To turn down a job offer, contact the person who made it, ideally within a day or two of deciding. Say clearly that you are declining, give one short reason if you want to, and thank them for their time. Email is fine in most cases. Call first if the offer came by phone or if you had already said yes.
If you need it now, the email below works for most offers. The rest of the page is for the harder versions: declining over pay, backing out after accepting, campus offers, and what to say when they come back with more money.
Subject: [Job title] offer, [Your name] Hi [Name], Thank you for offering me the [job title] role. After a lot of thought, I've decided to decline. [Optional: one line from the table below.] I really enjoyed meeting [names], and I'm grateful for the time everyone put into the process. I'd be glad to stay in touch. Best, [Your name]
"I've decided to decline" is doing the work here. The worst declines leave the recruiter unsure whether they are reading a no, a negotiation or a request for more time. If it is a no, say no in the first two lines.
How to turn down a job offer, step by step
Declining an offer politely
- 1
Be sure, and look at the whole package
Base pay, bonus, benefits, start date, commute, the manager you met. A decline is close to final; companies rarely reopen an offer once you have said no. Sleep on it once, not for a week.
- 2
Tell them soon after you decide
If they gave you a deadline, beat it. Holding an offer for days you don't need, just to keep a backup, means another candidate is being kept waiting. If you really are waiting on another company, ask for a specific extra day or two in the open, and ask the other company to speed up (our follow-up guide has that email).
- 3
Reply to whoever made the offer
Usually the recruiter. If the hiring manager called you personally, tell them too, even in two lines. If an agency placed you in the process, tell the agency recruiter first.
- 4
Say no in the first two lines, then one reason
Lead with the decision. Add one line of reason if it is true and harmless, using the table below. Leave out salary comparisons and complaints about the process.
- 5
Thank specific people and close the loose ends
Name one or two interviewers. If you had started a background check, signed onboarding forms or sent references, ask the recruiter to close them so nothing keeps running in your name.
One line for your reason, and what not to say
| Your reason | A line you can use |
|---|---|
| You accepted another offer | "I've accepted another offer that is a closer fit for what I want right now." |
| You are staying in your current job | "I've decided to stay in my current role." |
| The pay, after you asked | "Since we couldn't close the gap on base salary, I'm going to pass." |
| The role or team | "After our last conversations, I don't think the role matches the [area] work I want to focus on." |
| Relocation or office days | "The move to [city] isn't something I can do right now." |
| Family, health or timing | "A change in my personal circumstances means the timing isn't right." |
| You'd rather not say | Nothing. "After a lot of thought, I've decided to decline" is enough. |
Keep anything you would not want quoted back to you out of writing: the other company's salary, the reviews you read, the manager who rubbed you the wrong way.
Be honest, just brief. A made-up reason is a bad trade: industries are small, and the recruiter who hears "I'm staying put" and then sees your new job on LinkedIn next month will remember. If the real reason is something you would not say to their face, use the no-reason line.
Declining a job offer because of the salary
A lot of "declined because of pay" offers are really unasked counteroffers. If money is the only thing stopping you, ask once before you say no. The worst outcome is the one you were about to choose anyway.
A worked example. The offer is $78,000. You make $80,000 now and the new job adds 40 minutes of commuting, so you need $85,000 to move. That is a $7,000 gap, about 9% of the offer. Write back with $85,000 and say what happens if they meet it. If they come back at $82,000, you have a real decision to make. If they say $78,000 is the ceiling, you send the decline below and you have lost nothing.
Hi [Name], Thank you for the offer for [job title]. I'm excited about the team and the work. The one thing holding me back is the base salary: to make the move from my current role, I'd need [$85,000]. If you can get there, I'm ready to accept [this week]. Thanks, [Your name]
Hi [Name], Thanks for going back to the team on salary, and for being straight with me. Since we can't close the gap, I'm going to decline the offer. It was good to get to know the team, and I'd be glad to hear from you if the budget for a role like this changes. All the best, [Your name]
How to decline a job offer after accepting it
It happens. A better offer lands a week later, your boss makes a counteroffer, a family situation changes. Backing out is uncomfortable but usually survivable, as long as you do it fast and in person. Every day you wait, the company turns away other candidates, orders your laptop and tells the team you are coming.
Before you call, read what you signed. Sign-on bonuses, relocation money and some offer agreements come with repayment terms, and you should know what you owe before the conversation, not after. If you have not resigned from your current job yet, you are in an easier spot than someone who already has.
Hi [Name], it's [your name]. I'm calling with news I know isn't welcome. After accepting your offer, [I received another offer that I've decided to take / my current company made changes that mean I'm staying / a family situation means I can't relocate]. I'm sorry to back out after saying yes, and I wanted you to hear it from me directly rather than in an email. I'll send a note today to confirm, and I'll [return the laptop / repay the signing bonus] right away.
Subject: Withdrawing my acceptance, [job title] Hi [Name], Thank you for taking my call today. As I mentioned, I'm withdrawing my acceptance of the [job title] offer. [One-line reason.] I'm sorry for the trouble this causes you and the team, especially after the time you put into hiring me. [I'll return the equipment by Friday. / I'll repay the signing bonus as set out in the offer terms.] Best, [Your name]
Should you call or email?
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everything so far was by email | Matches how you have talked so far | |
| They made the offer on a call | Call, then email | A spoken offer gets a spoken answer |
| You had already accepted | Call first, always | Bad news should not land in an inbox first |
| An agency recruiter is involved | Tell the agency | They pass it on to the employer |
| Offer sits in an online portal | Portal and a short email | Closes the record; the email is the courtesy |
If you call and get voicemail, leave a short message saying you are calling about the offer, then send the email within the hour so they are not left guessing.
Turning down an internship or new-grad offer
Campus offers come with their own pressure: exploding deadlines, a recruiter you met at a career fair, sometimes a university career center that tracks what you accepted. Some career centers have rules about reneging on an offer you already accepted, so read your school's policy before you say yes to anything you are unsure about. Declining an offer you have not accepted is normal and expected; companies plan for it every recruiting season.
Hi [Name], Thank you for the offer to join [company] as a [summer intern / analyst] on the [team] team. I've accepted another offer for [season and year], so I'm declining. I enjoyed meeting [names] at [the career fair / the final round], and I'd love to stay in touch about full-time roles later on. Thanks again, [Your name]
If they come back with a better offer
Sometimes a decline triggers a counter: more base, a signing bonus, a remote day. Decide before you reply whether anything they could offer would change your answer. If something would, you should have said so earlier, and you can still say it now. If nothing would, do not let them spend more effort. A short, kind reply ends it.
Hi [Name], Thank you for coming back with a revised offer. I appreciate the effort, and it makes this harder. My decision stands, though, and I'll be declining. I hope we get to work together another time. Best wishes, [Your name]
Keeping the door open for real
"Let's stay in touch" means nothing unless you do something with it. Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn the same week, with a one-line note. Then, if the company is still on your list in six months or a year, write to the recruiter directly. A polite, specific decline makes that note much easier to answer. Before you write, look at the company's careers page so you can name a real opening. For the biggest employers, our companies hiring now chart shows who is posting most this week.
Hi [Name], We spoke last [spring] when I turned down the [job title] offer. I've kept an eye on [the team / a launch you read about] since, and I'd like to be considered for [the open role / roles like it] if the timing works now. Happy to send an updated resume. Best, [Your name]
If you are still earlier in the process, our guide on how to decline a job interview covers saying no before an offer exists, and our guide to your reason for leaving a job helps when the next interviewer asks why you are moving on.
Questions people ask
Is it OK to decline a job offer by email?
Yes. Email is the normal way to decline, and it gives both sides a record. Call first when the offer was made by phone or when you had already accepted it, then confirm by email the same day.
How long do I have to turn down a job offer?
There is no fixed rule. Answer before any deadline they gave, and otherwise within a couple of business days of making up your mind. If you need more time, ask for a specific date rather than going quiet.
Do I need a formal letter to decline a job offer?
Rarely. An email is the written record now. If the offer sits in an online portal with a decline button, use it, and send a short personal note as well so a person hears it from you.
Should I tell them which company I am joining or what it pays?
You don't have to. Naming the company is harmless if you are comfortable with it. Sharing the other salary invites a counteroffer, so only do that if you would actually take a better offer from them.
Can turning down an offer hurt my chances with that company later?
A prompt, polite decline almost never does, and recruiters do come back to candidates who nearly joined. Backing out after accepting is different: some companies remember it, and a phone call is the best way to limit the damage.
Can I negotiate after I have declined?
It is awkward, because you have already told them no. If pay is the issue, counter before you decline. Once you have declined, only reopen it if they come back to you.