How to Ask for a Raise: 7 Steps to Get the Salary You Deserve
To ask for a raise, schedule a dedicated meeting with your manager, document your accomplishments with specific metrics, research market rates for your role, and state a clear salary figure based on your value. Timing matters: ask after a major win or during budget planning, never during cost cuts.
How to Ask for a Raise Successfully
To ask for a raise, you schedule a private meeting with your manager, present documented evidence of your contributions with numbers, cite market salary data for your position, and request a specific percentage or dollar amount.
Most employees wait too long or ask without preparation. The difference between a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and a 15% merit increase is a structured request backed by proof of your value.
This guide walks you through exactly when to ask for a raise, how to build your case, what to say in the meeting, and how to negotiate salary like a professional. You will leave with a script you can customize and a timeline that maximizes your odds.
Why Timing Your Raise Request Matters
Asking for a raise during budget-planning season (typically Q4 or early Q1 for most companies) gives your manager room to allocate funds. Requesting a salary increase the week after layoffs or a missed earnings report cuts your approval odds in half.
Track your company's fiscal calendar. If annual reviews happen in January, start the conversation in November so your raise appears in the new-year budget.
Ask within two weeks of a quantifiable win: a closed deal, a successful product launch, a major cost saving you led. Your manager's memory is freshest, and the timing frames your request as a reward for results, not an entitlement.
Step-by-Step: How to Ask for a Raise
Follow this sequence to prepare and deliver a raise request that positions you as a high-performer solving your manager's problems.
1. Document your accomplishments for the past 12 months. List projects you led, revenue you generated, costs you cut, processes you improved, and any metrics that moved because of your work.
2. Research salary benchmarks for your role and location. Use Glassdoor, Payscale, Bureau of Labor Statistics data, or industry salary surveys to find the market rate for your job title, years of experience, and metro area.
3. Determine your target salary increase. Decide on a specific number ("I am requesting a salary of $75,000") or a percentage ("a 12% increase").
4. Schedule a dedicated meeting. Email your manager: "I would like to schedule 30 minutes to discuss my compensation and performance." Do not ambush them in a hallway or tack this onto a project update.
5. Prepare a one-page summary. Create a simple document with three sections: Key Achievements (bullet list with metrics), Market Data (one-sentence benchmark), and Request (your target salary).
6. Deliver your raise request with confidence. Use this script: "Thank you for meeting with me.
7. Negotiate and set a follow-up. If your manager says yes, confirm the new salary and effective date in writing.
For more strategies on advancing your earning potential, explore our [career and income](/career-and-income) resources.
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Salary Increase Request: Sample Numbers
Here is how a $70,000-per-year employee might frame a 10% raise request based on performance and market data.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Current salary | $70,000/year |
| Market median (same role, city) | $76,000/year |
| Your target | $77,000/year (10% increase) |
| Key metric 1 | Led project that cut vendor costs by $85,000 annually |
| Key metric 2 | Onboarded 12 new hires; retention rate 92% vs. company 78% |
| Key metric 3 | Took on manager responsibilities for six months during transition |
| Request sentence | "I am requesting a salary of $77,000, reflecting a 10% increase based on my documented impact and market alignment." |
This table becomes your leave-behind document. It summarizes your case in 10 seconds.
Common Mistakes When Asking for a Raise
Mistake: Asking because you need more money. Your rent, student loans, or credit card debt are not your employer's problem. Frame your request around the value you deliver, not your personal budget.
Mistake: Comparing yourself to coworkers. Saying "John makes more than me" invites your manager to explain why John is different. Focus on your own market value and contributions.
Mistake: Accepting the first "no" as final. If your manager denies your request, ask what you need to achieve in the next 90 days to revisit the conversation. Get specific goals in writing and schedule a follow-up meeting now.
Mistake: Threatening to quit without a competing offer. Ultimatums backfire unless you have a signed offer letter in hand. If you are serious about leaving, start interviewing and use a real offer as leverage or simply accept the new job.
Mistake: Asking via email or Slack. Salary negotiation is a face-to-face (or video) conversation. Written requests make it easy for your manager to delay or dismiss you without dialogue.
How to Negotiate Salary After the Initial Offer
If your manager offers a 5% raise when you requested 10%, respond with: "I appreciate the offer. Given [specific accomplishment], is there flexibility to move closer to [your target]?"
Silence is a negotiation tool. After you state your number, stop talking.
If salary is truly frozen, negotiate non-monetary compensation: an extra week of PTO, a professional development budget, a title change that sets you up for the next jump, remote-work flexibility, or a written performance plan that triggers a raise in six months.
For side-income strategies that complement your salary growth, visit our [start a business](/start-a-business) section.
When to Walk Away
If you have asked for a raise twice in 18 months with documented results, received market-rate offers elsewhere, and your employer still will not move, you are working for a company that does not reward performance.
Start interviewing. The fastest salary increase most professionals ever see is switching jobs.
Before you resign, check our [money and debt](/money-and-debt) guide to ensure you have three months of expenses saved and understand how a job change affects benefits like 401(k) matching and health insurance.
FAQ
What is the best time of year to ask for a raise?
The best time to ask for a raise is during your company's budget-planning cycle (usually Q4 or early Q1) or within two weeks of a major accomplishment. Avoid asking during layoffs, cost cuts, or missed revenue targets.
How much of a raise should I ask for?
Ask for a raise between 10% and 20% if you have strong documented performance and market data showing you are underpaid. For standard merit increases, 5-8% is realistic.
How do you ask for a raise in an email?
Do not ask for a raise in an email as your primary method. Instead, email to request a meeting: "I would like to schedule 30 minutes this week to discuss my compensation and contributions." After your in-person or video conversation, send a follow-up email summarizing what you discussed, the agreed-upon next steps, and any timeline for a decision.
What should I say when asking for a raise?
Say: "Over the past [timeframe], I have [specific achievement with numbers]. Based on market research showing [role] in [location] earning [range], I am requesting a salary of [$X] or a [Y]% increase." Keep it factual, confident, and tied to value you have delivered.
Can I ask for a raise after 6 months?
You can ask for a raise after six months if you were hired below market rate, your role expanded significantly beyond the original job description, or you delivered exceptional results that were not anticipated at hire. Most companies expect 12-18 months between raises, so your case must be unusually strong.
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