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Salary Requirements Cover Letter

If there’s one thing people really hate talking about, then it’s typically money. Especially in the United States, it’s typically seen as rude to talk about money, including your salary. That’s exactly why it can be so nerve-wracking if a company requests that you include your salary expectations in the cover letter you send as part of your job application. Including salary requirements in a cover letter requires careful research, a deft hand and a knowledge of how to include salary information in your letter. Here’s what you need to know before referencing your desired salary in a cover letter builder.

Salary Requirements Cover Letter

When To Include Salary Requirements In A Cover Letter?

Salary Requirements Cover Letter

The only time to include information about the salary range you’re interested in, is if the potential employer or hiring manager specifically requests it. Never offer up salary requests unprompted. Discussing salary can come off as rude or presumptive, which can hurt your chances to be invited for a job interview. At some point in the hiring process, you’ll eventually get a question about your salary from the potential employer, so you don’t need to mention it prematurely.

Most of the time, a recruiter asking you to put this information in your first cover letter is unlikely. Recruiters know that salary negotiations will not restrict a prospective employer from being able to hire a candidate. These negotiations are typically effective at finding a happy middle ground even if your preferred salary is much higher than the company would prefer to pay.

How To Word Your Salary Requirements In Your Cover Letter

If you’re directly asked to include a salary requirement in your cover letter, then it’s best that you know how to do it. Here are a few of the most important elements to keep in mind.

  • Directly indicate negotiability. This ensures that you don’t scare off an employer with a higher salary expectation than they assumed. They know they can make a competing salary offer, and you’ll be willing to discuss it.
  • Mention that you may be willing to accept a lower salary depending on the overall compensation package. Sometimes, especially if they offer very valuable additional benefits, it can be worth it to take a bit of a hit on the salary in exchange.
  • Directly remind the hiring manager that they asked for the salary so you don’t accidentally come off as rude. Something like “Per the job description, my salary preference is $55,000” helps you remind the hiring manager that they asked you to provide this information.
  • Include the salary expectation at the very end of the cover letter. Again, this is to avoid coming off as rude.
Writing a powerful cover letter highlighting your most impressive career accomplishments, along with these tips will help you write a more effective salary request.

Salary Requirements Cover Letter Example

Salary Requirements Cover Letter Example
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Tips on Being Offered the Highest Salary Without Listing Too High of a Number

One of the most delicate elements of salary negotiations is the fact that you’re trying to get the highest salary possible, but your employer is trying to pay a lower salary, if possible. Here are a few tips you can use to get the best salary without listing a number that’s so high the hiring manager just moves on entirely.

First of all, remember that you can get a better salary with better certifications. Even if you’re working an entry-level administrative assistant job, you may be able to command a better salary with a bachelor’s degree than with a high school diploma. The job market often looks at your education and credentials even more than your years of experience and skill set.

Second, it’s critical that you do your research on average salaries before you make an offer. Most of the time, a salary site or salary calculator will give you a payscale – anywhere from the lower end to a much higher end. You can look at career advice websites to see salary history as well, including whether salaries have largely stayed the same over the last few years or whether they’ve gotten lower or higher.

Generally, it’s best to aim for the high end of the salary scale, provided you’re strong in your job search and have a great professional resume, and then to indicate negotiability. You need to value your own skills and education before a potential employer can value it. Additionally, it may surprise you how much a company is willing to pay to get a great applicant. You can still get a job offer even if you requested a higher-than-average salary.

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FAQ: Salary Requirements Cover Letter

If the job posting specifically asks you to include a salary requirement in your cover letter, then you need to include one in your cover letter. Otherwise, it may come off like you didn’t read the job description carefully and did not follow instructions. As much as it can be a bit embarrassing to include salary requirements in a cover letter, it’s more disadvantageous to seem like you can’t follow instructions.

Yes. Your geographic location will impact how much you need to earn a proper living. Job seekers in San Francisco may pursue higher salaries than those in Orlando, Florida or Grand Rapids, Michigan, because the cost of living is so high in San Francisco.

Typically, you’ll want to avoid bringing it up unless the interviewer asks about it. Typically, at the end of the interview, the interviewer may ask, “Do you have any questions for me?” If they haven’t said anything about salary, then you can then ask a question like, “When would salary negotiations begin if I were to receive a job offer?”

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