Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a Job Offer (With Scripts)

What is salary negotiation?

Salary negotiation is the conversation, after an employer makes you an offer, where you ask for better pay or terms before you accept. It usually takes one or two rounds: you counter, they come back with a revised offer, and you accept or make one final ask.

Most employers expect it, so if negotiating feels uncomfortable, it may help to know you’re doing something completely normal. An offer is their opening position, and a recruiter usually has some room to move, more on bonus or start date than on base pay. Asking your current employer for more is a different conversation, covered in how to ask for a raise and how to ask for a promotion.

When should you negotiate salary?

Negotiate after you have an offer, not before. Until then, your job is to stay in the process without locking yourself into a number.

Recruiters often ask about pay in the first call. You can answer with a range you’ve researched, or ask for theirs first. Many US states now require employers to share a pay range in the job posting or on request, so it’s worth checking the posting and asking.

Step 1: Know the market range

Before any conversation about pay, know what the role pays in the market. Look at:

• Ranges in job postings for similar roles, especially in states where employers must publish them.
• Government data. Our marketing salary pages show US Bureau of Labor Statistics pay for marketing occupations, nationally and by state.
• People in the field. Ask peers in similar roles what’s typical. Most will share a range if you ask for one.

Decide three numbers before you talk to anyone: your target, the figure you’d be pleased with, and your walk-away point.

Step 2: Handle the salary question early

When a recruiter asks what you’re looking for, give a researched range or ask for theirs.

The short version is below; our guide to answering "what are your salary expectations?" has scripts for the application form, the recruiter screen and later rounds.

I'm still learning about the scope of the role, so I'd like to understand the full package before naming a number. Can you share the range you've budgeted for this position?

If they push for a figure:

Based on what I've seen for similar [Role] roles in [city or remote], I'm looking for something in the range of [researched range], depending on the full package and the scope.

Set the bottom of your range at a number you’d be happy to accept. Employers often anchor to it.

Step 3: Respond to the offer

Thank them, show you’re excited, and ask for time to review it in writing. Don’t accept or negotiate on the spot.

Thank you, I'm really excited about this. Could you send the full offer in writing? I'd like to review it properly and come back to you by [day].

Step 4: Make your counteroffer

Ask for a specific number, give one or two reasons, and stop talking. A short, confident ask works better than a long justification.

Thank you again for the offer. I'm keen to join and I'd like to make this work.

Based on [the scope of the role / the market range for similar roles / my experience leading X], I was hoping for a base salary of [specific number]. If we can get there, I'm ready to accept.

Use the script as a starting point and put it in your own words, the way you’ve been talking with this recruiter all along; a counter that sounds like you reads as calm and sure of itself. Ask for a specific number, not a range: if you give a range, they’ll choose the bottom of it. Ask for slightly more than your target so there’s room to meet in the middle. If you have to turn the offer down instead, our guide on how to decline a job offer has the wording.

For a director or VP role, negotiate total pay rather than base alone, because bonus and equity make up more of the package. The marketing director salary page shows the BLS range for the group.

The best reasons for a marketing role come from what the interviews told you about the job, not from your cost of living:

• Scope bigger than the title. “The role owns paid, lifecycle and the agency relationship, which is closer to a director scope than a manager one.”
• Budget or team size. “I’d be managing a team of [number] and a media budget of [size], which is what I’m running now.”
• A specific result they want repeated. “You told me the priority is rebuilding organic traffic; I’ve done that at [company], from to [Y].”
• A competing offer, if it’s real. Name it plainly and say which you’d prefer if the numbers were closer.

How do you write a salary negotiation email?

Keep a salary negotiation email to four short parts: thanks, enthusiasm, a specific number with your reason, and a clear next step. Send it to the person who made the offer, usually the recruiter, within the time you agreed. Our counter offer letter guide has more versions, including one for a competing offer.

Subject: [Your name] – offer for [Role]

Hi [Name],

Thank you for the offer for the [Role] position. I've enjoyed every conversation with the team and I'm excited about [one specific thing: the brand relaunch, building out the lifecycle program].

Having reviewed the full offer, I'd like to ask for a base salary of [specific number]. The role covers [scope you learned in the interviews, e.g. paid social, CRM and the agency relationship], which is the scope I'm running today, and [one result: I grew organic sign-ups from X to Y at Company].

If we can reach [specific number], I'm ready to accept and can start on [date]. Happy to talk it through on a call if that's easier.

Best,
[Your name]

What if they say no to your counteroffer?

Reply within a day, thank them, and either ask about one other part of the package or accept on the terms you can live with. Don’t argue the number again.

Thanks for checking, I appreciate it. Since the base is fixed, would you be open to [a sign-on bonus of X / a pay review at six months against agreed goals]? If so, I'm happy to accept.

Step 5: Negotiate the whole package

If the base salary can’t move, other parts often can. Decide which of these matter to you and ask for one or two, not all of them.

I understand the base salary is fixed at this level. Would there be flexibility on [a sign-on bonus of X / an extra week of leave / a six-month review against agreed goals]? That would close the gap for me.

Step 6: Close it out

When you reach an agreement, confirm it in writing before you resign from your current job.

Thank you, I'm happy to accept at [agreed terms]. Could you send the updated offer letter? Once I have it, I'll sign and confirm my start date.

Mistakes to avoid

• Negotiating before the offer. You give away your best moment to ask and can stall the process. Share a range early and save the ask for the offer.
• Lying about another offer. It’s easy to check and hard to undo. Make the case on scope and market data instead.
• Apologizing. “Sorry, I know this is a lot” weakens a reasonable request. State the number and the reason, then pause.
• Ultimatums you won’t keep. Only say you’ll walk away if you will.
• Accepting verbally and negotiating later. Once you’ve said yes, most of the room is gone. Ask for time to review first.

FAQ

Can an offer be withdrawn if I negotiate?

It’s rare when the request is polite and reasonable. A specific, professional counteroffer is a normal part of hiring, and recruiters handle them all the time.

How much more should I ask for?

Base it on your research, not a fixed percentage. Ask for a number at or slightly above the top of what similar roles pay, given your experience, and be ready to explain it in a sentence.

Is it OK to negotiate a first job or an entry-level offer?

Yes, politely. Entry-level salaries often have less room, so the start date, a sign-on bonus or an early review date may be easier to move than base pay.

How long does salary negotiation take?

Usually a few days to a week. Expect one or two rounds: your counter, their revised offer, and perhaps one final ask on a non-salary item. Going past two rounds on base pay rarely gains much and can wear down goodwill.

Should I negotiate by email or phone?

Either works. Email gives you time to choose your words; a call can build goodwill. Many people discuss it by phone and confirm by email.

What if they say the offer is final?

Ask whether anything else in the package can move, such as a sign-on bonus or a review date. If nothing can, decide against the walk-away point you set before you started.