PILLAR GUIDE
Salary Negotiation Scripts: 12 Word-for-Word Templates
Copy-paste salary negotiation scripts for every moment in the offer process — from the first recruiter call to the final close. Used by FAANG insiders to add $30K–$300K to tech offers.
Jump to a script
- The first verbal offer: buy yourself time
- "What would it take to get you on board?"
- The written counter-offer email
- Communicating a competing offer (without bluffing)
- Negotiating without a competing offer
- When the recruiter says "this is our best offer"
- Handling an exploding offer / hard deadline
- "I think I should be leveled higher"
- When only sign-on is moveable
- The final close
- Walking away politely
- After signing: the 'thank you' that protects future raises
The single biggest mistake in salary negotiation is improvising. By the time a recruiter calls with an offer, your heart rate is up, you're worried about losing the role, and you have about 3 seconds to decide what to say. That's exactly why scripts work: they give you a pre-written response for the moment when your judgment is least reliable.
The 12 scripts below cover every realistic moment in a tech salary negotiation: buying time after the first verbal offer, deflecting the "what would it take?" question, the written counter-offer email, handling exploding offers, leveling appeals, and the final close. Each one includes when to use it, why it works, and the exact words.
Replace the bracketed placeholders with your specifics. Recruiters can tell a canned script from a specific one — the numbers, dates, and reasons are what make it land.
SCRIPT 1 OF 12
The first verbal offer: buy yourself time
When to use it: Recruiter calls and reads you the offer numbers.
Why it works: Saying yes on the call locks in the first offer — which is almost always below your ceiling. Saying no creates conflict. Buying 24–48 hours costs the recruiter nothing and gives you room to think, run comps, and prepare your real counter.
THE SCRIPT
"Thank you so much — this is genuinely exciting, and I really appreciate you walking me through it. I want to make sure I give this offer the consideration it deserves rather than reacting on the call. Would it be okay if I take a day or two to review everything and come back to you with thoughts on Wednesday?"
SCRIPT 2 OF 12
"What would it take to get you on board?"
When to use it: Recruiter asks for your number before sending the offer.
Why it works: Whoever names a number first loses. Anchoring high feels uncomfortable, but anchoring at the wrong number caps your offer for the entire negotiation. The script deflects without sounding evasive.
THE SCRIPT
"I appreciate you asking — I want to make sure I'm giving you a useful number, not a number pulled out of thin air. Could you share what range you have approved for this role and level? Once I see the full structure of the offer, I can give you a much more specific response."
SCRIPT 3 OF 12
The written counter-offer email
When to use it: You have the written offer and want to push for more — base, equity, or sign-on.
Why it works: Email > phone for the counter. It gives the recruiter something concrete to forward to the comp committee, and it keeps your reasoning consistent. Bullet your asks; one ask per line.
THE SCRIPT
Subject: Re: Offer for Senior Software Engineer Hi [Recruiter], Thank you again for the offer and for the time you've spent walking me through the role. I'm genuinely excited about [team / project], and the more I learn, the more confident I am that this is the right move. I've had a chance to review the full package, and I'd like to discuss a few specific items before signing: • Base salary: The current offer is $[X]. Based on the offers I'm weighing — and given the scope of the role — I was hoping to land at $[X + 15-20K]. • Equity: A grant of $[Y] over 4 years would help bridge the unvested equity I'd be leaving on the table at my current company. • Sign-on: A sign-on of $[Z] would offset the [bonus / vest cliff] I'd forfeit by transitioning now. I want to be clear: I'm fully committed to making this work. If you can get any of these moved, I can sign by [date]. Happy to jump on a call to walk through any of it. Best, [Your name]
SCRIPT 4 OF 12
Communicating a competing offer (without bluffing)
When to use it: You have another real offer and want to use it as leverage.
Why it works: Competing offers are the single strongest lever in salary negotiation — but only if you handle them as facts, not threats. Share the structure, not just the number. Never name the company unless asked twice.
THE SCRIPT
"I want to be upfront with you because I'd rather you have full information than be surprised later. I have another offer on the table at a comparable company. The structure breaks down to roughly $[base] / $[equity over 4yr] / $[sign-on]. Your team is my first choice — I'd love to be here. If there's any room to close the gap on [the specific component], I can sign with you by [date]."
SCRIPT 5 OF 12
Negotiating without a competing offer
When to use it: You don't have a competing offer but still want to push.
Why it works: Without competing offers, you negotiate on level, scope, and market data. Frame the ask around your unique value to *this* team, and reference Levels.fyi / Glassdoor ranges to make it look like analysis, not greed.
THE SCRIPT
"I've looked at the comp data for this role at similar companies — Levels.fyi and recent offers I've seen from peers put the range at $[X] to $[Y] for someone with my background. Given the [specific scope of the role / my experience with X], I think I'm closer to the top of that range than the middle. Is there flexibility to revisit the base or equity grant?"
SCRIPT 6 OF 12
When the recruiter says "this is our best offer"
When to use it: The recruiter pushes back, claiming the offer is final.
Why it works: This is almost never true on the first push. Recruiters say it because it works on candidates who fold. The script acknowledges the pushback without conceding — and gives them an out (a different lever) so they can save face going back to the comp committee.
THE SCRIPT
"I hear you, and I really appreciate you advocating for me. I understand base may be at the top of the band for this level. If base is locked, would there be any flexibility on the equity grant or sign-on instead? Even moving one of those would make a meaningful difference for me."
SCRIPT 7 OF 12
Handling an exploding offer / hard deadline
When to use it: The recruiter gives you 24-72 hours to decide.
Why it works: Exploding offers are a pressure tactic. Most "hard" deadlines are soft — companies that invested in interviewing you for weeks will not throw that away over 3 extra days. The script asks for the extension as a favor, not a demand.
THE SCRIPT
"I understand you have a process and a timeline, and I want to respect that. I'm in the final stage of one other process that wraps up [date]. I want to give you a clear yes — not a maybe — and to do that I need until [date] to have full information. Is there any way you can extend the window? I'm fully committed to a decision by then."
SCRIPT 8 OF 12
"I think I should be leveled higher"
When to use it: The offer comes in at a level lower than you expected.
Why it works: Level changes are easier *before* the offer is finalized than after. Your negotiation ceiling is defined by your level — so this is often the most important script in the whole process. Be specific with evidence; vague level appeals fail.
THE SCRIPT
"Before we discuss the comp itself, I want to ask about the level. Looking at the scope you've described — [specific responsibilities, team size, technical scope] — and comparing to peers at the next level, this feels closer to a [next-level title] role to me. Specifically: [evidence point 1], [evidence point 2]. Is there a path to discussing a leveling adjustment with the hiring committee?"
SCRIPT 9 OF 12
When only sign-on is moveable
When to use it: The recruiter confirms base and equity are at the ceiling.
Why it works: Sign-on bonuses often live in a separate budget than base/equity, so they move when nothing else can. They are also the easiest lever for the comp committee to approve.
THE SCRIPT
"That makes sense — I appreciate you being straight with me. If base and equity are at the top, I'd like to revisit the sign-on. Moving to my new role means walking away from [unvested RSUs / bonus / Year-2 vest] that I'd otherwise collect. A sign-on of $[X] would bridge that gap and let me sign by [date]."
SCRIPT 10 OF 12
The final close
When to use it: You and the recruiter have landed on numbers you can sign.
Why it works: A clean close protects the relationship and ensures everything you negotiated is in writing. Never accept verbally — get it on the offer letter first.
THE SCRIPT
"This works for me. Thank you for going back to the committee — I really appreciate the effort. Could you send over the updated offer letter reflecting [base $X / equity $Y / sign-on $Z]? Once I have that, I'll sign and send it back the same day. Really looking forward to joining the team."
SCRIPT 11 OF 12
Walking away politely
When to use it: The final offer is still below your floor.
Why it works: Even when you decline, leave the door open — recruiters move companies, and today's "no" often becomes next year's outreach with a much better offer. Be warm, be specific, never burn the bridge.
THE SCRIPT
"I want to thank you genuinely for the time you and the team invested in this process. After a lot of thought, I'm going to pass on this opportunity. The decision came down to [comp / timing / role fit] — it wasn't about the team. I have a lot of respect for the work you all are doing, and I'd love to stay in touch. If anything opens up down the road, please keep me in mind."
SCRIPT 12 OF 12
After signing: the 'thank you' that protects future raises
When to use it: You've signed and want to lock in goodwill.
Why it works: How you close the negotiation affects how the recruiter and hiring manager talk about you in your first comp cycle. A specific, warm thank-you is a cheap insurance policy.
THE SCRIPT
"Just wanted to send a quick note — thank you again for working with me on this. I know negotiation can be the hardest part of the process for everyone, and I really appreciated how straightforward and respectful you were throughout. Excited to get started on [date]."
Frequently asked questions
Do these salary negotiation scripts work outside of FAANG?
Yes. The structure (anchor → reason → ask → close) works at any company. The leverage points differ — startups usually have more equity flexibility, public mid-caps have more base flexibility, FAANG has more sign-on flexibility — but the scripts adapt cleanly.
Can I just copy-paste these scripts?
Yes, with one change: replace the bracketed placeholders with your specific numbers, dates, and reasons. Recruiters can tell when a script feels canned — the specificity is what makes it land.
What if the recruiter has already heard these scripts?
Many have. That doesn't make them less effective. Recruiters don't object to negotiation tactics — they object to candidates who can't articulate why they deserve more. The scripts give you that articulation.
How many of these scripts should I actually use?
Most negotiations involve 3–5: the time-buying response, the written counter, one or two pushback responses, and the final close. The others (exploding offer, level appeal, walking away) are situational.
Want the full negotiation playbook?
These 12 scripts are a starting point. SalaryScript Pro is 125 pages of FAANG-tested scripts, counter-moves, and case studies — used by 1,200+ tech professionals to add $30K–$300K to their offers.
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