I was finally offered a job but think I lowballed myself

Yesterday I accepted an admin role (I didn't sign any contracts yet regarding the salary amount) for about $5K less than I'd like. I was told I would get an annual raise but that's not likely going to be more than a few cents here or there anyway.

I was offered $39,500 and only countered $40,000 out of fear if I went higher they'd decline and offer the role to someone else.

As you all know, I am in a tight situation having just moved my mother into memory care after living w/her and not working for the past year, and living w/a temporary roommate who needs me out of her place by Oct 1st.

My question: is it unreasonable to email the hiring manager to ask for a higher salary like $42-43K a year instead? Or, do I have to accept my $40K salary as "is" although I haven't signed official hiring paperwork yet.

The reason I'm asking is that after taxes and the monthly healthcare premium, my gross monthly income of $3,333 will be reduced to a measly $2620 a month.

I am GRATEFUL to have a full-time job (any job) right now. Because, I can continue to look for my "perfect job" while I have this job for the next couple of years at least.

So, is it too late to renegotiate my salary expectations?

Personally I’d not email requesting a higher salary. You accepted the job already, even tho you haven’t signed the paperwork yet.

I’d certainly keep my eyes open and interview with other companies and shoot for a higher number.

Hi Blanche. First of all congrats on the job offer!!!

I'd have to say, though I'd agree with Christina. If you accepted that salary, I wouldn't go back and ask for more now. I'd just try to do my best work possible and hopefully a raise will come sooner rather than later. And, of course, you can keep looking for something better. It's always better to be looking for work while you're already employed.


I was in a similar position once. After grad school I was temping while looking to find something in my field. Since I was so happy to have the offer I probably didn't negotiate as I should. Same sort of thing, I didn't want them to withdraw the offer and give it to someone else. I did get a decent raise after six months there, though, because my boss was impressed with my performance.

Good luck!!

Congratulations on getting the job.


I wouldn't try to reopen salary negotiations at this stage, it doesn't look professional.

I was in a similar situation, where the company simply budge on salary - it turned out that everryone's salary was on the low end. But after I'd been there 6 months, I got an increase, based on merit, up to the salary I had originally wanted.

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Thank you for your replies. I will just try to focus on being grateful for finally snagging a full-time job. I'm a little nervous because of the fact that on the same day I accepted this job offer, a temp agency offered me a year-long contract in a role that was 100% something I would have loved to do, but I turned it down due to fear of "what if". What if I turned down the full-time job doing an admin role that I know won't fulfill me, to take this temporary assignment doing a writing-related role that would fulfill me. Would I regret it? Probably. My past experience with temp agencies is that their claims of a contract's length of time is sometimes greatly exaggerated. What if, I had taken that writing related role and lost the contract a few weeks or months into it? But then again, what if I can't keep this admin role long-term either? What if by some freak circumstance, I lose this job I just got? That's a huge fear of mine. What if the temp job was the job I was supposed to take, and not the full-time job?