Free • Both sides • Anchor-aware

Salary Negotiation Script Generator

Get a word-for-word negotiation script in seconds — whether you're a candidate countering an offer or a recruiter responding to one. Anchor-aware language, polite framing, and a clear next step.

1. Tell us about your situation

2. Your output

The single principle of salary negotiation

Both sides of a salary negotiation tend to assume the other side is adversarial. They almost never are. The candidate wants the role; the recruiter wants the candidate. Negotiation is the process of finding a number both sides can sign with full conviction. Anything else — aggressive anchors, walkouts, theatrical pauses — is theatre at best and damaging at worst.

Candidates: how to ask without burning the offer

Know your floor — and never share it. Decide privately the number below which you'd walk. Negotiate from your target, not your floor. The floor is for your decision, not the recruiter's.

Recruiters: how to respond to a counter without losing the candidate

Frequently asked questions

Should I always negotiate a salary offer?
If the offer is meaningfully below market or below your floor, yes. If the offer is at or above your target, the negotiation is optional — and many candidates do best with a sign-on or equity ask rather than a base ask. The worst outcome is silence: leaving money on the table because you assumed they wouldn't move.
Will negotiating make a company rescind an offer?
Almost never, for a respectful, well-anchored counter. Companies very rarely rescind over a negotiation; they sometimes do over how the negotiation was conducted. Being aggressive, ultimatum-driven, or evasive about your floor is what creates revocation risk.
How much above the offer should I anchor?
Typical productive range is 5–15% above the initial base. Anchors above 20% need a very strong justification (a competing offer, a clear market mismatch). Anchors below 5% rarely move the recruiter to engage seriously.
Should I tell the recruiter I have another offer?
Only if you genuinely do, and only if you'd actually take it. False competing offers are the most common — and the most damaging when discovered — bluff in negotiations. If you do have one, share the company and the headline package; refusing to name the company often signals a bluff.
Can I negotiate after I've signed?
Generally no — once accepted, the offer is closed for renegotiation until the next performance cycle. Negotiate before signing, with one clear ask. The exception: if material facts about the role change between offer and start (scope, manager, location), it's appropriate to revisit.
How do recruiters track and benchmark counter offers?
The best ATS platforms log every counter, accepted package, and final stage decline alongside the offer detail — so you can benchmark your offer-acceptance rate, where you lose candidates, and how often you under- or over-anchor. Treegarden's offer-management module includes this analytics out of the box. See Treegarden →