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You have the offer. You are interested. But the salary is not quite there. Start by understanding the package, then ask for a specific change you can explain.
This guide is for an offer you have not accepted. If you have already said yes, read your offer and acceptance messages. MOM explains that a contract can be written, verbal, expressed or implied; not signing alone does not settle whether you made an agreement. Still discussing pay before an offer? See answering salary expectations in an interview.
First, know what you are negotiating.
A monthly salary and a possible annual bonus are different things. Before you counter, separate the amount you can count on from the amount that depends on conditions.
Mei’s offer and every reply in this example are fictional. The figures teach the process; they are not salary benchmarks or a reported result.
Scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Item | Original offer | Still needed |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | S$4,000 each month | No clarification needed on amount |
| Fixed allowances | None stated | Confirm whether any apply; do not assume an amount |
| Bonus | Up to S$6,000 | Eligibility, calculation, discretion, payment date and new-joiner rules |
| Other terms | Role and start date stated | Check hours, location, leave, benefits, probation and notice |
| Reply deadline | 20 November 2026, 5pm Singapore time | Ask explicitly if more time is needed |
Hi Ms Tan, Thank you for the operations coordinator offer. Before I decide, could you confirm whether any fixed allowances apply and share the bonus eligibility, calculation and new-joiner rules in writing? I understand my reply is due on 20 November at 5pm Singapore time. If those details will not be ready by then, could we agree a new reply deadline? Thank you, Mei
Mei requests S$4,200 basic per month; the recurring gap is S$200 per month. Market evidence has not been established, there is no competing offer in this scenario, bonus eligibility is unknown and acceptance has not been given.
MOM lists basic salary, fixed allowances, bonuses and working arrangements separately in its key employment terms. Its bonus guidance also makes the contract important: a bonus is not compulsory unless specified in the employment contract or collective agreement.
Offer unclear? Start with this message.
Hi [name], Thank you for the offer. Before I respond, could you confirm the basic monthly salary, any fixed allowances, and whether the annual bonus is guaranteed or discretionary? Could you also confirm the reply deadline? Thank you, [your name]
Choose a number you can explain.
Decide what you want changed before writing the email. Is the issue basic pay, the bonus, working hours or something else? A clear request gives the employer something concrete to answer.
For example, Mei wants S$4,200 in basic monthly salary. The offer is S$4,000. Her gap is S$200 a month; a discretionary bonus does not solve it.
Mei can explain that S$4,200 is what would make the move work for her. She should not call it the market rate without evidence. If you do use a salary comparison, check that the duties, location, seniority and pay basis are comparable.
Make the email easy to answer.
Thank them, show your interest, state the change and give your reason. You do not need a long defence of every expense or an invented competing offer.
“I was hoping for something higher. Is there any flexibility?”
“Would you be able to offer S$4,200 in basic monthly salary? At that level, the move would work for me.”
Write your counteroffer.
Change the amount and use a reason you can stand behind. This fictional example starts with a personal acceptance condition. Replace the details with your own; this editor does not send a message, accept an offer or extend a deadline.
If you use market evidence instead, name comparable work and a source you have actually checked.Subject: Operations coordinator offer Hi Ms Tan, Thank you for the offer. I am interested in the operations coordinator role. Would you be able to offer S$4,200 in basic monthly salary? At that level, the move would work for me. If that is possible, could you send the revised written offer, including the bonus terms and other agreed details? My reply is due on 20 November at 5pm Singapore time. If you need more time to review this, could you confirm a new deadline? Thank you, Mei
Read the draft before sending. Replace the placeholders, remove any statement that is not true for you, and check the reply deadline.
What if they say no?
A counteroffer opens a conversation; it does not guarantee an increase. Decide what you will do with the answer rather than sending the same request repeatedly.
Ask for the revised written offer. Check whether anything else changed.
Compare what it actually changes. A one-off payment is different from higher recurring pay.
Decide whether the role still works for you. You can accept or decline courteously.
Compare the alternative
In this fictional continuation, the employer keeps basic pay at S$4,000 and proposes S$2,400 once. Payment and repayment conditions are missing. A six-month salary review and two remote days subject to manager approval are mentioned; neither is a S$200 monthly increase.
Scroll the table sideways to compare all columns.
| Component | Mei’s request | Fictional alternative / record |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly basic | S$4,200 | S$4,000; recurring gap S$200/month |
| Twelve full months basic | S$50,400 | S$48,000 gross basic |
| Sign-on | Not requested | S$2,400 once proposed; payment and repayment terms unresolved |
| Basic plus sign-on | S$50,400 basic | S$50,400 only if sign-on is paid and retained; packages are not equivalent |
| Bonus | Written clarification requested | Up to S$6,000 remains unresolved; outside assured pay |
| Review | No raise assumed | Six-month review mentioned, not a confirmed increase |
| Remote work | No cash value assigned | Two days subject to manager approval |
S$200 monthly basic gap.
Hi Ms Tan, Thank you for considering my request. I understand the basic salary would remain S$4,000, with a proposed S$2,400 sign-on payment. Could you confirm when that payment is made and any repayment conditions? Could you also confirm what the six-month salary review promises, and how the two remote-working days are approved? Please include the agreed changes and bonus terms in the revised written offer. Is the reply deadline still 20 November at 5pm Singapore time? If the revised terms will not be ready, could we agree a new deadline? Thank you, Mei
Mei has not accepted the alternative. A question is not an acceptance, and requesting more time does not confirm an extension. Keep the actual reply with the offer.
Mei’s position before the next reply
Requested: S$4,200 basic per month. Proposed instead: S$4,000 basic plus S$2,400 once; terms incomplete. Still unclear: payment and repayment conditions, bonus eligibility, review commitment and remote-work approval. Deadline: 20 November 2026, 5pm Singapore time; no extension confirmed. Decision: Not ready to accept. Ask for the missing written terms and deadline confirmation.
If the employer mentions a future salary review, ask when it happens and what is being promised. A review date by itself is not a guaranteed raise.
Check the whole offer once more.
Before saying yes, read the final written terms together. A better salary can come with a different role, schedule or condition.
- Pay: basic salary, fixed allowances and bonus conditions.
- The job: duties, hours, work arrangement and start date.
- The terms: leave, probation, notice and any agreed changes.
Compare your request with the revised written offer. Check basic pay, extra payments and their conditions. If you decide to decline an offer you have not accepted, use a clear decline rather than another counteroffer.
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Sources & example notes
Reviewed 14 November 2026. The scripts and Mei’s example are editorial illustrations. They are not salary benchmarks or advice on an individual contract dispute, and do not predict an employer’s response.
