Email templates

The counter offer email that works

A counter offer email has one job: put a specific, market-framed number on the table without spending any of the goodwill you just earned. The template below does it in under 200 words — a warm open, one number, public-data justification, and a collaborative close.

Recruiters read hundreds of these. The ones that get forwarded to whoever approves compensation are short, specific, and never apologize.

Subject:[Your name] — [Company] offer

Hi [Recruiter's first name],

Thank you for sending over the offer for the [Title] role. I enjoyed meeting the team, and I'm excited about [something specific — the product, the problem, the roadmap you discussed].

Before I can accept, I'd like to discuss base salary. Based on the market for [your role] in [your metro] — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data puts the middle of the range at $[band low] to $[band high] — a base of $[your number] would better reflect the scope of the role and the experience I'd bring to it on day one.

I'm confident we can find a number that works for both of us. I'm still very much hoping to join the team, and I'm happy to walk through it on a quick call if that's easier.

Thanks again — looking forward to your thoughts.

Best,
[Your name]

Fill it with real market data

Your role, metro, and offer replace the placeholders with published federal wage numbers.

Why this wording works

The warm open isn't padding
Your recruiter has to sell this ask internally. Before they'll argue for you, they need a signal you're still committed — enthusiasm first is what makes the ask forwardable.
One number, never a range
Name a range and the employer hears the bottom as your ceiling. The anchor is a single figure, stated once, without hedging.
Market framing before personal justification
The first credible number reshapes the whole negotiation — that's Galinsky & Mussweiler's anchoring research. Tying your number to public wage data makes it read as the market talking, not a wish.
A collaborative close, not an ultimatum
Fisher & Ury's principled-negotiation frame: keep the recruiter a partner. "I'm confident we can find a number" leaves them a way to say yes; "I need X or I walk" leaves them a way to say goodbye.
Under 200 words
This email gets forwarded to whoever approves compensation. Every extra sentence dilutes the ask.

What not to write

“I need $X because of rent / loans / cost of living.”
Personal-need framing invites a refusal that feels reasonable. The employer prices the role, not your expenses — keep the justification on the market.
“Sorry to ask, but…”
An apology concedes the premise that asking is unreasonable. It isn't — negotiation is expected, and recruiters plan for it.
“I deserve more than this.”
“Deserve” turns a pricing question into a judgment of you — a fight you lose even when you win. Price the role.
“I'm currently making $Y.”
Your past salary anchors you to your past. Several states bar employers from asking precisely so it can't — volunteering it gives the protection away.

If they push back

“That's our best and final on base.”
Change the dimension, not the tone: “Understood — if base is firm, is there room on a signing bonus or an accelerated first review?” One pivot, delivered without sulking.
“We don't negotiate base salary.”
Keep the number's spirit, move the instrument: sign-on, equity, review timing. Most “we don't negotiate” policies are base-only policies.
(Silence for 48+ hours.)
One polite nudge, then wait. Escalating into the silence reads as a character flag; recruiters cite it in rescission post-mortems.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I counter above the offer?

The generic convention is 10–20% above the offered base, which is what the fill-in on this page uses. But the right counter depends on where your offer actually sits against the market — an offer already above the metro median calls for a different play than one below the band. That verdict, and the exact floor/anchor/target ladder built on it, is what the full report computes.

Can I lose the offer by negotiating?

Offers are rarely rescinded because someone negotiated politely, once. The documented rescissions come from style and repetition: ultimatums, re-opening after agreement, fabricated competing offers, or long silence. One warm, specific counter is standard professional behavior — recruiters expect it.

Should I negotiate by email or by phone?

Email first. It removes the real-time pressure, lets you use exact language, and creates a record of what was offered and asked. Offer a call in your close — the combination works better than either channel alone.

How soon should I send the counter?

Within 24–48 hours of the written offer. Same-hour looks reactive; several days of silence reads as disengagement. If you genuinely need more time, send a one-line acknowledgment naming the date you'll respond by.

These are market averages. Your offer has a verdict — and the report writes the email with your numbers in it.

See where it stands Or try the free counter calculator

Your situation

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Estimates are market-informed, not guarantees. How we read this data.