What should you do when the offer arrives?

Thank the hiring manager and ask when they need your decision. Request the complete terms so you can review the work, pay and schedule together. My recommendation is to prepare your counteroffer once those details are clear.

A counteroffer is your proposed change to the employer's offer. Keep it specific: a revised salary, a particular benefit or an agreed combination. Avoid sending a long list of wishes without saying which matters most.

Check what the salary figure means

Salary is regular payment for employment, while the broader package includes benefits. Gross pay is the amount before deductions; net pay is what remains after them. Wikipedia's salary overview explains these distinctions.

• Confirm the currency and whether the figure is annual or monthly.
• Ask whether the stated amount is gross or net.
• Separate fixed salary from any bonus.
• Clarify working hours, location and reporting responsibilities.

Use the job offer evaluation guide to prepare the wider decision. Keep unresolved questions beside the offer rather than filling the gaps with assumptions.

How do you research a useful market salary?

Compare the actual work before comparing the numbers. The University of Wyoming's career resource recommends researching the role, geographic area and similar employers, alongside your relevant experience. Salary research guidance.

Build a short comparison sheet. Save the source and the date you checked it. Exclude examples that you cannot meaningfully compare with the offer.

Use the average as a reference

The career guide treats the market average as a starting point for a salary request. Use it to explain your reasoning, not as proof that this employer must pay a particular amount. Researching market salary before negotiating.

Hypothetical example: an online retailer wants a marketing coordinator who also manages advertising and supervises an assistant. Compare that scope with other roles carrying those duties. Do not base the whole request on a vacancy limited to scheduling social posts.

If published figures are scarce, ask the recruiter for the approved range. You can also use your professional network to ask about typical responsibilities and how people research pay. Avoid presenting one person's answer as a market average.

How should you choose your counteroffer?

Write down your requested salary, your private acceptance threshold and your preferred alternative. Treat these as separate decisions. Your threshold should reflect what you can accept; your request should have a clear connection to the role.

Prepare evidence the employer can discuss

The source recommends supporting your request with relevant experience, skills and examples of previous work. Choose examples you can explain accurately. Preparing negotiation talking points.

• Name a responsibility in the new role.
• Describe related work you have actually done.
• Explain your own contribution without claiming the whole team's result.
• State the salary you are asking the employer to consider.

If you give a range, make its lower end acceptable to you. The career guide notes that an employer may focus on that lower figure. Do not put an amount there that you would immediately reject. Choosing a salary range.

For a freelancer moving into employment, write out which client responsibilities match this position. Keep business revenue separate from salary in your notes. Ask about the package instead of assuming your previous invoices translate directly into an employment offer.

What can you say without sounding confrontational?

Use appreciation, a brief reason and a specific request. Read your draft aloud and remove anything you would not naturally say. The career guide recommends practising with a trusted person before the discussion. Preparing for the conversation.

A new job salary negotiation script

Thank you for the offer. I'm particularly interested in [specific part of the work]. Given the responsibility for [task] and my experience with [relevant example], could we discuss a base salary of [amount, currency and payment period]?

This is an illustrative template, not a quotation from a real candidate. Replace every bracket. Then stop talking and let the employer respond.

A short counteroffer email

Subject: Discussing the offer for [role]

Hi [name], thank you for sending the offer. I'm excited about the opportunity to work on [specific responsibility]. Before making my decision, I'd like to discuss the base salary. Based on [relevant evidence], would you consider [amount]? I'm available to talk at [suitable times].

Do not add a competing offer unless it exists. If asked whether you would accept immediately, answer honestly: “Salary is the main open point. I would still like to review the updated terms together before confirming.”

If expectations come up earlier in an interview, ask about the role's scope and approved range first. Prepare your evidence using the guide to explaining your strengths. Keep the same examples consistent across your interview and negotiation.

What can you discuss besides salary?

Choose an alternative that would actually change your decision. The career resource includes benefits and time off among the subjects candidates can negotiate. Negotiating beyond base pay.

Treat the following as questions to explore, not benefits the employer has promised:

• Could additional paid leave be included?
• Is there flexibility in the start date?
• Could some work be completed remotely?
• Would the company fund relevant training?
• Could the next salary review have a written date and criteria?

Make the arrangement concrete

Hypothetical example: a small agency cannot change its salary offer, but you want a predictable schedule for caring responsibilities. Ask about specific working hours. Then decide whether that arrangement makes the existing salary acceptable.

For a promised salary review, ask who will decide, what evidence they will use and when it will happen. Record a review separately from a guaranteed increase. Do not build your acceptance decision around an unspecified future amount.

To prepare for agreed objectives, use the new job planning guide. Keep those objectives within the responsibilities and resources you have discussed.

How do you handle yes, no or a partial increase?

Compare the answer with your original priorities before responding. My advice is to write down what changed and what remains unresolved. Avoid reopening settled points simply because the employer accepted your first request.

• Yes: thank them and request the updated written terms.
• Partial agreement: assess the revised package against your threshold.
• No: ask whether your preferred alternative is possible, then decide.

The career guide recommends considering withdrawal when neither salary nor additional benefits meet your minimum needs. Keep that option available without using it as a bluff. Deciding whether to accept.

Close the discussion clearly

Check the written salary, payment period, bonus conditions, work arrangement and start date. Ask about any difference between the conversation and the document. Confirm your decision only when you understand the terms you are accepting.

If you decline, a short response is enough: “Thank you for considering my request. I appreciate the offer, but the final package does not meet what I need for this move.” This is a suggested wording, not a documented exchange.

If you accept and need to leave your current employer, prepare your handover using the resignation letter guide. Keep the negotiation notes for your own records.