Polite Letter to Ask for a Salary Range Upfront

A polite letter to ask for a salary range upfront without giving a negative impression is a letter that is written by a candidate who is considering a job opportunity at a certain organization. It is addressed to the employer of that organization. In this letter, the candidate attempts to inquire about the salary range for the vacancy he has applied to or wants to apply to.

However, usually, this letter is written when the interview and selection processing has initialized, and the potential employer is acquainted with the candidate, and the candidate wants to know about the salary range to weigh the pros and cons of the opportunity. Nevertheless, it is important, that the candidate’s letter should not give a negative impression, and it should not reflect that the only consideration of the candidate is money.

Employers understand that money linked to a job is one of the important considerations of any individual. However, if they get the feeling, that the candidate is only concerned with money, it will embark a negative impression of the candidate on them. Therefore, when writing this letter, even if the candidate asks about the salary range up front, he should try to do that politely, without showing that he will only make his decision based on the salary range.

When such a letter is being prepared, the information that needs to be included may vary from one job vacancy to another, and from one candidate to another. However, generally, the following details are included in such letters:

• Date.
• Details of the potential employer.
• Details of the candidate.
• Reference to the job opportunity and candidate’s application.
• Polite and direct inquiry about the salary range.
• Provide reason or justification behind this inquiry.
• Show hope of understanding.

When the potential employer receives this letter, if he gets an impression that the salary is only one of the many factors for the candidate to weigh the opportunity, he will understand the situation and would provide a prompt reply.

However, if he feels, that he does not want to hire an individual, whose sole concern is money, and other factors, like learning, etc., do not matter to him, he might decide to go for another individual. It indicates the importance of the selection of the content for this letter by the candidate, as it may result in getting the required information about the salary range or losing a job opportunity. 

Sample Letter

Dear Mr. David,

I am writing this letter about our phone conversation on 5^th September 2025, regarding the job opportunity of ‘assistant marketing manager’ at your company ABC Limited.

As I mentioned before, I am currently employed at XYZ Limited. I am undoubtedly interested in this new position, as it seems promising, especially in terms of learning and career progression. However, I wanted to ask about a few things, as it is hard for me to excuse myself from my current employer and take time off work to come for the interview.

It might sound a little upfront but if that is not an issue it would be of great help if you can please tell me about the salary range for this opportunity. As your company office is nearly an hour drive from my home, the salary range would help me in analyzing the feasibility for me.

I hope you understand my perspective. Looking forward to your reply.

Thank you.

Regards,

Silvia Perry.