Salary Negotiation Letter
Negotiates a job offer without putting the offer itself at risk.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
Thank you for the offer of the [role] position at [organisation]. I am genuinely pleased, and I want to accept.
Before I sign, I would like to discuss the compensation. The offer is [what was offered]. I am hoping we can agree [what you are asking for].
I want to be clear that I am enthusiastic about the role either way, and I am not asking you to reopen anything else. Happy to talk it through whenever suits.
What is a Salary Counter-Offer Letter?
A salary counter-offer letter is a written reply to a job offer asking for different terms, sent before you accept. It matters because the offer stage is usually the only moment when your negotiating position is strongest and the cost of asking is lowest. Handled badly, it reads as a demand and unsettles the hiring manager; handled well, it is a short, specific, evidence-backed request that most employers expect to receive.
Candidates send this after receiving a written offer and before signing it, usually to the recruiter or hiring manager who issued it. It is also used internally, when an employee is offered a new grade or an internal move at a number below what the role is worth. Contractors use the same structure to reply to a day rate. The letter is most effective when the employer has already decided they want you — after the final interview, before the start date is announced to the team.
How much room there is depends on the employer and the jurisdiction. Public sector, unionised and banded organisations often have almost no flexibility on base pay but real flexibility on the starting point within a band, the start date, leave or a signing payment. Several US states and cities, and increasingly EU member states under pay transparency rules, require salary ranges to be disclosed — check what your jurisdiction requires, because a published range changes what you can reasonably ask for. Some places also restrict employers from asking about salary history.
A counter-offer letter does not accept the job, and it does not reject it — say so explicitly, because ambiguity here is what causes offers to be withdrawn. It is not a contract, and nothing agreed in the exchange binds anyone until it appears in a signed offer or contract. It is also not the place to negotiate everything: a letter that reopens salary, title, start date, equity, leave, remote working and reporting line at once reads as a candidate who has not decided whether they want the job.
What to put in a Salary Counter-Offer Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Issuing organisation | For example: Maple Grove Homeowners Association |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Designation | For example: Senior Assistant |
| What was offered | For example: $68,000 base, starting 5 October |
| What you are asking for | For example: $74,000 base |
| Your case | One per line |
| What else would work optional | One per line |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Salary Counter-Offer Letter
Confirm your enthusiasm in the first line
Open by saying you want the job and intend to accept, subject to one conversation about the package. That single sentence is what stops a hiring manager reading the rest as a withdrawal. Saying you are delighted by the offer and want to join the team, and would like to discuss the base salary before signing, costs you nothing and buys you a receptive reader.
Name one number, not a range
State the figure you are asking for and the currency: ‘I am asking for a base of £62,000.’ Ranges get answered at the bottom. Ask for something defensible rather than aspirational — a number you could justify out loud in an interview — and make clear it is base salary, so nobody counters with a bonus that is discretionary and may never pay out.
Justify it with evidence, in two sentences
Anchor the number to something outside your own preference: the advertised range for the role, comparable posts at similar organisations, the scope you will be taking on that was not in the job description, a specialist certification or licence, or a competing offer if one genuinely exists. Two sentences is enough. A long justification signals that you know the number is a stretch.
Name your alternatives if base is fixed
Employers with a locked pay scale can often move on other things. Say which you would value: an earlier salary review date, additional leave, a signing or relocation payment, a professional membership or training budget, a title change, a compressed week, or an agreed remote pattern. Rank them. This gives a hiring manager a way to say yes when base salary genuinely cannot move.
Set a clear, short next step
End by saying you will hold the offer open on your side and asking for a reply by a specific date — usually two or three working days. Keep it warm and unconditional: whatever the answer, you will confirm your decision by the date on the offer letter. Then wait. Chasing after twenty-four hours undoes the calm the rest of the letter created.
Common mistakes
- Negotiating before the offer is in writing means you are bargaining over a number that can be denied later, so wait for the written offer first.
- Inventing a competing offer is the fastest way to have the negotiation ended for you, because recruiters talk to each other and sometimes ask to see it.
- Asking for six things at once forces the employer to weigh a whole package rather than approve a single change, and packages get referred upwards and slowed down.
- Failing to say that you want the job leaves the hiring manager reading a list of complaints, and some will simply move to the second candidate.
- Accepting a verbal agreement to revisit salary in six months without getting it written into the offer letter means it does not exist when the six months arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Is it risky to negotiate a job offer?
Rarely, if you do it once, politely, and after you have the offer in writing. Most employers expect a counter and have room built into the band. Offers are occasionally withdrawn, but usually where a candidate negotiated aggressively, repeatedly, or signalled they did not want the role. Say clearly that you want the job, ask for one thing, and accept the answer gracefully either way.
How much more should I ask for?
Ask for a number you can justify, not a percentage from a rule of thumb. Where the range is published, ask for a specific point in it and say why your experience places you there. Where it is not, base your figure on comparable roles and the scope you have been asked to cover. A defensible number slightly above the offer beats an arbitrary jump that invites a flat refusal.
Should I negotiate by email or on a call?
Both. A short call is easier for the hiring manager to say yes on, and it prevents a written exchange escalating in tone. Follow it with an email summarising what you asked for and what was agreed, so nothing depends on memory. If you find calls difficult, a well-written email is entirely acceptable — many recruiters prefer it because they can forward it for approval.
What if they say the salary is fixed?
Take them at their word on base and move to the things that are not fixed: review date, leave, a signing or relocation payment, a training budget, title, or working pattern. Ask what the criteria and timing are for the next salary review, and ask for that answer in writing. If nothing moves and the number does not work for you, that is useful information before you start.
Can an employer withdraw an offer because I asked for more money?
It happens, though not often when the request is single, polite and evidence-based. In many jurisdictions an unaccepted offer can be withdrawn without much difficulty; once accepted, a contract may exist and the position changes, which differs by country and by whether conditions remain outstanding. If an offer is withdrawn after you accepted and resigned elsewhere, take advice from a qualified adviser.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.