AI prompts for salary negotiation help US employees and candidates walk into offer, review, and promotion conversations with the exact words already drafted. Every template below is written for the real US comp landscape: base + bonus + equity refresh, Levels.fyi and Glassdoor data as leverage, and the mid-cycle raise that most managers can approve without going to committee. You paste in the role, level, location, and market data, and the AI returns a specific ask you can send today.
The templates assume US employment context: at-will employment in 49 states plus DC, PTO measured in days rather than weeks, health coverage via employer or COBRA post-separation, and RSUs vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff at most large tech and finance employers. State laws matter — pay transparency rules in CA, CO, NY, and WA require salary ranges on job posts, and asking about salary history is banned in 20+ states. The prompts include the right script for each situation.
This content is educational only and is not legal, tax, or HR advice. Employment law varies by state, and severance, non-compete, and equity acceleration terms in an offer or termination package should be reviewed by an employment attorney in your state before you sign. Use AI to draft; use a licensed lawyer or a certified financial planner for the final review on anything over one paycheck of value.
AI prompts for salary negotiation help US employees and candidates walk into offer, review, and promotion conversations with the exact words already drafted. Every template below is written for the real US comp landscape: base + bonus + equity refresh, Levels.fyi and Glassdoor data as leverage, and the mid-cycle raise that most managers can approve without going to committee. You paste in the role, level, location, and market data, and the AI returns a specific ask you can send today.
The templates assume US employment context: at-will employment in 49 states plus DC, PTO measured in days rather than weeks, health coverage via employer or COBRA post-separation, and RSUs vesting over 4 years with a 1-year cliff at most large tech and finance employers. State laws matter — pay transparency rules in CA, CO, NY, and WA require salary ranges on job posts, and asking about salary history is banned in 20+ states. The prompts include the right script for each situation.
This content is educational only and is not legal, tax, or HR advice. Employment law varies by state, and severance, non-compete, and equity acceleration terms in an offer or termination package should be reviewed by an employment attorney in your state before you sign. Use AI to draft; use a licensed lawyer or a certified financial planner for the final review on anything over one paycheck of value.
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Act as a US comp negotiation coach. Draft a written counter-offer email for a [role] at level [level] from a [seed/Series B/public] company in [city]. Current offer is $[base] base + $[bonus%] target bonus + $[equity] over 4 years. Market P75 per Levels.fyi is $[amount]. Ask for base increase to $[target], a $[sign-on] signing bonus, and a 12-month equity refresh review. Keep the tone warm and specific.
Act as a US benefits negotiation writer. Draft the follow-up email after base has been agreed at $[base] for a [role] at [company], negotiating the non-cash levers: [X] additional PTO days above the standard [Y], a fully remote or hybrid schedule of [days] in-office, a $[amount] signing bonus paid at 30 days, and an equity refresh committed for the 12-month mark. Frame each ask as a small alignment, not a demand.
Act as a US performance-review coach. Write a written raise request memo for my annual review as a [role] on the [team] team. Include 4 specific wins from the last 12 months tied to team metrics: [win 1], [win 2], [win 3], [win 4]. Cite Levels.fyi P75 of $[amount] for the level. Ask for a base increase from $[current] to $[target] effective on the review date, one page maximum.
Act as a US promotion negotiation coach. Draft the promotion case document I'll send my manager for a move from [current level] to [next level] as a [role]. Include the scope difference between the two levels, 5 concrete examples of me operating at the higher level in the last 6 months, market P50 comp at the next level of $[amount], and a proposed effective date of [date].
Act as a US comp research assistant. Build me a market-rate research brief for a [role] at level [level] in [city] with [X] years of experience. Pull P25 / P50 / P75 anchors from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and Payscale, break out base vs. total comp, note the top 3 companies at each percentile, and flag any 2024–2025 comp trends I should reference in my ask.
Act as a US comp negotiation writer. Draft a competing-offer disclosure email to my current manager. I have an external offer from [company] at $[amount] total comp, up from my current $[amount]. I would prefer to stay if the company can meet or beat market. Keep the tone appreciative, name a specific counter-offer number, and set a decision deadline of [date].
Act as a US recruiting communications writer. Draft a polite decline email for a $[amount] offer from [company] for a [role]. Thank the recruiter and hiring manager by name, name one specific thing about the company or interview process I appreciated, decline without listing every competing offer, and explicitly leave the door open for future roles or referrals.
Act as a US HR communications writer. Draft an offer acceptance email for a $[amount] base + $[bonus%] + $[equity] offer at [company] as a [role]. Confirm the start date of [date], accept contingent on standard background check and reference verification, request the offer letter and equity grant paperwork in writing, and confirm the reporting manager's name.
Act as a US freelance business coach. Write a rate-increase email to an existing US client I've served for [X] months at $[current rate]/hour or $[amount]/month retainer. Reference 3 specific outcomes I've delivered, cite that rates are increasing effective [date] to $[new rate], grandfather the current rate for 60 days, and reaffirm commitment to the account.
Act as a US retention-negotiation coach. Draft the script for the conversation I need to have with my manager after I disclose a competing offer from [company] at $[amount]. Include an opening that reaffirms commitment to the current team, a clear ask (match or come within 90% of the external), 2 non-cash levers I'd accept in lieu (accelerated promotion, project ownership), and a decision timeline.
Act as a US employment-law-aware negotiation writer. Draft a polite deflection script for when a recruiter asks about my prior salary in a state where it is illegal to ask (CA, NY, CO, WA, or similar). Do not disclose the number. Redirect to expected range for the role of $[low]–$[high] based on market data, keep the tone warm, and pivot to the value I'll deliver.
Act as a US new-hire success coach. Draft a 90-day check-in ask to my manager after starting at [company] as a [role] on [start date]. Request a structured 30 minutes to align on my top 3 goals for months 4–6, discuss the trajectory toward the next comp review, and confirm the criteria for a 6-month review adjustment if applicable.
Act as a US severance negotiation writer. Draft a written counter to a layoff severance offer of [weeks] weeks of base pay for a [role] with [years] years of tenure. Ask for [X] weeks per year of service (industry standard for the level), COBRA subsidy for [months] months, accelerated vesting of RSUs vesting within [X] months, and a mutual non-disparagement clause. Note that I'll have the release reviewed by an employment attorney before signing.
Act as a US career growth coach. Draft the script for a promotion-timeline conversation with my manager as a [role]. Ask what specific evidence would be needed for a promotion to [next level] in the next [X] months, name 3 stretch projects I could own to build that evidence, and request a written development plan we agree on in the next 2 weeks.
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| Model | Best for | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (GPT-4o / GPT-5) | Everyday drafting and summaries | |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Long documents and policy | |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | Grounded in Google workspace | |
| Copilot (M365) | Office 365 integration | |
| Perplexity | Answers with citations |
Ratings reflect suitability for this category. Free tiers available on all listed models. Last tested May 2026 by PromptSpace editors.
A 10–20% counter on base plus a request for a signing bonus and equity refresh is standard in US tech, especially at Series B and above. On below-market initial offers, 20–30% counters are common and rarely blow up the deal. Always anchor to a specific Levels.fyi or Glassdoor number, not a vibe.
It can be — some companies match, others start planning your replacement. Only disclose if you would genuinely leave for the external offer, and be prepared for either outcome. Never fabricate a competing offer; managers check, and it destroys trust permanently.
No. Posted ranges in CA, CO, NY, WA, and elsewhere are wide by design. Employers still make individual offers inside those ranges, and the top and bottom of a range can differ by 30–50%. Negotiation is where you land in the range.
Industry norm is 1–2 weeks of base per year of service, plus 2–6 months of COBRA subsidy, accelerated vesting of RSUs vesting within a short window, and a mutual non-disparagement clause. Always have the release reviewed by an employment attorney before signing.
Yes. Additional PTO days, remote flexibility, signing bonus, professional development budget, equity refresh timing, and start date are all negotiable when base is fixed. Ask for two levers, not five, and frame each as a small alignment rather than a demand.
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Gather three inputs before opening a prompt: (1) the exact role, level, and location, (2) your current comp broken down as base + bonus + equity + benefits, and (3) two or three market comparables from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Payscale, or a recruiter. Paste those into the prompt so the AI has real numbers instead of guesses. 'I earn $145,000 base as an SDE II in Seattle, market P75 is $172,000' produces a stronger counter than 'I want more money.'
Then pick the single conversation you're preparing for — initial offer counter, review-cycle raise ask, promotion, or retention. Do not blend them. The email or script the AI returns should be one page or less, name a specific number (not a range), and end with a clear next step. Read it out loud before sending; anything that feels stiff in your mouth will feel stiff in the meeting.
A well-crafted counter is not adversarial — it names a specific market anchor, restates enthusiasm, and asks for one primary lever (usually base) plus one secondary lever (sign-on, equity refresh, or start-date PTO). The counter-offer prompt below produces exactly that shape. In US tech and finance, a 10–20% counter on base is standard and rarely blows up a deal that was going to close.
If the recruiter says 'this is our best offer,' resist the urge to accept immediately. Ask for 24–48 hours in writing, use the market-rate-research prompt to double-check, and consider negotiating benefits (signing bonus, additional PTO days, remote flexibility, equity refresh at 12 months) even if base is truly locked. Rarely is every lever fixed.
The performance-review raise ask lands best when it references 3–5 specific wins from the last 12 months tied to team or company metrics, not effort. 'Shipped [X], drove [metric] +12%' beats 'worked really hard on [X].' The raise-ask prompt below builds that story in the STAR-adjacent 'situation, result, market comparable, ask' order that senior managers can approve without a promotion cycle.
For promotions, the case is different — you need market data for the next level and evidence that you already operate at that level. For competing offers, the disclosure is delicate: a competing-offer email that reads as ultimatum backfires; one that frames the choice as 'I'd love to stay if you can meet the market' usually earns a counter. The templates below give you both scripts.
In California, New York, Colorado, Washington, and 15+ other jurisdictions, employers cannot legally ask about salary history. If asked, the salary-history-deflection prompt gives you a courteous script that redirects to expected range without volunteering a number. Providing an old low number in a legal-ban state is one of the most common self-inflicted wounds in salary negotiation.
Severance is where most US employees leave the most money on the table. Standard severance for professional roles is 1–2 weeks of base per year of service, plus COBRA subsidy for 2–6 months and accelerated vesting on any equity within a defined window. The layoff severance prompt below drafts the counter — always send in writing, always ask for the release agreement to be reviewed by an employment attorney before you sign.
A 10–20% counter on base plus a request for a signing bonus and equity refresh is standard in US tech, especially at Series B and above. On below-market initial offers, 20–30% counters are common and rarely blow up the deal. Always anchor to a specific Levels.fyi or Glassdoor number, not a vibe.
It can be — some companies match, others start planning your replacement. Only disclose if you would genuinely leave for the external offer, and be prepared for either outcome. Never fabricate a competing offer; managers check, and it destroys trust permanently.
No. Posted ranges in CA, CO, NY, WA, and elsewhere are wide by design. Employers still make individual offers inside those ranges, and the top and bottom of a range can differ by 30–50%. Negotiation is where you land in the range.
Industry norm is 1–2 weeks of base per year of service, plus 2–6 months of COBRA subsidy, accelerated vesting of RSUs vesting within a short window, and a mutual non-disparagement clause. Always have the release reviewed by an employment attorney before signing.
Yes. Additional PTO days, remote flexibility, signing bonus, professional development budget, equity refresh timing, and start date are all negotiable when base is fixed. Ask for two levers, not five, and frame each as a small alignment rather than a demand.