How to negotiate salary: scripts for the offer stage

Most people find the offer stage harder than the interview. There is a number on the table, a person waiting for your answer, and a worry that asking for more will make the offer disappear. The likely answers to a polite counter are a yes, a partial yes or a no, and a no leaves you where you started.

This guide covers how to research a fair range without guessing, when to bring up pay, how to answer the question "what are your salary expectations", and the phone and email scripts to counter an offer. It also covers what to ask for beyond base pay and what to do when the answer is no. Every figure in the examples is made up and labelled as an illustration, and nothing here can promise a particular result. If you are still earlier in the process, how to tailor your resume to a job posting comes before this stage.

Do your homework first

Is there room to negotiate?

It depends on the employer. Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation advises candidates to treat an initial offer as an opening position, and says initial offers are often set below what the employer will actually pay. That is a general observation, and some employers do have fixed pay. Work out which kind you are dealing with.

Where to find pay data

You do not need an exact number, only a defensible range. Triangulate: use two or three sources, and write down where each came from.

Some US states and cities require employers to publish a pay range in job postings, and some places limit what employers can ask about your pay history. The rules differ by state, city and country, and they change, so check yours. A 2022 overview from the National Conference of State Legislatures lists some early examples and is dated.

Remote and multi-location roles have one more question to ask: how is the pay set? It may be a single band for everyone, a band that depends on the city you live in, or one tied to the employer's headquarters. The answer changes which range to research, and it can change your pay if you move later. If you might relocate, ask for the answer in writing.

If you are changing fields or returning after a break

Pay data for a new field can be thin, and your last salary may not be a guide. Look up the entry or mid-level range for the new role, and decide honestly how much of your previous experience transfers. Name the parts that do. If the role pays less than your old one, work out what else the move gives you and set your floor with that in mind. Career change resume covers how to show the connection between old work and new. Do not hide a gap or inflate a title to raise the number.

Set three numbers

Before you talk to anyone, write down three figures. Do not share the first one.

When to bring up pay

Pay comes up at different stages in different processes. The aim is to learn the range early, so you do not spend weeks on a role that cannot pay what you need, and to negotiate the figure only once there is an offer.

1. The application

   If a form has a salary field, give a researched range or write that it is negotiable if the form allows it. Leave it blank if it is optional.

2. The recruiter screen

   It is normal to ask for the range for the role. Asking early saves everyone's time.

3. Early interviews

   Focus on the work. If pay has not come up by the second interview, ask for the range so you do not go further on a mismatch.

4. The offer

   This is when they have decided they want you, and when your request carries the most weight. Negotiate here.

5. After you accept

   The terms are agreed. Do not reopen them. Ask for the final terms in writing.

Do not negotiate before there is an offer. A request for a specific number during early interviews can price you out or set a number too low before you know what the job involves.

How to answer the salary expectations question

"What are your salary expectations?" usually arrives in a screening call, on an application form, or at the end of an interview. There are three common situations, and each has a simple answer.

• Recruiter

  What are your salary expectations?

• You

  I would like to understand the role a bit better first. Could you share the range you have budgeted for it?

• Recruiter

  We are looking at $48,000 to $56,000.

• You

  That is in the range I was expecting. I would like to talk about where I would sit in it once we have covered what the job involves.

If they will not share a range, or push for a figure, give one that comes from your research. The other side may start from the bottom of whatever range you give, so make the bottom a number you would be glad to take.

• Recruiter

  I do need a number from you to move forward.

• You

  Based on what I have seen for similar roles in this area, I am looking at $54,000 to $60,000, depending on the full package. How does that fit with what you have budgeted?

If you are asked what you are earning now, you can redirect without refusing to talk:

• Recruiter

  What are you making now?

• You

  I would rather focus on what this role is worth, since the two jobs are different. For this role I am looking at $54,000 to $60,000.

• Recruiter

  We do need a number for the system.

• You

  Then please put that range. I am flexible within it, depending on the whole package.

When the offer arrives

Whether it comes by phone or email, the first reply is the same. Say thank you, say you are excited, and ask for the details in writing. Do not accept or counter in the first minute, however good it sounds.

1. 1

   Say thank you

   Mean it, and name one thing you are looking forward to.

2. 2

   Ask for it in writing

   Base, bonus, benefits, leave, start date and conditions.

3. 3

   Take a day or two

   A common rule of thumb is one to two working days.

4. 4

   Read the whole offer

   Look at every term, and at what is missing.

5. 5

   Counter once, with reasons

   By phone or email, using one of the scripts below.

• Hiring manager

  We would like to offer you the operations coordinator role. The salary is $52,000, starting on the first of next month.

• You

  Thank you, I am delighted. I am really looking forward to working with the team on the carrier contracts.

• Hiring manager

  Wonderful. Can I tell HR you are in?

• You

  I would like to review the details in writing first. Could you send them over? I can get back to you by Thursday afternoon.

• Hiring manager

  Of course. You will have it this afternoon.

Email: asking for the offer in writing

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To

[Hiring manager's name]

Subject

Thank you for the offer

Hi [Hiring manager's name],

Thank you for the offer for the [job title] role. I am very happy to have it, and I am excited about joining [company].

Could you please send the offer details in writing, including the base salary, any bonus, benefits, leave and the start date? I would like to review them carefully and will get back to you by [day].

Thank you,

[Your name]

When the written offer arrives, read all of it. The salary is only one line.

Read these in the written offer

• Base pay, how often you are paid and whether it is hourly or salaried
• Any bonus: how it is calculated, when it is paid and whether it is guaranteed
• Leave, holidays and sick pay, and when they start
• Hours, overtime rules, schedule and where you work
• A probation period, and what notice applies during it
• Benefits: when they begin, what they cost you and what you must do to enroll
• Any clause about repaying a bonus, training or relocation if you leave
• Any agreement about working for a competitor or contacting clients later
• The start date and any conditions, such as checks or documents

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How long it takes

There is no standard, and an employer with an approval chain can take longer. For a straightforward offer, this is a realistic pattern.

1. Day 0: the offer

   By phone or email. You say thank you, ask for it in writing and give a date for your answer.

2. Day 0 to 1: the written offer

   It arrives. You read it, check it against your three numbers and note your questions.

3. Day 1 to 2: questions

   Ask about anything unclear: bonus, benefits, schedule, probation. These are questions, and they are separate from the counter.

4. Day 2: the counter

   By phone or email, with one clear ask and your reasons.

5. Day 3 to 5: their reply

   They may need finance or a senior manager. Ask when you can expect an answer.

6. Day 5 to 7: the decision

   Accept, counter once more or decline. Have the final terms in writing before you tell your current employer.

How to make the counter

A good counter has five parts: thanks, a specific number, a reason, a question and, optionally, a fallback. It fits in a short email or in a minute of speech.

1. 1

   Thank you again for the offer. I am excited about the role and about working with the team on the carrier contracts.

   Thanks and enthusiasm

   Appreciation first. It shows you want the job, which makes the rest read as a collaboration.

2. 2

   I was hoping for $58,000.

   The number

   Name a specific figure. A range invites the lower end, and something higher hands them the decision.

3. 3

   Based on my research for operations roles in this region and my four years of dispatch experience.

   The reason

   One or two reasons tied to the market or the work. Your costs are real and are not what moves a hiring manager.

4. 4

   Is there flexibility to get closer to that figure?

   The question

   End with a question. It invites a reply, and it keeps the tone of a conversation.

5. 5

   If the base is fixed, I would be glad to talk about a review at six months.

   The fallback (optional)

   It gives them a way to say yes to something, and it shows you are thinking about the whole package.

Choosing your reasons

A reason is the part of your counter that does the persuading, and a vague one does none. Pick facts the employer can check and that match what the posting asks for.

By phone or video

• Hiring manager

  Thanks for calling back. Have you had a chance to think about the offer?

• You

  I have, and thank you again. I am excited about the role and about the carrier contracts.

• Hiring manager

  Great. So are you ready to accept?

• You

  I would like to talk about the base salary first. Based on my research for operations coordinators in this area, and my four years of dispatch experience, I was hoping for $58,000. Is there flexibility to get closer to that?

• Hiring manager

  Hmm. That is above what we budgeted. Is the number the only thing?

• You

  Base is the main thing for me. If it is hard to move, I would also be glad to talk about a review at six months.

• Hiring manager

  Let me talk to finance and come back to you tomorrow afternoon.

• You

  That is great, thank you. Could you send the updated offer by email? I can decide as soon as I have it.

Whichever you choose, confirm what was said by email afterward: the numbers, the date and anything else you agreed.

By email

Email: countering an offer

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To

[Hiring manager's name]

Subject

Offer for [job title]: a question about the salary

Hi [Hiring manager's name],

Thank you again for the offer. I am excited about the role and about [one specific thing: the team, the project, the patients, the route network].

Before I accept, I would like to talk about the base salary. The offer is [$X]. Based on my research for [job title] roles in [city or region], and my [number] years of [relevant experience], I was hoping for [$Y]. [One concrete reason: I bring [skill, certification or result] that fits the first goals you described.]

Is there flexibility to get closer to that figure? If the base is fixed, I would also be glad to talk about [a review at six months / extra leave / a start date].

I would be glad to talk by phone if that is easier. Thank you for your time.

Best,

[Your name]

When you have another offer

If you have a real offer from another employer, say so plainly and with its true figure. Do not exaggerate it or invent it, because the employer may ask for details, and your credibility goes if the story falls apart.

Paragraph to add: another written offer

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I have a written offer from another company at [$Y]. [Company] is my first choice because of [one real reason], so I wanted to ask whether you can move closer to that figure before I decide.

When you have no other offer

You do not need one. Your case rests on the market, your experience and what you will bring. Say that, and ask.

Paragraph to use: no other offer

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I am very interested in the role. Based on the range I have seen for this work, and my experience with [specific thing], I was hoping for [$Y]. Is there flexibility to get closer to that?

What you might hear back

You will hear a few standard replies. None of them is the end of the conversation.

Practise the key sentence out loud, alone or with a friend, until you can say the number without your voice rising. It is the sentence that is hardest to say and it gets easier on the third try. For a phone call, write the number on a card in front of you.

Negotiate beyond base pay

If the base is fixed, there is often something else that is not. Ask for a few things that matter to you, and a reason, and not a long list.

What is on the table varies by field.

Two cautions. Equity, bonuses and some benefits have terms you should read in full, because the headline figure can hide conditions such as vesting or repayment. And an extra benefit you will not use is not worth asking for, so choose items you will use.

Compare offers as a whole

When you hold two offers, the higher base is not always the better one. Put the whole package next to each other and add up what you can. These numbers are made up.

Subtract the commute and the health plan from each base. Offer A leaves $49,440 and offer B leaves $49,320, a gap of about $120 before tax, and B comes with eight more days of leave, a training budget and an earlier review. Which is better depends on what you value, and a table is how you find that out. Replace these lines with the ones that matter in your job.

A worked example with made-up numbers

Every figure here is invented for illustration. Ana Souza is a made-up applicant for an operations coordinator role at Larkspur Logistics, a made-up company.

Ana started with research. She found three views of the range for operations coordinators in her area: the posting's own range, from $50,000 to $58,000, a government wage table with a median near $54,000, and two former colleagues who thought $54,000 to $60,000 was fair. She settled on a working range of $52,000 to $60,000.

Then she set her three numbers. Her floor was $50,000, which covered her costs and her commute. Her target was $56,000. Her opening ask was $58,000, which sat inside the range she found.

When the offer came, she thanked them, asked for it in writing, took two days and countered by phone. She asked for $58,000 and gave two reasons: four years of dispatch experience and carrier-contract work that matched the posting. When they said $58,000 was above budget, she offered a six-month review as a fallback.

The difference between the offer and the result is $3,500 a year, which is about $290 a month before tax. The six-month review was worth more to her than it looks, because it gave her a date to point to. She accepted by email and confirmed each term.

A second, smaller example. Marcus is a made-up applicant for a warehouse associate role. The posting says $17.00 to $20.00 an hour, and the offer is $17.50. He holds a forklift certification and has two years of experience, both listed in the posting. He asks for $19.00. They settle at $18.25 an hour and a promise of 36 hours a week. At about 2,000 paid hours a year, $0.75 an hour is roughly $1,500 a year, plus the guaranteed hours.

Neither example guarantees what you will get. The point is the sequence: a researched range, three numbers, a specific ask with reasons, a fallback and every agreed term in writing.

When the answer is no

Sometimes the answer is no. There are three kinds of no, and each has a different next move.

• No on base pay, and open to something else. Ask what is possible: a review date, a start date, leave, or a sign-on bonus.
• No on everything, because the pay is a fixed band. Ask where you start in the band, and whether there is a path to the next one.
• A no that leaves the pay below what your research supports. That is a decision about your floor.

• Hiring manager

  I have spoken to finance, and $55,500 is the most we can do on the base.

• You

  Thank you for checking. I appreciate it. Given that the base is where it is, could we agree on a review at six months, with the goals set at the start?

• Hiring manager

  I think we can do that. I will put it in the offer letter.

• You

  That would work for me. Could you send the updated letter so I can confirm?

If the final offer is below your floor, decline. A polite no keeps the door open.

Email: declining the offer

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To

[Hiring manager's name]

Subject

Re: Offer for [job title]

Hi [Hiring manager's name],

Thank you for the time you and the team put into this process, and for the offer.

After careful thought, I have decided not to accept the position at the salary offered. The role is a strong fit, and the difference in compensation is too large for me to bridge. If the budget changes in the future, I would be glad to hear from you.

I wish you and the team all the best.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

A rule of thumb is to counter once, or twice at most, and then decide. Repeated asks for small increases wear out goodwill. If you are given only hours to decide, it is reasonable to ask for a day. If that is refused, you have learned how the employer treats a normal request.

Accepting, and what comes after

When you accept, do it in writing and repeat every term you agreed, so nothing relies on memory.

Email: accepting the offer

CopyPrint

To

[Hiring manager's name]

Subject

Accepting the [job title] offer

Hi [Hiring manager's name],

I am delighted to accept the offer for [job title] at [company]. To confirm the terms we discussed:

• Base salary of [$X] per year
• [A review at six months, in writing]
• Start date of [date]
• [Any other agreed item]

Please send the final offer letter with these terms, and let me know what I should sign and complete before my start date. I will give notice at my current job once I have the signed letter and any checks are complete.

Thank you again. I am looking forward to starting.

Best,

[Your name]

Do not resign until the written offer is signed and any conditions, such as references, background checks or paperwork, are complete. Then, when you do, resignation letter: how to write one, with templates and two weeks' notice: letter, email and what to say cover the letter and the conversation.

Mistakes and a checklist

Before you counter

• I have a range from at least two sources
• I know my floor, target and opening ask
• I have the written offer and have read all of it
• I know two reasons that tie my ask to the work
• I know what I would ask for if the base is fixed
• I have decided how I will respond to a no

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Where SnugCV fits

SnugCV does not negotiate for you, and it does not write offers. It helps earlier, with the application, and it can help while you are weighing an offer. The free job tracker has Offer and Accepted statuses and a notes field, so the offer, its deadline and your numbers sit next to the application they came from. Your first few tailored resumes are free with no card, with employers, titles and dates copied unchanged.

A free job application tracker shows how it works, and how to tailor your resume to a job posting covers the resume side.

Keep going

When you have a signed offer, two weeks' notice: letter, email and what to say takes you through the conversation with your current employer. Resignation letter: how to write one, with templates has 20 letters for different situations. If you are still interviewing, tell me about yourself: how to answer, with examples is a good place to start, and why tailor a resume for each job explains the reasoning behind a resume written for each posting.