Compare job offers and draft a salary negotiation message
Enter the annual base pay you were offered, an alternative and what you would like to ask for, and get the arithmetic written out step by step, your questions about the rest of the offer, and a message you can edit.
An offer arrives with a lot of numbers and not much time to think. This planner does one narrow job: it compares annual base pay, shows every step in words and figures so you can check it, and keeps everything else, such as bonus, equity, benefits, hours and location, as questions to ask rather than values to guess.
Every field is optional. A blank amount is treated as unknown, not as zero, and nothing is estimated for you.
- Type the annual base pay you were offered, and an alternative if you have one.
- Type the amount you would like to ask for, or leave it blank to ask for a conversation.
- Add your evidence and any questions about conditions and benefits.
- Make the comparison and draft, check the arithmetic, then edit, copy or download it.
Part of Career support that works for you, LAYIQ's guide for neurodivergent people, and useful to anyone. The guide that goes with this tool: read it here.
Offer comparison and negotiation draft
Your notes will appear here: the base pay comparison with each step written out, your questions about conditions and benefits, and a message you can edit.
Annual base pay only, before taxes. This does not estimate take-home pay, bonus, equity, benefits or what the role is worth, and it does not tell you whether to accept.
Accommodation needs are a separate conversation. Do not trade pay for access, and check the arithmetic with a calculator or someone you trust before you send anything.
What the comparison covers and what it leaves out
The planner compares one number: annual base pay in U.S. dollars, before taxes. It does not convert hourly or monthly pay, estimate take-home pay, or put a value on bonus, equity, benefits or schedule. The IRS describes gross pay as what an employee earns and net, or take-home, pay as what is left after taxes and other amounts withheld,3 so a base pay comparison is a starting point for a budget, not the budget itself.
| Part of the offer | What the planner does | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Annual base pay | Compares the amounts and writes each subtraction out. | Check each step with a calculator or another person. |
| Bonus or commission | Nothing. It is not valued. | Ask what is fixed, what is possible and what conditions apply. |
| Equity | Nothing. It is not valued. | Ask for the terms in writing before giving it any weight. |
| Benefits | Lists your own questions. | Ask for the per-paycheck cost, not just the name of the plan. |
| Hours, schedule and location | Lists your own questions. | Ask for them in the written offer. |
How the arithmetic is shown
Each comparison is written as one subtraction with the larger amount first, then a sentence saying which way it goes. For example: "$95,000 - $90,000 = $5,000. Your request is $5,000 more than the offer, 5.6% of the offered amount." The percentage is the difference divided by the offered amount, rounded to one decimal place, and it is left out when the offered amount is zero.
Writing the steps out is useful if numbers are hard to hold in your head. The British Dyslexia Association lists estimating, budgeting and remembering numbers among the everyday tasks that math difficulties can affect in adults.2 You do not need a diagnosis to want a comparison that shows its working.
Amounts Are Per Year
A number such as 30 is read as $30 a year, because the fields are annual base pay. The planner does not guess that you meant an hourly rate. If you have an hourly or monthly figure, turn it into a yearly amount first and check that step yourself.
Writing the request
MIT's career advising office suggests deciding in advance what you want, what matters most and where you are flexible, and writing it down before the conversation.1 The draft follows that idea. If you enter an amount, it becomes the ask. If you leave it blank, the draft asks to discuss compensation and terms. Your evidence goes in exactly as you wrote it, or the draft shows a prompt for you to add it.
- Evidence can come from any kind of work. Paid jobs, volunteering, caregiving, trades and projects all count if they show what the role needs.
- Ask for the terms in writing. The draft asks the employer to confirm the full terms and the date they need your answer. It never invents a deadline.
- Take the time you need. You can ask when a response is due, and you can send the message later.
- Keep your own words. Change anything in the draft so it sounds like you.
Accommodation Needs Are a Separate Conversation
Asking for pay and asking for an accommodation are different requests. This draft does not mention accommodations, and you should not have to accept lower pay to get access to what you need. The EEOC explains that an employee may ask for a reasonable accommodation at any time.4
For more on handling an offer, pressure to decide quickly, and what to ask about benefits, read salary negotiation and offers. If a posting looks unclear, the Ghost Job Checker can help you check whether the role is real and open before you spend time on it.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tell me whether to accept an offer?
No. It compares base pay and drafts a message. Whether an offer is right depends on things only you know, such as your budget, your hours and what the work is like.
Why is a blank amount not treated as zero?
Because a blank means you do not know it, and zero means the pay is nothing. Zero is accepted if you type it. A blank amount is left out of the comparison.
What amounts does it accept?
Whole dollars per year, such as 95000 or $95,000, with or without commas. It rejects negative amounts, cents, entries such as 95k, and anything it cannot read as whole dollars, and it tells you which field to fix. It never rounds an entry for you.
Does it estimate my take-home pay or the value of benefits?
No. Offers are usually quoted before taxes, and the IRS explains that take-home pay is lower once taxes and other amounts are withheld.3 Ask the employer for the cost of benefits per paycheck and use a payroll calculator for your state.
What happens to what I type?
It stays on this page while it is open. Moving between LAYIQ's career tools keeps it; refreshing or closing the page removes it. Nothing is saved to an account or sent anywhere. Copy or download the draft if you want to keep it.
Sources
- MIT Career Advising and Professional Development. Negotiate job offers (opens in a new tab). Accessed November 12, 2026.
- British Dyslexia Association. How does dyscalculia and maths learning difficulties affect adults? (opens in a new tab). Accessed November 12, 2026.
- Internal Revenue Service. Understanding Taxes: Payroll Taxes and Federal Income Tax Withholding (opens in a new tab). Accessed November 12, 2026.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the ADA (opens in a new tab). Published October 17, 2002. Accessed November 12, 2026.
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