Salary Negotiation Email Templates: Examples That Get You More Pay
By
Liz Fujiwara
•
Jan 15, 2026
Top AI, ML, infra, and LLM talent is in high demand, yet many candidates accept initial offers without negotiating, leaving significant money on the table. Surveys show 84 percent of employers expect negotiation, but only 37 percent of candidates actually do.
Email is often ideal for negotiation because it allows research, reduces stress, and creates a written record. Modern AI platforms like Fonzi provide transparent salary data and fairness tools, letting candidates negotiate with real information. By the end of this article, you will have ready-to-use negotiation email templates, a clear offer-to-signing process, and insight into how Fonzi helps AI and ML professionals negotiate from strength.
Key Takeaways
Email is the best tool for salary negotiation because it allows time to research, craft a compelling case, and avoid on-the-spot pressure while documenting agreements on equity, signing bonuses, and remote-work policies.
This article provides copy-and-paste salary negotiation email templates specifically for AI and ML roles, such as Senior LLM Engineer in San Francisco in 2026, and shows how Fonzi helps candidates get calibrated offers using real market data.
Responsible AI use in hiring, like Fonzi’s platform, reduces bias and noise, and having multiple active offers through tools like Match Day gives candidates maximum leverage when negotiating.
How AI Is Changing Hiring
Between 2023 and 2026, companies increasingly used AI tools to screen resumes, rank candidates, and predict salary bands. If you’ve applied to roles at large tech companies recently, your application almost certainly passed through multiple algorithmic filters before a human ever saw it.
Common AI-powered hiring practices include resume parsers that extract keywords and match them to job descriptions, automated coding challenge scoring systems, and fit scores that attempt to predict culture alignment. FAANG-like firms and well-funded startups use these tools to manage the volume of applicants, especially for competitive AI roles.
The risks for candidates are real. Algorithmic bias can disadvantage people whose backgrounds don’t match historical hiring patterns, opaque scoring systems leave you unsure what’s being evaluated, and black-box salary bands mean you often have no idea what is negotiable.
Fonzi takes a different approach. The platform uses AI for matching and role calibration, tagging skills like distributed training, RLHF, vector search, or GPU infrastructure, while humans remain in charge of all final decisions. There is no demographic or school-based scoring. The AI surfaces relevant opportunities, and people decide who gets hired and at what salary.
Understanding how AI sees your profile can help your negotiation. If your GitHub activity shows significant LLM contributions, you have publications cited in top venues, or you’ve competed on Kaggle, these are signals AI systems recognize. Reference these strengths clearly in your negotiation emails to justify your desired salary range.
Even in AI-driven hiring pipelines, salary negotiation remains a human conversation. Email gives you more control over your script and confidence from careful consideration before sending.
How Fonzi Helps AI Engineers Negotiate from Strength
Fonzi launched as a curated talent marketplace built specifically for AI engineers, ML researchers, infra engineers, and LLM specialists. Unlike traditional job boards where you apply to hundreds of companies and hope for responses, Fonzi flips the model: companies apply to you.
When a company expresses interest in your profile, you’ll see something like $220K–$320K total compensation alongside the role description. This prevents wasting weeks interviewing only to discover the offer is far below expectations.
The platform uses AI responsibly for matching. It evaluates skills such as distributed training, RLHF implementations, vector search architectures, or GPU infrastructure optimization without factoring in demographics, school names, or other traditional bias sources. Matching focuses on what you can do, not where you came from.
Fonzi introduces calibrated offers, using market data from recent hires across company stages to nudge employers toward realistic ranges. Companies that consistently lowball candidates get flagged. By the time you receive a written offer from a Fonzi company, both sides already share expectations about the salary package, making negotiation about fine-tuning rather than starting from scratch.
Fonzi’s candidate advisors can review draft negotiation emails and suggest counter numbers based on current market rates for your level and geography. This is like having a coach who has seen hundreds of recent offers in your exact niche.
Match Day: A High-Signal Way to Get Multiple Offers and Better Pay
Picture a Thursday in May 2026. You’ve completed your Fonzi profile with skills, preferred locations, salary expectations, and portfolio links, and been selected for Match Day. By 9 AM, invites from seven vetted companies land in your inbox simultaneously: a Series B AI infrastructure startup, a public company’s applied ML team, and a well-funded research lab. All are interested in talking to you this week.
Match Day works through a coordinated process. Candidates complete detailed profiles ahead of time. Fonzi’s AI and human team match them to companies based on role fit and mutual expectations. Invites arrive on the same day, and interview loops happen over a concentrated one- to two-week window. Timelines overlap by design.
The benefit for negotiation is enormous. When you have two or more solid offers, such as $240K total compensation from a Series B startup and $280K from a public company, you have real leverage. Your negotiation email can honestly reference competing offers without bluffing. Hiring managers know other companies are moving fast, which motivates them to respond quickly and often improve their proposed salary.
Match Day also eliminates the ghosting problem that undermines many negotiations. Deadlines are clear, companies commit to fast decisions, and you’re not left wondering for weeks whether they are still considering your salary request or have moved on.
Core Principles of Negotiating Salary via Email
Whether you’re negotiating a new job offer, asking for an internal raise, or adjusting terms for a remote role, certain principles apply across all scenarios. Master these before you send any negotiation email.
Be specific. Your email must state a concrete target. Instead of asking for a higher salary or better compensation, write $260K base, $50K sign-on bonus, or 0.3% equity. Vague requests get vague responses or none at all.
Prepare with data. Before drafting anything, gather market research from Levels.fyi, Fonzi benchmarks, and recent peer offers in similar AI roles and locations. A Senior Research Engineer in London commands different compensation than the same role in Austin. Know the market average for your position title and geography.
Time it right. Only negotiate after a written offer or detailed verbal terms are on the table. If you’re pressured to respond immediately, ask for 24 to 48 hours. Say something like “I’d like to discuss the offer in more detail. Do you mind if I take a couple of days to consider and respond by email?” This buys you time to research and draft properly.
Maintain the right tone. Your email should read as collaborative problem-solving, not adversarial. Express gratitude, restate that you’re genuinely excited about the role, and frame your ask as finding a mutually beneficial agreement. No ultimatums.
Include a clear next step. Every template should end with an invitation to continue the conversation. For example, “Happy to discuss on a quick call this week if that’s helpful” or “I look forward to speaking with you soon about how we can make this work.”
Step-by-Step Process: From Offer to Final Salary Agreement
The salary negotiation process follows a predictable arc. Understanding each stage helps you know which email template to use and when.
Stage | What You Do | Typical Timeline | Email Template to Use |
Receive Offer | Review written terms for base salary, bonus, equity, benefits | Day 0 | N/A |
Research & Reflect | Compare to market data, assess your priorities, decide on target | Days 1-2 | Buy-time email if needed |
Draft Counter | Send negotiation email with specific ask and justification | Day 2-3 | Template 1, 2, or 3 below |
Handle Response | Respond to revised offer or pushback; iterate if needed | Days 4-7 | Adjust based on their reply |
Finalize Package | Agree on full compensation package including additional benefits | Days 5-10 | Confirmation email |
Confirm in Writing | Get everything documented before signing | Day 7-14 | Summary confirmation |
For example, imagine receiving a $210K base plus 0.1% equity offer from a Series A AI infra startup in January 2026. On Day 1, you research comparable positions and find the market range is $230K-$270K for your skill set. On Day 2, you send Template 1 (countering a new job offer) asking for a $240K base. By Day 5, they come back at $228K with an additional $15K signing bonus. You reply confirming acceptance.
Always keep negotiation outcomes documented in email, even if you discuss details over the phone. Send a brief follow-up such as “Just to confirm our call, we agreed on $228K base, $15K sign-on bonus, and 0.12% equity. Looking forward to starting on [date].”
Researching Your Market Value as an AI / ML Professional
AI roles vary widely in compensation. A machine learning engineer at a small consultancy might earn $160K total compensation, while a senior research scientist at a top lab can command $600K or more. Generic “software engineer salary” data is almost useless for your negotiation.
Slice the data by title, location, company stage, and work arrangement. Convert total compensation into a single number including base, expected bonus, and estimated equity value. For example, a 0.1% stake at a Series A startup valued at $50M is roughly $50K if the company succeeds.
Example: An LLM specialist in Berlin receives three offers. Company A offers €140K base, €20K bonus, and 0.15% equity at a Series B startup. Company B offers €175K base with no equity at a public company. Company C offers €155K base, €25K bonus, and 0.08% equity at a later-stage startup. Calculating total compensation shows Company A (highest equity upside) and Company B (highest guaranteed cash) set a realistic salary range of €175K-€200K.
In your negotiation email, reference one or two specific data points. For example, “Based on market data from levels.fyi and recent offers in similar roles, the average salary for Senior ML Engineers in [location] is $X-$Y” is more persuasive than vague statements.
Salary Negotiation Email Templates for Common Scenarios
Keep your emails concise, aiming for under 250 words with short paragraphs. Hiring managers often forward your request to compensation committees and finance teams, so make it easy for them to quote your key points.
All templates assume professional US/UK-style email etiquette with neutral greetings and closings. Adjust formality based on your relationship with the recruiter or hiring manager.
At least one template is explicitly tailored to AI/ML roles, referencing model performance, infrastructure scale, or research impact as justification for your requested salary.
Template 1: Countering a New Job Offer via Email
Use this template after receiving a written offer for a new AI or ML role that falls below your researched market range. This is your negotiation email template for the most common scenario.
Structure: Opening thanks and enthusiasm → Brief value recap → Clear counter number → Invitation to discuss
Subject: [Job Title] Offer – Compensation Discussion
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
Thank you for the offer to join [Company Name] as a [Job Title]. I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to work on [specific project, product, or mission] with your team.
After reviewing current market data, I’d like to discuss the base salary. Based on recent offers for comparable positions on levels.fyi and conversations with peers in similar roles, the average salary range for [Job Title] in [Location] is [$X] to [$Y].
Given my experience [brief 1-2 sentence value statement e.g., “optimizing LLM inference pipelines that reduced latency by 40%” or “leading distributed training infrastructure serving 1M+ daily predictions”], I was hoping we could agree on a base salary closer to [$Target Amount].
I’m confident we can find a mutually beneficial agreement. If this adjusted range works for you, I’m ready to move forward quickly. Happy to jump on a call this week if helpful.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Example specifics: Countering a $210K base offer for a Senior ML Engineer role at a Seattle startup to $235K, citing levels.fyi data showing the market range at $225K-$260K.
Template 2: Negotiating Salary When You Have Another Offer
Use this template when you prefer Company A but hold a stronger offer from Company B. This gives you real leverage without burning bridges.
Subject: [Job Title] Offer – Following Up on Compensation
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
Thank you again for extending the offer to join [Company Name] as a [Job Title]. I’ve spent the past few days reflecting on the opportunity, and I remain very excited about [specific aspects, such as the team’s focus on multi-modal models or the scale of your GPU infrastructure].
I want to be transparent: I’ve received another job offer with a total compensation package of approximately [$Competing Amount]. While [Company Name] remains my first choice given [reason, such as mission alignment, technical challenges, or team], the gap in compensation is significant enough that I wanted to discuss it with you.
Would you be able to revisit the salary offer? I’d be comfortable with a base salary in the range of [$Lower Target] to [$Upper Target], which would help close the gap. I’m also open to discussing other components like equity, sign-on bonus, or additional benefits if base salary flexibility is limited.
I do need to respond to the other offer by [Date], but I’m hopeful we can find a path forward. Please let me know if you would like to discuss further. I’m happy to talk through options.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Key notes: Mention the competing offer at a high level without sharing the company name. Express genuine preference for this role. Propose a desired salary range rather than a single number to show flexibility. Include a soft deadline to create urgency.
Template 3: Emailing to Negotiate Salary and Equity Together
Many AI startups and research labs structure compensation heavily around equity. This negotiation email template addresses the full compensation package, including base, bonus, equity, and sometimes research budget or computer access.
Subject: [Job Title] Offer – Thoughts on Compensation Structure
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
Thank you for the offer to join [Company Name] as a [Job Title]. I’m excited about the role and the chance to contribute to [specific technical area].
I’ve been thinking about the compensation structure and wanted to share a few options that might work for both of us. I understand there are different ways to balance base salary and equity, so I wanted to propose a couple of scenarios:
Option A (Higher Base): Base salary of [$X], bonus target of [$Y], and [Z]% equity Option B (Higher Equity): Base salary of [$A], bonus target of [$B], and [C]% equity
For context on my equity thinking: at your current valuation, [C]% would be worth approximately [$Estimate], though I understand the inherent risk and uncertainty in early-stage equity.
Given my expected impact, [1-2 sentences on your planned contributions, e.g., “owning the RLHF pipeline and reducing training costs by 30%” or “leading the inference optimization work that directly affects product latency”], I believe either structure would be a fair reflection of my market value.
I’d love to hear which approach best fits [Company Name]’s compensation philosophy. Happy to discuss further.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Key notes: Presenting options shows flexibility and makes it easier for the company to say yes to something. Always estimate equity value at current valuation, not future hype. Reference your expected impact to justify the ask.
Template 4: Negotiating Salary for Remote or Hybrid AI Roles
Location-based pay adjustments are common in 2026. If you’re offered a lower salary due to a “Tier 2” or “Tier 3” location band, this template helps you push back professionally.
Subject: [Job Title] Offer – Remote Compensation Discussion
Hi [Hiring Manager Name],
Thank you for the offer to join [Company Name] as a [Job Title]. I’m excited about the flexibility of the remote arrangement and the work your team is doing on [project/product].
I wanted to discuss the base salary. I understand the offer of [$Current Offer] reflects the compensation band for my location. However, based on market research for remote ML roles and my current position’s compensation, this represents a meaningful adjustment from my expectations.
Specifically, I was hoping to find a salary closer to [$Target Amount], which would align more closely with the [Tier 1 location] band. My rationale is that while cost of living varies by location, the impact I’ll deliver, [brief value statement, e.g., “architecting your vector search infrastructure to handle 10x query volume”], is the same regardless of where I’m based.
If adjusting the base isn’t possible, I’d be open to discussing other ways to bridge the gap, perhaps a sign-on bonus, accelerated performance review cadence, or additional equity. I’m committed to making this work and joining the team for the long term.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Key notes: Acknowledge the location band without attacking the policy. Frame your request around impact, not entitlement. Offer alternatives like a signing bonus or future raises if base is inflexible.
Template 5: Asking for a Raise or Promotion as an Internal AI Engineer
This template suits internal ML or infrastructure engineers requesting a salary increase after 12-18 months of impact, or advocating for promotion to Senior or Staff level.
Subject: Discussion – Compensation and Career Growth
Hi [Manager Name],
I wanted to schedule some time to discuss my compensation and career trajectory. Over the past [time period], I’ve taken on increased responsibilities and delivered measurable impact:
[Achievement 1 with metric, e.g., “Reduced model training costs by 35% through infrastructure optimization”]
[Achievement 2 with metric, e.g., “Led deployment of production LLM serving 2M+ daily requests”]
[Achievement 3 with metric, e.g., “Mentored two junior engineers now operating independently”]
[Achievement 4 with metric, e.g., “Published internal research that influenced product roadmap”]
Based on our internal salary bands for [target level] and external benchmarks from levels.fyi, the average salary for someone with my experience and responsibilities is [$Target Range]. My current salary of [$Current Salary] falls meaningfully below this range.
I’m requesting a salary adjustment to [$Target Amount] to better reflect my contributions and market rate. I understand budget cycles and organizational constraints and I’m happy to discuss timing and the path forward.
Could we find 30 minutes this week or next to talk through this? I appreciate your support throughout my career journey here.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Key notes: Lead with specific accomplishments and metrics, not tenure or loyalty. Reference both internal bands and external data. Acknowledge constraints and ask for a meeting rather than demanding immediate approval.
Template 6: Following Up When Your Negotiation Email Gets No Response
Sometimes hiring managers get busy, need internal approvals, or simply miss your email. A polite follow-up 3-5 business days later is professional and expected.
Subject: Following Up – [Job Title] Compensation Discussion
Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on my previous email regarding compensation for the [Job Title] role. I know these conversations often require coordination on your side, so I appreciate your patience.
I remain genuinely excited about joining [Company Name] and contributing to [specific work]. If there’s any additional information I can provide to help move things forward, please let me know.
For transparency, I do have [other timeline consideration, e.g., “another offer with a response deadline of [Date]”]. This is not intended to pressure. [Company Name] remains my first choice.
Happy to discuss by email or jump on a brief call; whatever works best for you.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Key notes: Keep it under 150 words. Restate enthusiasm. Acknowledge their internal process. Mention any relevant deadlines factually, not threateningly. Offer multiple response options.
Writing a Professional Salary Negotiation Email: Style and Tone
Even strong content can fall flat if your tone feels aggressive, vague, or overly casual. For high-comp AI roles, professionalism matters; your email may be forwarded to executives, comp committees, and finance teams.
Use a clear subject line. Something like “Offer for Senior ML Engineer – Compensation Discussion” ensures your message gets found and forwarded easily. Avoid vague subjects like “Quick question” or “Following up.”
Open with a neutral greeting. “Hi [Name],” works in almost all professional contexts. Skip overly formal (“Dear Sir/Madam”) or overly casual (“Hey!”) openings.
Structure with single-focus paragraphs. One paragraph for thanks. One for your value statement. One for your specific ask. One for next steps. This makes your email scannable.
Avoid undermining language. Phrases like “Sorry for asking” or “I hope this isn’t too much” signal insecurity. Instead, use confident but collaborative language: “I’d like to explore,” “I was hoping we could consider,” or “I wonder if we could close the gap.”
Here’s a before-and-after example:
Weak: “I know this might be a lot to ask, but I was kind of hoping maybe we could talk about the salary? I really need more money for personal reasons.”
Strong: “Based on my experience leading RLHF implementations and current market data for Senior ML Engineers, I was hoping we could discuss a base salary closer to $245K.”
Your email should be easy for a hiring manager to quote to a comp committee, objective, data-backed, and free of emotional or personal finance details. They need clear points to advocate for you internally, so give them exactly that.
Using AI Tools (Including Fonzi) to Draft and Refine Your Emails
There’s a certain irony in using AI to help negotiate an AI job, but it works. AI tools can help you structure your thinking, find the right phrasing, and catch issues before you hit send.
Candidates often use general-purpose LLMs to turn bullet points into draft emails. Start with your key talking points, achievements, target number, and data sources, and let the model generate a first draft. Then edit heavily for accuracy, personal voice, and specific details. Never send an unedited AI draft.
Fonzi’s platform and candidate advisors offer something more targeted: example phrasing calibrated to your specific role, suggested counter numbers based on fresh offer data in your niche, and sanity checks on whether your ask is reasonable for your level and geography.
A few cautions: avoid pasting confidential internal salary bands or competing offer letters into third-party AI tools. Redact sensitive details or abstract them, for example, “a Series B startup offered approximately $280K total comp” rather than exact numbers and company names.
Before sending any critical negotiation email, run a tone check with a human you trust, such as a mentor, former colleague, or friend in a similar role. AI can help with structure and phrasing, but humans catch subtleties that matter.
Responsible AI in Hiring: How Fonzi Protects Candidate Experience
Many candidates in 2026 have legitimate concerns about AI in hiring: auto-rejections from keyword filters, biased screening that disadvantages non-traditional backgrounds, and ghosting after interviews. Fonzi explicitly designs against these problems.
Fonzi’s matching models are trained on skills, experience, and role outcomes—not demographics, school names, or photos. This eliminates traditional bias sources that have plagued resume screening for decades. The focus stays on what you can do.
Candidates on Fonzi always see where they stand in the process. Whether you’re “matched,” “interviewing,” or at “offer stage,” you know your status. This transparency reduces the uncertainty that can harm negotiation leverage; you’re not guessing whether they’re still interested or have moved on.
Companies on Fonzi commit to clear timelines and feedback standards. You won’t be punished for asking questions or negotiating via email. The platform’s structure creates accountability for employer behavior.
AI on Fonzi is designed to create more human time, not replace humans. Recruiters and hiring managers spend less time sifting through hundreds of resumes and more time having real conversations with qualified candidates. The result: faster processes, better matches, and clearer paths to a fair salary package.
Preparing for Interviews So Your Negotiation Email Lands
The strength of your negotiation email depends on the narrative you build during interviews. By the time you’re discussing compensation, the hiring manager should already believe you’re worth the investment.
Collect concrete proof points before your interviews begin: GitHub repos showing relevant skills, arXiv papers with citations, benchmark competition results, infrastructure performance charts, and customer or business impact stories. These become the evidence you reference in your negotiation email.
Speak in business-aware terms even when discussing deeply technical work. Instead of just saying “I improved model accuracy by 2%,” connect it to downstream impact:
“That 2% accuracy improvement in our recommendation model drove a 15% increase in conversion rate and approximately $3M in incremental annual revenue.”
Fonzi companies often share detailed role expectations upfront, the problems they’re solving, the technical challenges, and the team context. Mirror that language in both your interviews and later negotiation emails. If they emphasized reducing inference latency, make sure your negotiation email mentions your experience doing exactly that.
Take notes after each interview round, especially when the team mentions pain points, urgent projects, or areas where they’re struggling. Reference these in your negotiation email as areas where you’ll add immediate value. It shows you’ve listened and makes your salary request feel like an investment, not a cost.
Conclusion
Email is a powerful way for AI and ML specialists to negotiate salary. It gives you time to research your market value, control how you present your case, and document every agreement. With solid data and a clear story of impact, email negotiation can turn a good offer into a great one.
Don’t accept the first offer right away. Even strong offers often have room to move, and small increases compound over time. A modest bump at signing can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars across raises, bonuses, and equity.
Fonzi supports negotiation at every stage with transparent salary ranges, calibrated offers based on real market data, Match Day events that create leverage, and advisor feedback on negotiation emails. Create a free Fonzi profile, join the next Match Day, and use these templates to negotiate your next AI role with confidence.
