.
But the catch is, she only wants to pay me $16 and hour with no benefits until my first year is up. I was so desperate to get an insect farming job in the same state, never-the-less the same city that I accepted, though the only paperwork that was signed was an NDA so she could disclose her special (and VERY effective) cricket breeding process to me. Two months later she sent me an update (we'd been emailing back and forth in that time) with an update as to how close we are to getting thing set up and moving, and she said that soon she would send me a “rough draft” of a contract. To be honest, $16 is not enough. I'm 30 years old, have three college degrees (two of which directly have to do with insect farming) and that simply doesn't cover the cost of both living, saving, and spending in my state. It's ESPECIALLY not enough considering all the other places offered 20$.
So, here what ammunition I have that I could use: My bachelors degree is in AGRICULTURE, my masters is in ENTOMOLOGY, I have both professional and academic experience rearing insects in controlled environments, I have experience breeding crickets (the insect we plan to farm), as of right now I am the only individual with a masters degree in entomology currently seeking employment in my state (at least if my connections to my local university and in-state entomologists is correct), AND one out of state insect farm told me to hit them up if things didn't work out AND the other insect farm with the weird vibe said the same thing.
I guess my question to yall, is given the information I've given you, combined with the “ammunition” I have, what's the best way to negotiate higher pay for this job? While $20 would be ideal, I already know I won't get that, but I need to earn more than $16 at this point in my life.