How to Negotiate Salary Offer in 2025: Tips & Template

Job offer negotiation is the process of discussing and potentially modifying the salary offer made to a qualified job candidate by the prospective employer. Knowing how to negotiate a salary offer is key to maintaining the value of a candidate's experiences and skills.

To guide you through how to navigate the job offer negotiation process, read on as we discuss how to politely negotiate your desired pay, when is the right time to negotiate, tips to use, common mistakes to avoid, and a template for a fuller picture of how to negotiate salary offers.

How do you politely negotiate salary?

To politely negotiate a job offer, it is important to retain likability, help employers understand salary requests clearly, and assure employers that you are serious about their offer.

Here are other ways you can extend politeness while remaining steadfast and competitive in negotiating job offers:

• Have a better understanding of the person you are negotiating with. Try to ask about their interests, concerns, and expectations that influenced the job offer and find common ground with your own perspectives and capabilities.
• Know the company's constraints and alternatives. Some companies have salary limits that a negotiation can't remediate but can be flexible when it comes to other additional benefits like signing bonuses and stock options. Tap into these alternatives to resolve the preferences of both parties.
• To avoid lying or getting defensive over tough questions about job offer negotiations, practice your answers with confidence before the meeting. This helps you come up with genuine and polite responses to the person across the table.

When do you negotiate?

Knowing how to negotiate a salary offer also means understanding the perfect timing for the discussion. Remember: It is improper to negotiate long before the hiring manager has offered you a salary. Only negotiate once an official job offer has been made.

Even on an occasion where employers bring up salary during the hiring process, do not negotiate as it might give the impression that the job candidate is only looking for compensation and not building success with the company, which can be a turn off.

When hiring managers ask about your preferred salary during the interview process, do not respond with a specific figure unless required. Instead, elaborate that you are seeking a competitive salary and benefits package that matches the market value and your experience and skills.

Tips in negotiating a job offer

Here are important tips in a salary offer negotiation that you can do successfully land your desired complete compensation package:

• Evaluate your worth: List your years of experience, education level, career level, skill set, licenses, and certifications. Longer work experience, sharper expertise, a higher degree, leadership roles, and specialized competencies lead to higher compensation.
• Conduct market research: Using up-to-date data like Salary.com's Personal Salary Report, you can search for the market average salary for your specific location, experience, skills, and company, guiding you into negotiating a salary package with data-driven confidence.
• Prepare negotiation notes: Your talking points must include accomplishments from previous jobs with actual figures, how you used skills to achieve company goals, and the average salary for comparable positions. Prove why the company must invest in you to enhance your bargaining power.
• Ask for a salary higher than the goal: When you negotiate slightly higher pay than your desired salary, the employer will likely suggest a lower salary, which still leads to an offer that you feel comfortable with. Ensure that the lowest number in your desired salary range is still acceptable and fair to you as employers tend to settle with it.
• Factor in job-related expenses: Work-related costs like relocation expenses and commuting payments are considered when negotiating for a higher job offer as these factors are associated with your taking on the job position.

Salary negotiation common mistakes

To further your success in a job offer negotiation, we list down common mistakes you should look out for, giving you the most leverage in a professional manner:

1. Highlighting your financial needs and debts
   
   • Do this instead: Focus on the value, skills, and experience you will contribute to the company that makes a higher salary offer worth it.
2. Being persistent with your desired salary
   
   • Do this instead: Be open to compromise by listening to the employer's side and agreeing to a middle ground or other benefits the company can offer.
3. Letting your emotions get the best of you
   
   • Do this instead: Remain collected and professional in the entirety of the negotiation process to exude confidence, reliability, and dignity.
4. Relying on verbal agreements
   
   • Do this instead: Ensure that the agreed and negotiated offer is documented through a written and signed report.

How to negotiate salary offer: template

To give you a clearer picture of how to negotiate a salary offer through email, here is a template you can use:

Subject: Job Offer Appreciation and Salary Consideration

Dear [Name of Hiring Manager or Employer],

I hope this email finds you well. I want to express my appreciation for offering me a position as [Name of the Job Position] at [Name of the Company]. I am excited to be part of the team and contribute to the overall success of your organization.

After thoughtful consideration, I would like to discuss the initial offer given to me. Based on my market research of the industry and region of your company, as well as my level of experience and skills, I think a base salary ranging from [Desired Salary Range] would more appropriately reflect the value I can bring to [Name of the Company].

I am optimistic and passionate about joining your team and assured that I can contribute well to the organization's goals and visions. I am looking forward to further discussing this with you.

Thank you for your consideration. I am inclined to find an agreeable alternative that reflects both of our salary expectations.

Sincerely,
[Name of the Job Candidate]

Knowing how to negotiate a job offer means upholding your worth as a job seeker, giving utmost value to your hard-earned experience, skills, and knowledge. This also gives companies an opportunity to work with and retain talented individuals like you in this competitive job market.