Salary Requirements in a Cover Letter

An instructional resource detailing how to incorporate salary expectations into a cover letter, complete with examples and tips for optimizing your salary requirements.

“Integrating salary expectations into your cover letter?” Yikes! As if crafting a cover letter wasn’t challenging enough. The risk? Set it too high, and you might price yourself out of consideration. Set it too low, and you’re shortchanging yourself.

Take a deep breath. Soon, you’ll discover the ins and outs of expressing salary requirements in a cover letter, ensuring you secure both the job you desire and the compensation you deserve. Keep reading for valuable tips to bolster your bargaining power.

This guide covers:

– When and how to include salary requirements in a cover letter.
– Strategies for determining your desired income.
– Crafting the wording for salary requirements in a cover letter.
– An example illustrating salary expectations in job application materials.

Strategies for Incorporating Salary Expectations into a Cover Letter

You can include salary requirements in your cover letter using statements like “My salary expectation is flexible, depending on the overall compensation package and additional benefits, such as opportunities for advancement,” or “Per your request, given my qualifications and achievements, my salary requirement is $60,000 (negotiable).”

However—

Only do so when explicitly asked.

Bringing up your desired compensation without prompting is risky. Only mention it if the job posting specifically requests it.

And if you’re tempted to sidestep the issue—don’t.

Failing to follow instructions as an applicant suggests you may not adhere to them as an employee.

The outcome? Your application may be rejected.

So, it’s better to provide a figure and handle it properly. Keep reading to find out how.

Determining Your Preferred Salary

Research, research, research—that’s the key.

The figure you provide must be well-founded. You can’t just throw out a number and hope for the best.

But don’t stress; there are numerous resources available to assist you.

Utilize websites such as Salary.com, PayScale, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Glassdoor to gauge the potential salary for the position.

Your research will likely yield a salary range, for example, $50,000-$70,000.

Use the higher end of the range as your desired salary, followed by “(flexible)” or “(negotiable).”

Sure, it may come across as assertive, even aggressive.

But it’s backed by solid evidence.

Aiming for the upper end establishes a “high anchor,” drawing attention to your strengths.

This sets the tone for negotiations, steering them toward that figure throughout the process.

The end result? A favorable outcome for your finances.

How to Phrase Salary Expectations in a Cover Letter

Suppose you’re considering a job opportunity for an Office Manager.

Also, suppose that the salary range offered for this job in the city is $45,000-$60,000.

Here’s an authentic cover letter example with salary expectations:

Salary Requirements in a Cover Letter—Example

Margaret Sampson

1191 Barfield Lane

Indianapolis, IN 46204

September 9, 2019

Julia Jimenez

Hiring Manager

Softplatinum LLC

8520 Allison Pointe Blvd 

Indianapolis, IN 46250-4299

Dear Julia,

As an office manager with 10+ years experience and looking to step my career up to the next level, I was thrilled to see your advertisement for Office Manager. I have extensive experience in ensuring the smooth running of a medium-sized office and supervising a team of 5 administrative staff. Along with day-to-day administrative duties I have acted as support the HR team by maintaining up-to-date personnel records and holding responsibility for organizing and scheduling interviews. I would be delighted to have the opportunity to bring my extensive experience to Softplatinum and contribute to the efficient management of your office.

Throughout my professional experience, I have developed extensive skills in managing office budgets, being lead point of contact with suppliers, organizing company integration events and directly managing a team of administrative assistants. I have also been responsible for implementing and enforcing workplace health and safety procedures and I am OSHA trained. 

A few of my wins at my most recent employer, Cranston Associates, include:

• Renegotiated initial tender for office furniture refit with new supplier resulting in a 20% cost saving.
• Consolidated two legacy employee databases with new system resulting in a 30% reduction in workflow time for employee-related admin, including payroll administration.
• Implemented latest standards in workstation health and safety leading to a 70% boost in employee comfort and wellbeing metrics as expressed in their monthly OfficeVibe survey results. 

As this selection of achievements demonstrates, I believe in taking the initiative to improve workflow, well-being and make savings for the entire business. I will bring that same sense of ownership, drive, and passion to the office manager role at Softplatinum

I’d love the opportunity to meet you to learn more about Softplatinum’s future direction and to discuss how my professional experience will contribute to your success and growth. 

Per your request, given my qualifications and achievements, my salary requirement is $60,000 (negotiable). My salary expectation is flexible depending upon the overall compensation package and additional benefits such as opportunities for advancement. 

Sincerely,

Margaret Sampson