Salary Negotiation Email: Write a Counteroffer With AI

The offer email arrives and your first feeling is relief. Your second is doubt: is this the best they can do? Most people accept on the spot, worried that asking for more will make the company take the offer back. In practice, that almost never happens when the request is polite, reasonable and backed by evidence.

Employers usually leave room in their first offer because they expect some negotiation. If you don't ask, that room stays with them, and every future raise starts from a lower base.

Negotiating is easier in writing. You can take your time, check your numbers and avoid being caught off guard on a call. AI helps you research the range, structure your case and get the tone right. By the end of this workflow, you will have a clear target figure, a walk-away number and a short salary negotiation email ready to send.

When to negotiate

Negotiate after you have a written offer and before you accept it. Before the offer, the company hasn't decided it wants you. After you accept, you've lost your leverage.

If the recruiter asks for your salary expectations earlier in the process, give a researched range rather than a single number, and say it depends on the full package. You can still negotiate when the offer comes.

It's reasonable to ask for two to five working days to review an offer. Reply the same day to thank them and confirm when you'll respond.

Before you start

Gather:

the written offer, with base pay and every allowance and benefit listed
the job description and anything said about pay during interviews
what people in similar roles earn: ask friends and former classmates in the industry, check salary surveys and job adverts that show pay, and note pay ranges recruiters have mentioned
your current or last pay, if you have one
your monthly budget, so you know your real minimum

In Nigeria, offers are often split into basic salary, housing, transport and other allowances, with a 13th month, leave allowance, HMO and pension on top. Make sure you know whether figures are gross or net, monthly or annual.

Step 1: Break down the offer

First, understand what you've actually been offered. Paste the offer into your AI tool.

Here is my job offer:
[paste offer details: base, allowances, bonus, 13th month, HMO, pension, leave, start date]

1. Break it into monthly and annual figures, gross
2. List every non-cash benefit
3. Point out anything unclear or missing that I should ask about (for example, whether figures are gross or net, probation terms, bonus conditions)
Don't estimate tax; just flag where I need to check net pay.

If anything is unclear, ask the recruiter before you negotiate. A question such as "Is the ₦450,000 monthly figure gross?" is normal and shows you're careful.

Checkpoint: you know the total annual value of the offer and every component in it.

Step 2: Set your three numbers

You need three figures before you write anything:

Target: what you'll ask for. Usually 10% to 20% above the offer, if your research supports it.
Good outcome: what you'd be happy to accept.
Walk-away: the lowest figure you'd accept, based on your budget and other options.

The offer is [offer amount] for a [role] in [city/remote], [years] years' experience.
My research on market pay:
[paste notes, adverts and ranges you found]
My minimum monthly budget is [amount].
My current or last pay was [amount], if relevant.

Help me set a target, a good outcome and a walk-away figure.
Explain the reasoning for each in one or two sentences.
Only use the figures I gave you; don't invent market data.

Checkpoint: you have a target, a good outcome and a walk-away figure written down, and you know why each makes sense.

Step 3: Build your case

A counteroffer needs reasons, and the best reasons are about value to them, not your personal costs. Strong reasons include market rates for the role, skills or certifications that go beyond the job description, results you've delivered elsewhere and responsibilities that grew during the interviews.

I'm negotiating a job offer for [role].
Here is the job description: [paste]
Here is my background: [paste key results and skills]
Here's what I learned in interviews: [notes]

Give me the 3 strongest reasons to justify a higher salary.
Each must be specific and true to the information above.
Rank them by how persuasive they are to a hiring manager.

Avoid reasons such as rent, school fees or the cost of your commute. They're real, but they're not the employer's problem and they weaken your case.

Checkpoint: you have two or three evidence-based reasons, ranked.

Step 4: Decide what else to ask for

If base pay is fixed, other parts of the package often aren't. Common options are a higher transport or housing allowance, a signing bonus, an earlier salary review (for example, at six months instead of twelve), remote days, training budget, a laptop or a later start date.

If the employer says the base salary is fixed, suggest 5 other things I could reasonably ask for in this offer:
[paste offer]
Rank them by how often employers in [industry] agree to them and how much they're worth to me.

Checkpoint: you have one main ask (usually base pay) and one or two backup asks.

Step 5: Draft the salary negotiation email

Keep it short, warm and specific. Lead with enthusiasm, make one clear ask with a number and give your best reason.

Write a salary negotiation email.

Offer: [offer]
My ask: [target figure], or [backup ask] if base pay is fixed
Top reasons: [reason 1], [reason 2]
Recipient: [name, title]

Rules:
- 120 to 180 words
- Start by thanking them and saying I'm excited about the role
- State one specific number, not a range
- Give 1 or 2 reasons, based on value, not personal costs
- Show flexibility without sounding unsure
- End with a question that invites a conversation
- Plain, professional British English

Checkpoint: the draft states one figure, gives a reason and ends with an open question.

Step 6: Stress-test it and prepare for the reply

Before you send, ask AI to play the recruiter. Practise the replies you might get.

Act as the recruiter receiving this salary negotiation email.
1. How does it come across: reasonable, or pushy?
2. Suggest any wording that would make it easier for you to say yes.
3. Give me the 3 most likely replies you might send, including a firm no.
4. For each reply, suggest what I should say next.

[paste draft]

Then send the email during working hours and give them space to reply.

Checkpoint: you've prepared answers for a yes, a partial yes and a no.

How to reply to their answer

The employer will usually come back with one of three answers. Have a reply ready for each.

They say yes. Thank them, confirm the new figure and any other changes, and ask for an updated offer letter in writing before you accept. Don't push for more once they've agreed.

Thank you, I'm delighted. Could you send an updated offer letter showing ₦[amount] a month? I'll confirm my acceptance as soon as I receive it.

They meet you partway. Compare the new figure with your good outcome and walk-away numbers. If it's at or above your good outcome, accept. If it's between your walk-away and good outcome, you can try one backup ask, such as an earlier salary review.

Thank you for coming back with ₦[amount]. I'm happy to accept if we can agree a formal salary review after six months. Would that work?

They say no. Thank them for considering it. If the offer is still above your walk-away figure, decide whether the role is worth it for other reasons: learning, the team, the brand on your CV. If it's below, decline politely and keep the door open.

Thank you for considering my request. I understand the budget is fixed. I'm still keen on the role and happy to accept the original offer.

Whichever way it goes, reply within one or two working days. Taking too long can look like you're shopping the offer around.

Worked example

Tobi has an offer from an Abuja consultancy for a junior business analyst role: ₦450,000 a month gross, including allowances, plus HMO and pension. From friends at two similar firms and three adverts that showed pay, he found that comparable roles pay between ₦480,000 and ₦550,000. He also holds a Power BI certification the role lists as "nice to have".

His numbers: target ₦520,000, good outcome ₦490,000, walk-away ₦460,000. His backup ask is a salary review after six months.

Subject: Business analyst offer: next steps
Dear Mrs Bello,
Thank you for the offer. I'm excited about joining the team and especially about the public-sector reporting project we discussed.
Before I accept, I'd like to discuss the salary. Based on my research into similar roles in Abuja, and the Power BI certification I'll bring from day one, I'd like to ask for ₦520,000 a month.
If there's limited room on base pay this year, I'd also welcome a formal salary review after six months.
I'm confident we can find something that works, and I'm keen to get started. Would you be open to discussing this?
Kind regards, Tobi Adewale

The consultancy came back with ₦495,000 and a six-month review. Tobi accepted. That's ₦540,000 more a year than the first offer, from one polite email.

Expected output

You should have:

a breakdown of the full offer in monthly and annual figures
a target, good outcome and walk-away figure
two or three evidence-based reasons
one main ask and one or two backup asks
a 120 to 180 word email, ready to send
prepared replies for yes, partial yes and no

Check your work

You have a written offer and haven't accepted yet.
Your target is backed by research, not a guess.
The email asks for one specific figure.
Your reasons are about value to the employer.
You know your walk-away number and would really walk away below it.
The tone is warm and positive throughout.

Common mistakes

Accepting on the spot. Always ask for time to review, even if you plan to say yes.
Giving a range in your counteroffer. They'll pick the bottom. Ask for one number.
Using personal reasons. Rent and school fees don't justify pay to an employer.
Bluffing about other offers. If you mention another offer, it must be real.
Negotiating everything at once. Pick one main ask and one backup.
Ignoring the full package. A lower base with a 13th month, strong HMO and training budget can be worth more than a higher base without them.
Going silent after a no. Thank them, decide based on your walk-away figure and reply promptly.

Next step

Once you've accepted, update your profile so future recruiters see your new role. If you're not there yet and need more offers to compare, keep your pipeline full with the daily AI job search routine and new roles on Nexframe Opportunities. If a role falls through, the job rejection workflow in this series shows you how to reply and keep the door open.

FAQ

Can a company withdraw an offer if I negotiate?

It's rare when the request is polite, reasonable and backed by evidence. Most employers expect some negotiation. The risk rises if you make demands, bluff or ask for far above the market rate.

How much should I ask for in a salary negotiation?

Usually 10% to 20% above the offer, if your research supports it. Ask for one specific number.

Is it better to negotiate salary by email or phone?

Email gives you time to prepare and keeps a record. Many people send an email first, then discuss details on a call if the recruiter suggests it.

What if they say the salary is fixed?

Ask about other parts of the package: allowances, a signing bonus, an earlier salary review, remote days or training budget.

Should I negotiate my first job offer?

Yes, politely. Even a small increase raises every future raise, because increases are usually a percentage of your current pay.

Can AI tell me what I should be paid?

Not reliably on its own. AI can organise and reason about pay data you collect, but it may invent figures from memory. Use real adverts, recruiters and people in the industry as your sources.