How to Negotiate a Job Offer (After the Counter Offer)
You got a job offer. You tried to negotiate. They came back with a counter. Now what?
Most candidates either accept the counter immediately (leaving money on the table) or push too hard (risking the offer). The right answer is almost always somewhere in between — and depends entirely on what the counter actually included.
Understand What a Counter Offer Really Is
A counter offer is your current employer’s response to your notice of resignation. It’s not a gift. It’s a business decision to retain you because replacing you is expensive and inconvenient.
This matters because it tells you something: they value you enough to pay more, but they didn’t value you enough to pay that much before you threatened to leave.
That’s the lens you should view the counter through.
Break the Counter Into Parts
When you receive a counter, separate what they’re offering:
- Salary increase — most tangible, easiest to evaluate
- Title change or promotion — harder to undo, meaningful signal
- Additional benefits (equity, bonus structure, PTO, remote work)
- Project or role changes — what work will you actually be doing?
- Retention bonuses — “stay bonus” with clawback clauses
Each piece can be negotiated separately. Don’t treat the counter as a single yes-or-no decision.
The Key Question: What’s in the New Offer vs. the Counter?
Before deciding anything, compare:
- The new company’s total package (role, growth, culture, stability)
- Your current employer’s counter in full
- What you actually wanted when you started job searching
Money isn’t everything. A 10% raise to stay in a role with no growth path may be worse than a lateral move into a higher-ceiling opportunity.
How to Respond to the Counter
You don’t have to decide on the spot. Say:
“Thank you for this — I appreciate the effort. I want to take a little time to review the full picture carefully. Can we reconnect on [date]?”
This is standard and professional. Anyone who pressures you to decide immediately is signaling that the pressure itself is part of the tactic.
When you do respond:
- Thank them for the counter
- Reference what specifically attracted you to the new opportunity
- Be honest if salary is a factor without being threatening
- Give them a chance to improve their offer before you decline
- Don’t string them along if you’ve already decided
If You Decide to Leave Anyway
How you decline a counter matters for your professional reputation:
- Be direct but gracious
- Don’t overshare why (especially if it’s about your manager)
- Leave the door open for the future
- Give your proper notice and complete your work
The Templates That Help
Job offer negotiation emails, counter-offer response templates, acceptance and decline letter templates — the Office Email Templates Bundle has everything you need to negotiate with confidence and leave professionally.