A counter offer when leaving is the opposing proposal an employer makes in response to your resignation: higher pay, more authority, a schedule or role change. By market markers, a noticeable share of digital and IT specialists who leave with another offer in hand receive such a proposal.
What a counter offer is and when it appears
A counter offer appears in a specific situation: an employee announces they are leaving, and the employer offers improved terms instead of simply letting them go. This is not the same as a regular salary review — a counter offer is usually made fast, on the spot, and is driven not by care for your career but by the desire to avoid an urgent replacement search.
Understanding the motivation is critical. The company is estimating the cost of your departure: hiring time, project delays, risks for clients and the team. If that cost is higher than the raise they would offer you, the counter offer becomes a good deal for the employer.
Who usually gets a counter offer
Counter offers most often go to specialists in narrow roles with long onboarding and high replacement costs. In digital, this applies to media buyers with working funnels and traffic source access, affiliate managers with partner portfolios, tech leads and senior developers who hold critical parts of the system.
There are currently around 1,897 active digital vacancies on the market, 47% of them remote. This means that a specialist with an in-demand stack almost always has options, and employers know it. You can explore alternatives via the affiliate and media buying vacancies section.
When to ask for a counter offer — and when not to
You should only ask for a counter offer when you already have a written offer from another company and are genuinely prepared to leave if terms do not change. Using "resignation" as leverage without a real alternative is a bad strategy — your manager will see through the bluff, and trust will be damaged.
Situations where a counter offer makes sense
- You have an offer from another company and want to give your current employer a chance.
- Your main reason for leaving is money or formal terms (grade, contract, schedule) and those are truly solvable.
- You are loyal to the company but your market value has grown faster than your internal one.
Situations where asking is pointless
- You are leaving because of a toxic manager, culture or years without growth.
- You have already accepted the offer and signed documents — there is almost no way back.
- Your relationship with the manager is already strained: a counter offer becomes a tool to label you.
For general approaches to negotiating pay and terms, see the career guides.
Step-by-step: how to get a counter offer when leaving
The process has three stages: preparation (collecting evidence of your value), communication (properly submitting your resignation), and negotiation (discussing specifics). It is important to separate two actions: announcing your departure and asking for improved terms — one conversation, but not the same message.
Step 1. Prepare evidence of your value
Before the conversation, build a portfolio: recent results, key projects, the metrics you hold, knowledge that leaves with you. Keep it factual and measurable, without invented percentages — for example, "I manage a significant share of partner turnover" or "I close tasks that only I can handle."
Step 2. Resignation first, money talk second
The right order: you tell your manager you have decided to leave and that certain conditions would matter to you if you were to stay. Not "I will leave unless you give me X," but "I am leaving because I received Y. If the company is open to discussing Y or something comparable, I am open to the conversation."
Submit your resignation in writing and with a date. This disciplines both sides: the employer gets a real deadline to respond.
Step 3. Let the other side make the first proposal
Ideally, do not name a specific number first. Say: "I would like to understand what you are prepared to offer for me to stay." The employer may make an offer themselves, and it is often higher than what you would have asked for. If they insist on your number, quote the terms you are anchoring to: the other offer, your grade, your contribution.
Step 4. Clarify timing and format
Managers often say "let me think." Ask for the deadline: by what date can you expect a final answer? And agree that any improvements will be documented: grade, salary, bonus scheme, schedule, contract type.
How to evaluate a counter offer: 5 criteria
Evaluate a counter offer not by one number but by several parameters: money, authority, the roadmap, the relationship with your manager, and risk. Even a generous-looking offer can be a trap if other parameters stay the same.
Comparison table by grade
Below is a qualitative comparison of how counter offers typically differ by level. Specific ranges depend on role, vertical, GEO and compensation model; for market ranges see the salary overview by role.
| Grade | What an employer typically proposes | How stable the terms are |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | Rarely: often let go calmly, minimal offers | Low: replacements are easy to find |
| Middle | Salary raise, sometimes grade review or bonus changes | Medium: depends on how embedded you are |
| Senior / Lead | Substantial raise, wider responsibility, a share in the project | High: replacement is expensive |
What to look at beyond salary
- Authority. Does the format change: autonomy, decision-making, team composition.
- Documentation. Are there written changes: an order, an addendum, a new contract.
- Roadmap. Is there a 6–12 month plan, not just "a raise now."
- Relationship. Whether the manager's attitude changes after you "threatened to leave."
- The alternative offer. What the other company gives — growth, stack, relocation, training — and whether your current employer can match it.
Common mistakes when negotiating a counter offer
Most failed negotiations come from one of five mistakes: bluffing without an offer, an aggressive delivery, no deadline, agreeing verbally without written guarantees, and hiding the real reason for leaving. Each one easily breaks trust and turns negotiation into conflict.
Mistake 1. Bluffing without a real offer
If you have no alternative in hand but announce your departure for a raise, the manager may agree — and simultaneously start looking for your replacement. Worst case: you stay with a raise but a damaged reputation.
Mistake 2. Naming a specific number first
The number you name becomes the ceiling. Let the employer state their proposal — you can always say "this is not enough for me to stay."
Mistake 3. Accepting everything verbally
Verbal promises at resignation are the least reliable format. Insist on documents with an effective date: an addendum, an order, an updated contract.
Mistake 4. Negotiating only about money
If the real reason for leaving is not money but, for example, culture, you will get a raise and return to the same conditions. A few months later, the same situation repeats — only this time with a damaged track record.
Mistake 5. Having no deadline
Without a deadline, the conversation becomes an endless "we will think about it." Set a final answer date and stick to it — that respects both yourself and the other side.
A sample negotiation script for a counter offer
Below is a rough structure for the conversation. Adapt it to your context and format (in-person meeting, video call, or email).
The first message
"I want to let you know I have decided to leave. The reason is [one short reason]. I respect the team and want to give a chance to discuss: under what conditions would you be interested in having me stay? On my side, what attracted me in the other offer is [key points]."
Discussing terms
Listen not for "a percentage raise" but for the whole package: salary, bonus, grade, schedule, contract type. If the manager says "I can't promise right now," ask: "When will there be a final answer? Who makes the decision? In what form will you document it?"
What to do after the counter offer
After receiving a counter offer, do not answer immediately. Take 24–72 hours, compare terms with the original offer and make sure promises are documented. This rule saves you from impulsive decisions and disappointments a month later.
Comparison table: stay vs leave
| Criterion | Stay with the counter offer | Take the external offer |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Often comparable and sometimes higher than the external offer | Predictably above the market range for your grade |
| Growth | Depends on whether there is a plan and real authority | Wider opportunities: new context, new tech, new roles |
| Relationship | Can survive if both sides keep their word | Resets — you start from scratch |
| Risk | Residual doubt from the manager, feeling that you might leave again | Onboarding, adaptation, sometimes lower stability |
The final decision
Good test: if you had no external offer, would you accept the terms offered in the counter offer? If yes, you can stay. If not, it is not about money, and leaving makes more sense. For market markers by role, see media buyer vacancies and other sections — they show what is being offered right now.
Counter offers in digital and IT: what matters in 2026
In the digital market, counter offers are more common for narrow specialisms: media buying, affiliate, performance. Companies tied to traffic buying are reluctant to lose people with working funnels and source access. For them, a raise is often cheaper than 2–3 months of search and onboarding.
Specifics in media buying and affiliate
Terms here often include a share of funnels' profit or turnover. When discussing a counter offer, it is important to describe clearly what the calculation is based on and document it in writing. Around 47% of active digital vacancies are remote — the market is genuinely distributed, so negotiations can be run from almost anywhere. See remote vacancies to understand what conditions are on offer now.
What changed in negotiation culture
Employers increasingly build in a buffer for a possible negotiation, and candidates increasingly arrive with several offers at once. The takeaway: the earlier you formulate what you are really fighting for, the easier it is to negotiate a counter offer without emotion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you actually accept a counter offer?
It makes sense to accept a counter offer if the reason you were leaving is genuinely solved at your current company: money, formal terms, grade, schedule. If you were leaving because of a manager, culture or lack of growth, a raise will not fix it, and in a few months you will be at the point of leaving again. A good test: would you accept these terms if the external offer did not exist at all.
Is an employer obliged to make a counter offer?
No, an employer is not obliged to make a counter offer. Moreover, many companies have an internal policy of never making them. So you should never count on one as a guarantee — it is always a "possible scenario," not the rule. If you want a raise, it is safer to raise it in advance, not at the moment of resignation.
Can you ask for a counter offer without an offer in hand?
Technically yes, but strategically risky. Without a real alternative you will either get nothing, or get a raise — and a reputation as the person who "threatened to leave for money." In most cases, it is more effective either to hold a scheduled salary review or to go to the market first, get an offer, and then discuss a counter offer.
How big should the raise be to accept?
There is no single percentage: focus on the gap versus the real offer and on how much you are risking. By market markers, a counter offer typically sits between your current salary and the external offer, but the exact figure depends on role, grade, vertical and urgency of replacement. What matters more than the percentage is the whole package: grade, schedule, authority, contract type.
What if a counter offer is made without written confirmation?
Insist on a document. An addendum to the employment contract or an order with an effective date is enough. Without written guarantees, any promise remains words and may "dissolve" within a month. If the manager refuses to document terms in writing, that itself is a signal about how reliable the agreement is.
How do you avoid burning bridges if you turn the counter offer down?
Decline politely and briefly: thank them for the offer, confirm that you respect the team, and state that your decision is already made. Do not go into a detailed comparison with the other offer, and do not criticize the company. Work your notice period, hand over tasks, and leave contacts. A calm exit preserves your reputation and keeps the door open for the future.