How to Negotiate Your Salary via Email (With Tips + Examples)

You did it! You got your dream job. After polishing up your resume, filling out applications, and getting through countless rounds of interviews, you may feel like the work is finally over.

But, don’t be fooled. There’s still work to be done.

It’s easy to be blinded by gratitude (and maybe a touch of imposter syndrome) once you receive that initial job offer. Yet, as soon as you receive that offer, the power has now shifted.

It’s no longer your job to convince them that they want you; now, they should be trying to sell themselves to you.

Negotiating a salary can be extremely intimidating, and it’s easy to accept the first offer just to avoid the awkwardness altogether. But, keep in mind that it is well within your right to ask for what you deserve. Most employers expect it!

As long as you come into a negotiation discussion with solid research and reasoning, you are in the best position to secure the highest possible salary. After all, we aren’t working for free!

The process of negotiating a salary for a new job can feel awkward, clunky, or even rude–especially for young professionals. Here are some tactics you can use to ensure that the conversation goes as smoothly as possible. 

Remember: it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Tip #1: Keep It Professional

As with all future communication that you’ll have with an employer, you want to ensure that your emails are professional and tonally appropriate. Make sure that you include the recipient’s full name, a specific subject line, and a formal signature with your full name. 

This is the bare minimum that you can do when asking for a higher salary.

Tip #2: Show Gratitude

Most young professionals hesitate to negotiate their salaries because they don’t want to come across as ungrateful for their initial offer. They feel as if countering their initial offer is entitled or taboo.

Therefore, you must emphasize your excitement to work for this company and your gratitude for the offer.

A short paragraph summarizing your enthusiasm toward your new role should start your email, right after your greeting. Thank the employer for their offer and explain how excited you are for this opportunity.

Ex. Thank you so much for your time during this hiring process. I highly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about [company name] and chat about this role. I am grateful to be offered this job and remain excited to join the team!

Tip #3: Come With Receipts

This is where you’ll need to do some prior thinking and research. When asking for a higher salary, you’ll need to provide some reasoning behind why you deserve a higher salary. Do research into what the market value for this role is and if it’s higher than what you’re being offered, present that.

What else are you bringing to the table? Discuss what qualifications and experiences you have that are bringing significant value to their company. This may feel like bragging, but in reality, you’re just asking to be compensated according to your skills.

Ex. Before we move forward, I was hoping to discuss my salary expectations for this role. In looking at the average rates for this role for candidates with similar experiences and education levels as myself, I see that the market average is closer to [insert specific dollar amount]. Additionally, with my [number of years] of experience in this industry, skills in [insert 2-3 specific technical skills here], and [insert specific achievement in a past role], I know that I will be a great asset to this team. With this in mind, would a salary in the range of [specific dollar amount] to [specific dollar amount] be possible with your budget?

Tip #4: Tred Carefully When Discussing Other Offers

What if you have a higher offer at another company? Should you mention it? This is a controversial question, but the consensus is that it is appropriate (and even helpful) to mention other offers that you have as long as you emphasize your commitment to this company.

Highlight that their company is your number 1 choice and that you want to work there. You just need their flexibility to make it happen.

Lording another offer over the company’s head may be dangerous if you are too flippant with your delivery.

Ex. I want to be transparent about the fact that I have received another job offer at [insert specific dollar amount]. However, working at [insert company’s name] is my first choice. Would you be able to match this number?

Tip #5: It’s Not All About the Salary

Consider other benefits that you may want to negotiate in addition to or instead of asking for a higher salary. A company truly may not be able to offer a higher salary. However, they may be able to offer a sign-on bonus, more PTO, or other benefits.

The Worst They Can Say Is “No”

At the end of the day, hiring managers know that you aren’t just working for the joy of it, you need to be compensated fairly.

Companies want to hire and retain the best employees, so it is in their best interest to offer competitive salaries. While it may seem rude to negotiate a salary (especially if it is already a good one), hiring managers fully expect you to do this. This is why they almost always offer a lower salary than they can afford so that they have room to increase that number when you negotiate.

You’ve already received the job offer, so rest assured, knowing that they clearly want you. No hiring manager wants to go through the entire hiring process just to lose the prospective employee at the end. 

You both want the same thing, but no one will advocate for you better than you.

So go ahead, ask for what you deserve, and prioritize your personal development. The worst they can say is no.