The news headlines are full of reports of salary cuts across all industry sectors. CEOs are not the only ones who have taken salary cuts over the last two years. The median pay of CEOS fell 18 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to a USA Today and The Corporate Library survey. Even jobs in union protected sectors including education and healthcare are experiencing pay cuts. Bonuses, stock options and other perks are down for executives, but now is a good time to perk up your compensation package. Employers are more willing to barter for job perks in place of higher compensation. Here are a few bargaining tips.

Seek training and education opportunities. Many employers are facing a skills deficit and are, therefore, having problems filling the jobs that are available. As a result, they are more willing to invest in training and education.

Link pay to performance. Bonuses are down for the CEO set but the trend is toward performance-based bay. Consider opportunities to receive commission and bonus pay on top of a base salary.

Ask about flex options. Employees recognize that work-life balance contributes to higher levels of workplace productivity. Do not forget to ask about flexible work schedules, carpooling, health programs and other perks that follow under the workplace wellbeing umbrella.

Expect to meet more resistance negotiating executive “perks.” CEO jets are out, so too are first class travel and generous meal allowances. Importantly, negotiate with your long-term salary objectives in mind. Compensation analysts are warning us not to expect pay cuts to turn to normal once the economy picks up, rather they consider the current compensation adjustments to be part of a more permanent structural change in the job market.