Salary negotiation email generator
Draft a counter-offer email that asks for one clear number, gives your reasons in a few lines and keeps the relationship warm.
Subject
[Role] offer — a question on the fixed pay
Want me to tailor it to your situation? Polish it with Zia
Estimates for planning, not tax or legal advice. Rules change with each Budget and differ by employer, so check your offer letter, payslip or a professional before you act.
How it’s calculated
How to use it
- Add the recruiter’s name, the company and the role.
- Enter the fixed pay they offered and the fixed pay you want, both per year. You will see your ask as a percentage over the offer.
- Tick the reasons that are true for you. The email uses up to three, strongest first, so the case stays short.
- Pick a tone: Warm if you have built rapport, Direct if you want the number front and centre.
- If the base may be hard to move, tick the joining-bonus option and the email offers it as a way to close the gap.
Tips
- Ask for one number, not a range. A range tells them the lower end is fine.
- Negotiate fixed pay first. Variable pay, ESOPs and bonuses are easier to discuss once the base is settled.
- Only mention a competing offer you actually have. Recruiters can ask to see it.
- Don’t set a deadline or threaten to walk away. A calm ask gets a better answer than pressure.
- Follow up with a call if you can. The email opens the conversation; the call is where it moves.
Questions people ask
How much more should I ask for?
It depends on your current pay, the market for the role and how much leverage you have. Pick a number you can explain in one sentence: a reasoned ask lands better than a big one with no case behind it.
Will negotiating make them withdraw the offer?
Rarely, when the ask is polite and reasoned. Recruiters expect candidates to negotiate. What hurts is an ultimatum, a made-up competing offer or going back and forth many times.
Should I mention my competing offer’s number?
Only if it is real and you are comfortable sharing it. A specific figure is persuasive, but the recruiter may ask for proof. You can also say you have a higher offer without the amount.
What if they can’t increase the fixed pay?
Ask about other levers: a joining bonus, a higher variable component, an earlier review, ESOPs or covering your notice-period buyout. The joining-bonus option adds that ask to the email.
Should I send this by email or say it on a call?
Both work. An email lets you state your number and reasons clearly; a call lets you read the reaction. Many people send the email and offer a call in the same message, which this template does.
Is anything I type stored?
No. The email is put together in your browser as you type. Nothing is sent to a server.
Numbers done. Now the decision.
Tell me what the numbers mean for you, and I’ll help you decide what to do next.