How to negotiate a job offer: a step-by-step guide with scripts

You have an offer. This guide walks you from that first call to the signed letter: how to build a counteroffer from federal pay data and posted salary ranges, and what to say at each step. The worked example uses Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for May 2025, the newest it has published, which put the median accountant salary at $83,680.

Every script below is a template. How much an employer will move depends on its budget, its pay bands and how hard the role is to fill, so treat the scripts as starting points and expect results to vary.

The offer-to-signature roadmap

Before you respond: get the full offer in writing

Offers often arrive by phone, and recruiters sometimes hope for a yes on the spot. You do not have to give one.

Script (on the call): "Thank you, I'm really excited about this role. Could you send the full offer in writing so I can look at everything together? When do you need my answer?"

Most employers will agree to a few business days. If they push for a same-day answer, it is fair to ask for a couple of days.

When the written offer lands, check that it covers each of these. If something is missing, ask for it before you counter, because you cannot negotiate a number you have not seen.

• Base salary or hourly rate, and how often you are paid
• Job title and level (the level usually decides the pay band)
• Bonus: target amount or percentage, and what it depends on
• Equity, if any: type, number of units, vesting schedule
• Signing bonus and any clawback if you leave early
• Overtime eligibility (exempt or non-exempt)
• Health insurance cost to you, retirement match, paid time off
• Start date, work location and remote or hybrid terms
• Any conditions: background check, references, non-compete or non-solicit clauses

Build your number from public pay data

Your counter should rest on evidence, not a feeling. For the full research method, including which sources to trust for different jobs, see our salaries by role coverage. Here is the short version you need for an offer.

Read the OEWS percentiles in plain English

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program is the BLS survey of what employers pay for hundreds of occupations. It reports pay at several percentiles. A percentile tells you where a salary sits in the line-up: the 10th percentile is the point that only the lowest-paid tenth of workers fall below, and the 90th percentile is the point that only the top-paid tenth rise above.

The median is the 50th percentile, the middle of the line-up: half of workers earn more and half earn less. It is usually a better guide than the average (mean), which a handful of very high earners can pull upward.

The newest OEWS tables are for May 2025, posted on the BLS OEWS tables page in May 2026. Two things to know before you use them:

• The estimates pool survey responses collected over several years, so they trail the live job market a little.
• They cover wage and salary workers only, not the self-employed, and they measure wages, not the value of benefits or equity.

Worked example: placing yourself in the range

Example (hypothetical): You have been offered a staff accountant role at $83,680. Here is how that sits against the national May 2025 OEWS figures for accountants and auditors, from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The offer lands exactly on the national median. Whether that is fair depends on where you sit. Use this rough guide to place yourself:

• Near the 10th percentile: new entrants, lower-cost areas, smaller employers or roles with narrow duties.
• Between the 10th percentile and the median: early career, still building the core skills of the job.
• Around the median: fully competent, doing the standard job well.
• Between the median and the 90th percentile: experienced, licensed or specialized, often in a high-paying industry or metro.
• Above the 90th percentile: rare, usually senior specialists or people with skills that are hard to hire.

Now apply it. Suppose you have several years of experience, hold a CPA license and the employer is a bank. The finance and insurance median is $93,290, so a median-level national offer undersells a licensed, experienced candidate in that industry. That gives you a reasoned case for asking above the offer.

If you are a recent graduate joining an accounting firm, the same offer already beats that industry's $81,490 median. You can still ask, but your case would rest on something else, like a competing offer.

The full OEWS tables also publish 25th and 75th percentiles, which split the middle of the range more finely. Use them if you can find your occupation in the national, state or metro tables.

Adjust for location

National figures are a starting point. OEWS publishes the same percentiles by state and by metropolitan area, and pay for the same job can differ a lot between metros. Pull the table for the area where you will actually work, and if the job is remote, check both your area and the employer's. Our salaries by city coverage explains how to weigh a metro's pay against its living costs.

If you are comparing an hourly job with a salaried one, convert both to the same basis before you compare, and remember that an hourly job's annual pay depends on how many paid hours you actually get.

Set three numbers before you speak

Write these down before any conversation:

1. Target: the salary your evidence supports for your experience, industry and location.
2. Ask: a little above your target, so a counter-counter still lands near your target. Keep it inside what your evidence can defend.
3. Walk-away: the lowest total package you would accept. Decide this now, while you are calm.

Using the posted pay range where the law requires one

A growing number of states require employers to put a pay range in job ads. That range is your best single clue to the employer's budget, because it is their own estimate for this specific job. Rules differ a lot by state, so here are four examples, each drawn from the state agency's own guidance.

Sources: New York State Department of Labor, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, California Labor Commissioner, Washington L&I. New York's law took effect on September 17, 2023. Many other states and some cities have their own rules; check your state labor department's site before relying on any of this.

How to use a posted range

• Ranges are per job and per place. New York's guidance gives an example of a plant manager posted at $100,000-$125,000 in Westchester County but $75,000-$90,000 in Erie County. If a range seems low, check whether it was set for a cheaper location than yours.
• Base pay only. In New York, the posted range should not fold in bonuses, overtime, tips or benefits. Ask separately what those are worth.
• The top is not a ceiling in every case. New York's guidance says an employer can still act in good faith when it offers more than the posted range to someone whose qualifications exceed what the posting assumed.
• The bottom is a floor for planning. An offer at the very bottom of a posted range, when you meet every requirement, is a reasonable thing to question.

Script (offer at the bottom of a posted range): "The posting listed $X to $Y for this role. Given that I bring [specific experience or license], I'd like to talk about a number closer to the middle of that range."

If a posting is missing a required range, you can ask the employer for it. In New York, applicants can file a complaint with the state Department of Labor, which says the law also bars retaliation against people who request this information. In California, you can ask for the pay scale directly.

How to make the counteroffer: scripts for phone and email

Make one clear request, tie it to evidence, and stay friendly. A specific number beats a range, because if you give a range, expect the employer to hear only the bottom of it.

On the phone

Script: "Thank you again for the offer. I want to make this work. Based on the role's scope and the market data for [job title] in [industry or city], I was expecting a base salary of $[ask]. If you can get to that number, I'm ready to accept."

Then stop talking. A pause feels awkward, but it gives the recruiter room to respond.

The "ready to accept" line tells the recruiter the deal closes if they win approval. Only say it if it is true.

By email

Template:

Subject: [Your name] offer, [job title] >Hi [Name], >Thank you for the offer for the [job title] role. I'm excited about the team and the work. >Before I accept, I'd like to discuss the base salary. Federal pay data for [occupation] in [industry or area] puts the median at $[figure], and my [years of experience, license or specific skill] puts me above the typical candidate for this level. With that in mind, I'm asking for a base salary of $[ask]. >I'm flexible on how we get there and happy to talk this week. Thank you for considering it. >[Your name]

Email lets you choose your words carefully; a call lets you read the reaction. Many people send the email, then offer a call.

When they ask for your salary expectations first

Recruiters often ask this before an offer. In California, the Labor Commissioner says employers can ask about your expected salary even though they generally cannot ask your salary history. Colorado and Washington also restrict pay-history questions.

Script: "I'd like to learn more about the role before naming a number. What range has been budgeted for it?" If you are pressed: "Based on what I've seen for this kind of role, I'm targeting the $[target] area, depending on the full package."

Handling "this is our best offer"

Sometimes the answer really is no on base pay. Fixed pay bands, union scales and public-sector grades can leave little room. That does not always mean the conversation is over.

Script: "I understand there's limited room on base salary. Is there flexibility elsewhere, for example a signing bonus, an earlier salary review or additional time off?"

Script (asking for a review): "Could we put in writing that my salary will be reviewed after [number] months, with a target of $[number] if I meet agreed goals?"

Then decide using the numbers you set earlier. If the final package clears your walk-away number, you can accept with confidence. If it does not, it is fine to decline politely:

Script: "I really appreciate the time you've put into this. The package doesn't quite work for me, so I'm going to decline, but I'd be glad to stay in touch."

Two honest cautions. Employers can withdraw an offer, though a polite, evidence-based counter is a normal part of hiring. And never invent a competing offer. If you have a real one, you can mention it, but do not bluff.

Negotiating the whole package

BLS data on employer costs for June 2026 shows benefits made up 30.0 percent of private industry employers' compensation costs, averaging $14.07 per hour worked. That is why a stronger health plan or retirement match can be worth as much as a raise.

Pick the two or three levers that matter most. Asking for everything at once makes approval harder.

Getting the final terms in writing

A verbal yes is not the finish line. Until you have the revised offer letter, keep your current job and do not give notice.

Script (recap email after a call): "Thanks for today. To confirm, we agreed on a base salary of $[amount], a signing bonus of $[amount] and a start date of [date]. I'll look out for the updated offer letter."

When the letter arrives, check it line by line:

• Every agreed number matches, including bonus targets and equity units
• The title and level are what you discussed
• Any promised review date or remote arrangement is written in, not just mentioned
• Signing bonus clawback terms are clear
• Non-compete, non-solicit or arbitration clauses are ones you understand

If a clause worries you, especially a non-compete, an employment lawyer can review it before you sign. If you are joining a unionized workplace, the union can explain how the contract sets pay.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Accepting on the call. Saying yes before you see the written offer leaves no room to negotiate.
• Using national figures for a high-pay industry or metro. Check industry and area tables; the gap can be large.
• Leading with personal costs. Employers pay for the role, not your budget, so lead with market evidence.
• Negotiating against yourself. After you name your number, wait for their response before you lower it.

What to do next

1. Reply to the offer with thanks, a request for the written version and a reply date.
2. Look up your occupation in the latest OEWS tables for your state or metro and industry, and note where the offer falls.
3. Check the job posting for a pay range and the rules in your state.
4. Write down your target, ask and walk-away numbers.
5. Send your counter using one of the scripts above, then get every agreed term in writing before you sign.

For more scripts, including how to ask for a raise once you are in the job, browse our negotiation guides, and follow pay trends for new pay transparency rules as states adopt them.