How to Send a Salary Negotiation Email and Get a Raise

It's always an exciting time when you get offered a new job, but the quoted salary may leave you more than a little depressed. Given the rising cost of living, as well as the amount of training you've gone through, surely your worth more than this? Is there anything you can do?

The answer is yes, and it's essentially telling your potential future employers that you'd like to negotiate the salary. If your main mode of communication has been online, it may be intimidating to send a salary negotiation email, but it's a great way to open the door for discussion.

So how do you go about this? DoNotPay can send an email for you.

How to Negotiate Your Salary

So you've been offered a job, and now you're ready to accept. If they're willing to offer you more pay, that is.

There are a few ways to go about this to make sure that you're making a good impression, as well as increasing your chances of getting a raise by negotiating.

Research the Current Salary Range	Research the current salary people in your field are making. If you're getting a low offer, it may help your case to point out you know other people are making as much if not more, so you can get a raise in salary. Also, see if you can find a current salary range for people working at that company. Sometimes you can find this online. This will help let you know how much to ask for, as well as deciding if it's not worth it if they decide to decline your offer.
Don't Undervalue Yourself	You've probably spent years studying, learning new skills, getting licenses and certifications, as well as putting in a lot of hours. This brings value to the table, and you should know what you're worth.
Ask For More Than You Want	This may sound strange, but you should ask for a sum higher than your actual salary goal. This is because the recruiter will most likely decline the initial offer, but if they want you, then they'll come back with a lower offer that is closer to what you want.
Don't Overthink It	It's easy to think you're making a mistake by not taking the first offer, especially if this is a company you really want to work for. The Harvard Law School Program of Negotiation suggests that you should "Get out of your own way," however, and recognize that you bring value that this company needs.
Don't Try to Accommodate or Compromise	In the same Harvard study, they mentioned that there are five negotiating strategies that people tend to use. These include competing, collaboration, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding. Of those who tried to accommodate or compromise with their future employer, the majority walked away less than satisfied. The two strategies that did work were competing and collaboration. In fact, these two strategies managed to earn some people up to $5,000 more than they were initially offered.

What You Should Avoid Doing During a Salary Negotiation

Now that we've discussed some tips on what you should be doing, let's discuss what you should avoid doing.

Negotiating During the Interview

It's never a good idea to start trying to negotiate during the interview. You probably aren't the only person they're interested in, and start by stating what you expect to get paid will doubtless set the wrong tone, and you may not get the offer.

Don't Try to Renegotiate

Once you've agreed to a package deal and signed, now is not the time to try and negotiate a new salary. This should be done before you have agreed to it.

Don't Be Overly Pushy

While you should be confident, it's also important not to be overly pushy. Negotiations require a certain feeling to know when you should keep asking, and when you need to accept or walk away. It's a fine balance, and being overly demanding could result in the job offer being withdrawn.

How to Negotiate Salary Over the Email

It's always better to negotiate your future salary in person, but this isn't always possible. The next best bet is to do so over the phone. That may also not be possible, so another option is to open the door through email.

Here are some things to keep in mind when crafting your email:

Make sure you use the full name of the recipient. This will either be the hiring manager or the interviewer.
The subject line should make it clear that you're interested in negotiating your salary offer.
Include an appropriate greeting, such as Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs., as well their first, middle, and last name.
Don't start out with how much you want to make. The first paragraph should include how much you appreciate the offer and are eager to begin working with them, as well as thanks for their time during the interview process.
The second paragraph is when you begin the actual negotiation. You need to include factors such as how much you think you're worth, why, references to the salary you're quoting, and if you'll be willing to accept other factors such as stock, more paid-time-off, etc.
The third paragraph should thank them for their time, and reiterate your appreciation for the job offer, as well as how you're eager to begin work.
End with your signature.

Example Salary Negotiation Email

Here's an example of how to write your own to get you started.

Subject Line: Salary Question

Dear Mrs. Dillinger,

I was very excited to receive your job offer for the nursing position at Grace Memorial Hospital. I've heard so many great things about your organization, and this seems like a great opportunity for me.

Before I officially accept your offer, I would like to discuss the salary. I have 5 years of experience in the ER, and 10 in the cardiac unit. At my last job, I made $75K. Given my years of experience and skills, I am seeking a base salary of $85K, which is slightly more than the $80K you offered.

I'm confident that together we can work something out. I look forward to discussing this with you soon.

Thanks,

Your signature

How to Write Your Own Salary Negotiation Email

Yes, you can write your salary negotiation email. There are certainly plenty of examples online you can follow, and you can word it the way you want. Some tips to help get you started include:

Find online examples.
Use a grammar checker for punctuation.
Double check to make sure you spelled their name and title correctly.
Read it out loud to make sure the flow is right.

This can be very stressful, however. Did you come across as confident enough? Did you overstress your point? Are you sure you're sending it to the correct person?

There's another way, however. You can let DoNotPay write the email for you.

Let DoNotPay Write the Salary Negotiation Email

DoNotPay can write the email for you. All you need to do is four simple steps.

How to negotiate your salary using DoNotPay:

All you have to do is:

Search “negotiate my salary” on DoNotPay.
Enter the name of your company and the industry you work in, so we can find the right wage statistics for your role.
Answer a series of questions regarding your qualifications and achievements, relocation expenses, and other job offers if applicable.
Enter the new base salary you would like to request.

And that's it! Once the information is finalized, DoNotPay will generate an official salary negotiation letter that you can then email or present to your employer.

Why Use DoNotPay to Write Your Salary Negotiation Email

DoNotPay can handle writing your email on your behalf because we're:

Fast—You can spend hours writing the perfect email, but why stress when we can take care of it for you?
Easy—You only need to fill out a simple form with four steps.
Successful—We can't guarantee that your will be accepted, but we'll send the perfect email tailored to give you the best shot.