Salary Negotiation Scripts and Email Templates

Asking for more on a fresh offer

The first ask is the one people rehearse the most and still botch, usually by burying it in apology. Keep it short, specific, and confident — you're not asking permission to negotiate, you're stating your position.

Phone: "Thank you so much for the offer — I'm genuinely excited about this. Before I accept, I'd like to talk through the compensation. Based on my research and experience with [specific skill/scope], I was expecting something closer to [$X]. Is there room to move on the base salary?"

Email: "Thank you again for the offer for [role] — I'm excited about the opportunity and the team. I'd like to discuss the compensation before I confirm. Given my experience with [specific skill/scope] and current market data for this role, I was targeting a base salary closer to [$X]. Would you be able to revisit that number?"

Notice both versions do the same three things: express genuine enthusiasm first, state a specific number (not a vague "more"), and tie it to a reason. That structure works whether you're on the phone or writing an email — only the delivery changes.

Counter-offer scripts

A counter-offer is your response after the employer has already replied to your first ask — either they moved partway, or they held firm and you're deciding whether to push again or accept.

When they've moved partway: "I appreciate you moving on this — that helps. I'd still like to close the gap a bit further. Would [$Y] work? That would put us right in line with what I'm seeing for this role at this level."

When you're countering on more than just base pay: "I understand the base salary may be fixed at this point. Given that, would there be flexibility on [signing bonus / additional PTO / a signing bonus to bridge the gap / an earlier compensation review]? I want to find a structure that works for both of us."

Email version, closing the loop: "Thanks for getting back to me on this. I understand where the budget sits, and I'd like to propose [$Y] as a middle ground, or alternatively [non-salary lever] if the base is fixed. Either would let me move forward enthusiastically."

Notice the counter always proposes a specific alternative — a number or a lever — rather than just saying "can you do better." Vague pushback is easy for an employer to deflect; a specific counter forces an actual answer.

How much to counter

There's no universal percentage that's always right, but there is a sane range most negotiations fall into, and knowing it keeps you from either lowballing yourself out of nervousness or overreaching so far the conversation stalls.

Broader labor-market conditions affect how much room typically exists — the BLS Employment Situation tracks the unemployment rate, and tighter labor markets generally give candidates more leverage to counter meaningfully than looser ones do.

Handling "that's our max"

Sometimes it's true. Sometimes it's the opening position. Either way, the response is the same: acknowledge it, then pivot to what else might be flexible before accepting or walking away.

"I understand — I appreciate you being upfront about that. If the base is fixed, is there flexibility elsewhere — a signing bonus, an earlier performance/comp review, additional PTO, or a remote/hybrid arrangement? I want to make this work."

If nothing moves at all: "I appreciate you looking into it. I need a little time to think this through given where the number landed — can I follow up by [specific day]?"

That second script matters because accepting or declining on the spot, under pressure, is rarely necessary. A short, named window to think is a normal ask, not a red flag to the employer.

Common mistakes that undercut good scripts

• Apologizing before the ask — "Sorry to bring this up, but..." signals you expect to be told no before you've even said the number.
• Giving a range instead of a target when you're the one being asked to name a number — a range invites the employer to anchor to the bottom of it.
• Negotiating over text or chat for anything beyond scheduling a call — phone or email keeps the conversation deliberate and gives both sides room to think.
• Threatening to walk without meaning it — an empty ultimatum is easy to spot and tends to backfire if the employer simply says okay.
• Re-opening a term you already explicitly accepted — that reads as bad faith, unlike a first, timely counter.
• Not writing anything down — verbal agreements on comp should always get a follow-up email confirming the specifics before you give a final yes.

The myth about giving the first number

Once an actual written offer is on the table, though, the calculus flips — at that point, naming your specific counter (not a vague "more") is almost always the stronger move, which is what the scripts above are built around.

Putting these scripts to work

Scripts work best when you've already done the research behind them — see how to research your market salary if you haven't built your target range yet, since a confident script with no number behind it falls apart the moment someone asks "how did you land on that."

None of these scripts work without a real number behind them. Pull your baseline from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics before you write your own version of any script above — a script with a researched number behind it is what makes "how did you land on that" an easy question instead of an awkward one.

If the offer you're negotiating is actually a retention counter from your current employer, or a counter to a resignation, the mechanics differ enough that we cover it separately in how to negotiate a counter offer.

Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Counter-offer

A candidate's or employer's revised proposal in response to a prior offer, typically moving the number or terms partway toward the other side's ask.

Anchoring

The effect where the first number stated in a negotiation influences the range the rest of the conversation moves within.

Non-salary lever

A negotiable benefit other than base pay — signing bonus, PTO, remote flexibility, or an earlier performance review — used when base salary is fixed.

Target number

A specific figure a candidate states as their goal in a negotiation, distinct from a vague range.