Career & jobs
The counter-offer is one email. This tells you whether your number is realistic and gives you the words.
Your ask
$108,000
Realism: reasonable — expect a meeting in the middle
Thank you for the offer — I want to work with this team. Based on what the role covers and what comparable roles pay, I was targeting $108,000. Your offer is at $95,000. If you can meet $108,000, I will sign today. If base is fixed, I am open to closing the $13,000 gap another way: a signing bonus, an extra week of leave, or a written six-month review with a defined increase.
Never counter with a range. If you say "somewhere between 100 and 110" you have already agreed to 100. Name one number, and make it the number you would sign for.
Anchor on the market rate for the role, not on your current salary. Your last employer's budget is not evidence of your value, and bringing it up invites a small percentage bump instead of a market-rate offer.
When base pay is genuinely capped, move the conversation to signing bonus, leave, title or a written review date. Those levers usually sit with a different budget and a different approver, which is exactly why they are easier to win.