Salary negotiation email for a remote job — geo-pay-proof
Short answer
Negotiate the role, not your address. The play: don't volunteer your location early, don't argue cost-of-living, and never accept the first remote offer without a counter. In one email, anchor on role-level market data (Levels.fyi, the published role band, industry reports) — never on "my city has a high cost of living." Then ask for a specific number inside the role's national or regional band.
You're here because
- Your offer feels low and you suspect they geo-located you
- You don't know the company's published pay bands
- You moved to a low-COL area and you're worried they'll cut you
- You're afraid asking will sound like "location envy"
- You want to stay remote but at the right number
The exact email to send
Hi [HIRING_MANAGER],
Thank you for the offer to join [COMPANY] as [ROLE], remotely. I'm excited about [SPECIFIC_PROJECT] and the team.
Before I respond, I wanted to revisit base compensation. Looking at Levels.fyi and [INDUSTRY_REPORT — e.g. Radford, Mercer, Causal Capital] for [ROLE] with my [X] years of experience in [CORE_SKILL], the national role band lands between $[LOW] and $[HIGH].
I'd like to discuss moving the base to $[TARGET]. I understand many remote teams use geo-adjusted bands; I'd love to know how [COMPANY] structures pay across locations and where this offer sits in your role band.
I'm flexible on structure — happy to discuss signing, equity, or other components if base is constrained.
Thanks,
[YOUR_NAME]
- Built for the moment a written offer or deadline lands — not casual browsing.
- Written for the 24–72 hour decision window.
- Designed for people who don't negotiate often.
- Real workplace register — not internet bravado.
What NOT to say
- "My cost of living is high" — not a business reason. Anchor on role, not zip code.
- "I just moved to [city]" — gives them a fresh anchor to lower the offer.
- "I'd take a pay cut to work remotely" — they will hold you to it.
- "What's your geo policy?" without then naming a number — you've lost initiative.
- Negotiating from a personal Zoom call. Always do it in writing.
An illustrative example
An engineer in a Tier-2 US city got a $145K remote offer. The role's national band on Levels was $155K–$185K. The engineer cited Levels + a recent Causal Capital report and asked to move to $162K. The company replied with $158K + $12K signing + accelerated 1-year equity cliff to 9 months. +$13K base / +$12K signing. Stayed remote in the T2 city.
Why this works
Most remote-pay decisions are made by a comp committee using national role bands. They lower for geo only when the candidate doesn't push back. Pushing back with role-level data — not personal context — moves you up the band.
What to do next
Send the email today. If they cite their geo policy, ask for the role's national midpoint. The Counter-Offer Kit includes a remote-pay variant with the exact follow-up wording for geo-adjusted bands.
Before you send — quick check
- Do you know your walk-away number?
- Do you have a Levels.fyi or market band to anchor to?
- Do you have a 3-business-day deadline written in?
If you answered "not sure" to any of these, the Counter-Offer Kit walks you through all three.
Related reads
FAQ
Should I tell them where I live before negotiating?
Only if they ask. Volunteering it early gives them a geo anchor. If they ask, answer factually but immediately re-anchor on the role's national band, not your zip code.
What if they say their bands are geo-adjusted?
Ask for two numbers: the role's national midpoint and your geo-adjusted midpoint. Then negotiate within the geo band — most companies have +/- 10% room inside it.
Is remote pay always lower?
No. Many companies (GitLab, Coinbase, GitHub historically) pay national bands. Always check the published policy before assuming you're in a discount band.