Job offer letter template
An offer letter is the written version of the job offer you just made by phone: the title, the pay, the start date and the conditions, with a line for the candidate to accept. Kept short and accurate, it gets a yes quickly without promising more than you mean to. This template is for full-time or part-time hires in the US. Read it below, then fill it in and send it from SignMaster while the candidate is still excited.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Hiring manager
- Candidate
Job Offer Letter
Date: Letter date
Dear Candidate name,
We are pleased to offer you the position of Job title at Company name (the "Company"), reporting to Manager name and title. This letter sets out the terms of our offer.
1. Start date, location and schedule
Your first day will be Start date. You will work at Work location, on a Schedule basis. On your first day, please arrive at First-day arrival.
2. Pay
You will be paid Pay rate per Pay rate period, paid Pay frequency, less the taxes and deductions the law requires or you authorize. This position is classified as Exempt or non-exempt under federal and state wage laws; if it is non-exempt, you will be paid overtime as the law requires.
3. Bonus or commission
You will be eligible for: Bonus or commission. Any bonus or commission is governed by the Company's written plan, which controls if it differs from this summary. If this line is blank, the position has no bonus or commission.
4. Benefits and time off
You will be eligible for these benefits, subject to each plan's terms and waiting periods: Benefits summary. You will receive this paid time off: Paid time off. The Company may change its benefit plans and policies from time to time.
5. Conditions of this offer
This offer depends on: Conditions of the offer. As federal law requires for every new hire, you will also need to complete Form I-9, with Section 1 on or before your first day, and show documents proving your identity and authorization to work in the United States within three business days of your start date. Any background check will be done only with your separate written authorization.
6. Other agreements
As a condition of employment, you will also sign: Other agreements to sign.
7. Your first weeks and our policies
Your first Introductory days days are an introductory period, in which your manager will check in with you regularly and give you feedback; it does not change the at-will terms below. On your first day you will receive the employee handbook, and you will be expected to follow the Company's written policies as they may be updated. If you have any questions about this offer or your first day, please contact Contact for questions, who will be glad to help before you decide.
8. At-will employment
Your employment with the Company is at will, unless the law of the state where you work provides otherwise. This means either you or the Company may end it at any time, with or without cause or notice. Nothing in this letter or in any Company policy promises employment for a particular length of time. Only a written agreement signed by you and an officer of the Company can change this.
9. Accepting this offer
This letter, with the agreements listed in section 6, is the complete offer and replaces any earlier conversations about it. To accept, please sign below by Acceptance deadline, after which this offer expires. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely, Signer name and title, for the Company
Acceptance
Name you'd like us to use at work: Preferred name Phone: Candidate phone
I accept this offer of employment on the terms in this letter, including the at-will terms in section 8.
For the Company
Candidate
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Offer letter or employment agreement?
Most small businesses only need an offer letter. It confirms the basics and keeps employment at will, so either side can end it. An employment agreement is longer and is usually for senior roles or anyone with a fixed term, severance, or detailed ownership and confidentiality terms. If you use both, the offer letter can refer to the agreement and attach it.
What the template covers
- The role: job title, manager, work location, and full-time or part-time.
- Pay and classification: the rate, the pay schedule, and whether the role is exempt or non-exempt from overtime.
- Bonus or commission: described in a sentence, with a pointer to the written plan.
- Benefits and time off: a summary, with the plan documents in charge of the detail.
- Start date and the first-day details the candidate needs.
- Contingencies: background check, references, and the Form I-9 documents federal law requires.
- At-will employment: stated plainly, and that only a signed written agreement can change it.
- Acceptance deadline: the date the offer lapses, with a signature line to accept.
Wording that causes trouble later
Offer letters get quoted back in disputes, so read yours as a lawyer would. "Annual salary" next to a promise of "long-term growth" can be read as a one-year commitment; state the pay per year but keep the at-will sentence close by. "Permanent position" suggests a job that can't be ended. A bonus described as "guaranteed" will be owed. Every US state presumes at-will employment except Montana, where a worker who has finished a probation period can generally be dismissed only for good cause.
Mistakes to avoid
- Guessing the overtime classification. Exempt status depends on the duties and the salary level under federal and state law, not the job title.
- Running a background check on the strength of the offer letter. Reports from a background check company need their own standalone disclosure and authorization.
- Folding Form I-9 into the offer. It has its own rules for electronic signatures; complete it separately.
- No acceptance deadline. Without one, a candidate can accept weeks later after you've moved on.
- Spelling out every benefit detail. Plans change; summarize them and point to the plan documents.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the letter
Choose Use this template. It opens in SignMaster with the hiring manager signing first, so the candidate receives an offer that's already signed, and the candidate signing second to accept.
- 2
Fill in the offer
Type the gray blanks: title, manager, location, pay, classification, start date, benefits summary, contingencies and the acceptance deadline. Save a copy per role you hire often, with the pay and benefits already filled in.
- 3
Add the paperwork that goes with it
Put the confidentiality agreement or background check authorization in the same envelope, so the candidate signs everything in one sitting. Keep Form I-9 separate.
- 4
Set the deadline and watch for the yes
Make the sign-by date match the acceptance deadline. When the candidate signs, everyone gets the PDF with its certificate of completion, and you can start onboarding. If they decline, they can tell you why.
Hiring a seasonal crew
Seasonal businesses hire dozens of people for the same roles at once: landscapers in spring, holiday lighting installers in the fall, summer camp counselors. Put the hires in a spreadsheet with columns named after the gray blanks (Job title, Pay rate, Start date) and bulk send sends each person their own offer. The signing page can appear in Spanish and other languages, which helps when crews include people more comfortable outside English.
Questions? Answers.
Is an offer letter legally binding?
Partly. Once accepted, the pay and other terms it states are generally enforceable, but with at-will wording it doesn't guarantee a job for any length of time.
Should the employer sign the offer letter first?
It's common. This template has the hiring manager sign first, so the candidate receives a signed offer and their signature completes it. You can reverse the order if you prefer.
Can a candidate sign an offer letter electronically?
Yes. E-signatures are generally valid for offer letters. Form I-9 is the exception in the hiring stack, with its own federal e-signature rules. See the I-9 guide.
What if the candidate wants to negotiate?
They can decline with a reason, such as a counteroffer on pay. Update the blanks and send a fresh letter; don't edit an offer they've already signed.