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Salary negotiation email templates

Copy, paste, and send. Four short notes for the asks people freeze on.

5 min read · ClearDeal

Knowing what to negotiate is one thing. Knowing what to say is where many people freeze. These are short, copy-and-paste notes for the four asks that come up most.

Asking to discuss compensation

Hi [Name],

Thank you again for the offer — I'm very excited about the opportunity. I'd love to discuss the compensation details and see if there's room to align the offer more closely with my experience.

Best,
[Your Name]

Countering with a higher salary

Hi [Name],

I'm excited about the role and the team. Based on my experience and market research, I was hoping we could explore a base salary closer to $X. Please let me know if there's flexibility there.

Best,
[Your Name]

Negotiating a sign-on bonus

Hi [Name],

If there isn't flexibility on base salary, I was wondering whether a sign-on bonus might be possible to help bridge the gap.

Thanks again — I'm looking forward to next steps.

Best,
[Your Name]

Negotiating non-salary items

Hi [Name],

I understand the base salary may be fixed. Would there be flexibility around PTO, bonus structure, or timing of a compensation review?

Best,
[Your Name]

How to use them

  • Keep it short
  • Stay professional and collaborative
  • Ask one or two things at a time
  • Silence after sending is normal — give it time

What this is for

Negotiation emails don't need to be clever — they need to be clear. Fill in the number from your actual offer, not a round guess.