Career Coach

How to ask for a raise

Updated

Ask in a meeting set up for this one topic, with proof of what you delivered and a specific number. Your results justify the raise, the market rate sets the number, and a clear ask makes it easy for your manager to take it to whoever approves budgets. If the answer is no, leave with a date and a list of what would make it a yes.

What to do

  1. Pick your moment. The best windows are a few weeks before budgets are set, right after a big win, or when your responsibilities just grew. Avoid the week of a layoff announcement or a bad quarter.
  2. Build your proof. List three to five results since your last raise, with numbers where you can: money saved, revenue, time cut, customers kept, people trained. Add anything you now do that is above your job description.
  3. Choose one number. Check what your role pays in your area (see how to check if you are underpaid), then pick a specific figure at the upper end of what you can defend. A precise number sounds researched; a vague range invites the low end.
  4. Book the meeting. Ask for 20 minutes "to talk about my compensation" so your manager is not caught off guard. Do it face to face or on video, not in a hallway.
  5. Say it, then stop. State your results, your number, and your reason in under two minutes. Then stay quiet. Silence feels long, but filling it usually means you start negotiating against yourself.
  6. Handle the no. Ask: what would I need to show, and by when, to get there? Write the answer down and send it back by email the same day so you both have a record.

What to say

Open the meeting with this, then pause:

Thanks for making time. Over the past year I've taken on the client onboarding, cut our response time in half, and trained the two new hires. I've looked at what this role pays in our area, and I'd like to bring my salary to [your number]. I think the results support it. What would it take to make that happen?

Avoid

  • Don't base the ask on personal needs like rent or a new baby: pay follows value and market rate, not expenses.
  • Don't threaten to quit unless you have an offer in hand and are ready to take it.
  • Don't accept a vague "we'll see": ask for a date to revisit and what you need to show by then.

Your situation

When was your last raise?
Has your role grown since you started?

Questions

How much of a raise should I ask for?

Base it on what your role pays in your area and on how far your responsibilities have grown. Pick one specific number you can defend with results, not a percentage pulled from a forum.

Should I ask for a raise during my performance review?

You can, but the decision is often already made by then. Raising it a month or two before reviews or budget planning gives your manager time to fight for it.

What if my manager says there is no budget?

Ask when the next budget is set and what you would need to show by then. You can also ask for things that cost less, like a title change, a bonus, training or extra time off.