Offer Letter Template for Hourly and Salaried Hires

An offer letter template only saves time if it prevents the mistakes that cause rework: the wrong pay basis, a start date that doesn't match payroll, a condition the candidate never saw. Below is one core template you can copy, swap-in pay clauses for hourly and salaried hires, a short email to send it with, and a pre-send check. This is general operational guidance, not legal advice, so have counsel review your final version, especially if you hire in more than one state.

What an Offer Letter Does and Doesn't Do

An offer letter confirms what you're offering: the job, the pay, the start date, and any conditions that must clear before employment begins. It gives the candidate something specific to accept. It also gives the hiring manager, payroll, and onboarding one record to work from, which is why it sits at the handoff point in the hiring process.

In most US hiring, an offer letter is not a full employment agreement, but careless wording can still create obligations. "Your first-year compensation is $85,000" or "this is a permanent role" can read as a promise about duration. State pay as a rate, and skip guaranteed-duration language unless you intend it and counsel has reviewed it.

The letter is also not the place for every hiring document. Background check disclosures, medical questions, Form I-9 instructions, and restrictive covenants each have their own rules and timing. Packing them into the letter makes it longer and can undercut the separate process each one requires.

Send it only after the decision is final. If your candidate selection process still has an open debrief, a missing comp approval, or a manager who hasn't signed off, the letter waits.

Put It in the Letter, Reference It, or Send It Separately

Use one test for each item. Does the candidate need it to decide, and will it stay true after they sign? If yes to both, put it in the letter. If they need to know it exists but a plan or policy governs the details, reference that document. If a law or a separate process controls its form or timing, keep it out of the letter.

Two of the separate items trip people up most. If a third-party company prepares your background report, federal FCRA procedures call for a stand-alone written disclosure and the candidate's written authorization before you get the report, as the EEOC's background check guidance explains. A sentence in the offer letter doesn't do that job. Medical questions and exams generally belong after a conditional offer, and the same questions or exams should go to everyone entering the same job category.

The Core Offer Letter Template

Copy this job offer letter template, fill in the brackets, and paste one pay clause from the next section into the "Schedule and pay" block. Delete any optional bracket you don't use instead of leaving it half-filled.

[Company letterhead or logo]

[Date]

[Candidate full name] [Candidate email or mailing address]

Dear [Candidate first name],

We're pleased to offer you the position of [Job title] at [Company legal name] ("[Company short name]"). This letter sets out the terms of our offer.

Position and reporting You will report to [Manager name], [Manager title]. This is a [full-time / part-time] position based at [work location address] / [remote, working from (state)] / [hybrid, with (number) days per week at (location)].

Start date Your start date will be [Weekday, Month Day]. If that date changes, we will confirm the new date in writing.

Schedule and pay [Insert the hourly/nonexempt clause or a salaried clause.]

Benefits You will be eligible to participate in [Company short name]'s benefit programs, which currently include [health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off], subject to the terms and eligibility rules of each plan or policy. The plan documents control, and [Company short name] may change its benefit programs. You will receive enrollment details after you accept.

[Optional variable pay: You will be eligible to participate in the [plan name], subject to its terms, including eligibility, performance criteria, and payment conditions. Eligibility does not guarantee a payment.]

Conditions of this offer This offer is contingent on: - [Satisfactory completion of a background check, conducted in accordance with applicable law] - [Satisfactory reference checks] - [Role-specific condition, such as a valid driver's license or professional certification] - Completing Form I-9 and presenting acceptable documents of your choice that establish your identity and employment authorization, within the time required by federal law

We will send separate forms and instructions for each of these steps.

Employment relationship [At-will statement, reviewed by counsel for your state: Your employment with [Company short name] is at will, which means either you or [Company short name] may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice.] This letter is not a contract for employment for any specific period.

Accepting this offer Please sign below or accept through [e-signature tool] by [time and time zone] on [Weekday, Month Day]. If you have questions or need more time, contact [Recruiter name] at [email or phone] before then.

We're glad you're joining [team name].

Sincerely,

[Name] [Title] [Company legal name]

Accepted by:

Signature: _____________________ Printed name: _________________ Date: __________________________

Two choices in this template are deliberate. Every condition sits above the signature block, so the candidate can't sign without seeing it. And the I-9 line doesn't name documents, because the employee chooses which acceptable documents to present. Keep step-by-step I-9 instructions in your onboarding email and follow the current version on the USCIS Form I-9 page.

Swap-In Clauses for Hourly and Salaried Hires

Pick the clause that matches the role's classification, not the one that matches how the hiring manager talks about the job.

Hourly and nonexempt clause

This is a [full-time / part-time], hourly position classified as nonexempt, which means you are eligible for overtime pay as required by federal and state law. Your pay rate is $[rate] per hour, paid [weekly / biweekly / semimonthly] on [payday]. Your expected schedule is [days], [start time] to [end time]. Schedules may change based on business needs, consistent with applicable scheduling laws. [Optional: You will receive an additional $[amount] per hour for hours worked [shift or condition].]

Write the hourly rate as an hourly rate. A common slip is converting $25 an hour into "$52,000 per year" in the letter. If hours drop, or the person works a few short weeks, the annual figure starts to look like a promise. If you want to show an annual estimate, label it plainly: "approximately $52,000 per year based on 40 hours per week, for illustration only."

Some cities and states have predictable-scheduling rules for certain industries, such as retail and food service. If you hire there, check the notice requirements before you promise a schedule.

Salaried clauses: exempt and nonexempt

Salary doesn't make a role exempt. Under federal rules, an exemption depends on duties tests and salary tests, and the Department of Labor is explicit that job titles don't decide it (DOL Fact Sheet #17A). Many states add their own tests and salary levels, so check the state where the person will actually work.

This is where the title-only mistake happens. An "Operations Manager" who spends the day scheduling, ordering supplies, and covering the front desk, with nobody reporting to them, may not qualify for the executive exemption regardless of the title. Settle classification before the letter goes out, not after the first overtime question.

Exempt version:

This is a full-time, salaried position classified as exempt from overtime under applicable law. Your annual base salary is $[amount], paid in [biweekly / semimonthly] installments of $[amount per pay period], less applicable withholdings, on [Company short name]'s regular payroll schedule. Your typical schedule is [days and core hours], with flexibility based on the needs of the role.

Salaried nonexempt version:

This is a full-time, salaried position classified as nonexempt. Your base salary is $[amount] per [week / pay period] for a regular schedule of [number] hours per week, paid [frequency]. You are eligible for overtime pay as required by federal and state law.

Ask payroll how they calculate overtime for salaried nonexempt staff before you send this version. The letter should match what payroll will actually do.

Offer Letter Email Template

Send the letter as an attachment or e-signature link with a short email. The email confirms the deadline and tells the candidate what comes next. It shouldn't restate pay or add terms the letter doesn't have, because two documents with two versions of the offer is how disputes start.

Give a specific deadline with a date, time, and time zone. The right window depends on the role and the candidate's situation, so there's no universal number. A clear deadline is a courtesy. A fake one, like "this offer expires tonight" when it doesn't, is pressure, and candidates can tell. Say how to ask for more time and answer fast. It's the same rule behind good candidate experience at every other stage: tell people what happens next and when.

Subject: Your offer for [Job title] at [Company short name]

Hi [Candidate first name],

Thank you for the time you've put into our interview process. I'm happy to share our offer for the [Job title] role on the [team name] team.

Your offer letter is [attached / ready to review and sign here: (link)]. It covers your role, pay, start date of [Month Day], benefit eligibility, and the conditions that need to clear before you start.

Please reply or sign by [time and time zone] on [Weekday, Month Day]. If you have questions or need more time to decide, tell me before then and I'll get back to you within [response time].

After you accept, you'll get separate emails for [background check authorization / onboarding paperwork / Form I-9 instructions].

If it's easier to talk anything through, I can set up a call.

[Your name] [Title] [Phone]

Pre-Send Checklist

Run this before every send, ideally with a second person checking the letter against the approval record rather than the draft.

1. Title, manager, location, and full- or part-time status match the approved requisition.
2. The start date is the same in the letter, the offer email, the ATS, and payroll or HRIS.
3. Pay basis matches the role: hourly roles show an hourly rate, any annual figure is labeled as an estimate, and pay frequency matches your payroll calendar.
4. Exempt or nonexempt status was decided on duties and pay, not title, and state rules were checked.
5. Benefit wording comes from the current enrollment guide, including waiting periods and coverage start dates.
6. Every contingency appears above the signature line.
7. If you run background checks, the separate disclosure and authorization are ready, the same standard applies to everyone in this role, and state and local timing rules are checked.
8. No medical questions appear in the letter or anywhere before the conditional offer.
9. I-9 wording doesn't name specific documents.
10. If references come after the offer, they're listed as a contingency and you're using the same reference check questions for every finalist.
11. Nothing promises more than the plan documents support: no guaranteed bonus, no "permanent role," no fixed duration unless counsel approved it.
12. The deadline has a date, time, time zone, and a named contact.
13. The person signing for the company has authority to make the offer.

Mistakes this checklist catches

• A start date moved in an email thread but never updated in the ATS, so payroll sets up the wrong first pay period and the laptop arrives a week late.
• A background check contingency added as a note below the signature line, which the candidate later says they never saw.
• Benefit language copied from an old letter that promises coverage "on your first day" when the current plan starts on the first of the month after a waiting period.
• A friendly "please bring your passport on day one," which tells the employee which I-9 document to present. Point them to the list of acceptable documents instead.

Key Takeaways

• Use one core offer letter template and swap in pay clauses by classification, instead of keeping a folder of near-duplicate letters.
• Put decision terms in the letter, reference plans and policies that can change, and keep background check disclosures, medical questions, I-9 steps, and restrictive covenants separate.
• Salary doesn't make a role exempt, and neither does a title. Classify on duties and pay tests, and check state rules.
• Put every contingency above the signature line, and never name specific I-9 documents.
• Give a real deadline with a date, time, and contact, and make it easy to ask for more time.
• Check the letter against the approval record and payroll setup before it goes out, not after the candidate signs.