How Do I Ask for a Raise?

You want a raise, and you shouldn’t wing it. Pick the right moment after a clear win, gather market data, and document measurable impact on a single page. Schedule a private meeting and practice a concise script. Do this wrong and you’ll stall; do it right and you’ll change the conversation—here’s how to prepare.

Timing and Preparation

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When’s the right moment to ask for a raise? You pick a time after a clear win—finished projects, exceeded goals, or when your responsibilities have grown.

Don’t spring it on a busy or stressed manager; schedule a dedicated meeting and give them agenda notice.

Prepare a brief, evidence-based pitch: list outcomes, metrics, client praise, and added duties that show impact. Practice your opening and responses to likely questions so you stay calm and concise.

Have documentation ready—performance notes, emails, project summaries—that you can share.

Also consider company timing: avoid layoffs, earnings releases, or leadership transitions. Being strategic about timing and prepared with concrete achievements boosts your credibility and makes the conversation much more persuasive. You’ll leave the meeting projecting confidence and clear value too.

Researching Your Market Value

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How much should you be earning for the role and location? Use salary databases like Payscale, Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary and industry reports to gather ranges for your title, level and city.

Filter by years of experience, company size and remote versus onsite work.

Check recruiter job posts and professional associations for current market rates.

Convert compensation components—base, bonuses, equity and benefits—into a total figure to compare offers apples-to-apples.

Adjust for local cost of living and tax differences if you’re considering relocation or remote options.

Look for consistent signals across sources rather than single outliers.

Having a realistic market range helps you set a confident target and identify whether your pay aligns with market norms.

Bring this data to conversations, and remain flexible in expectations.

Documenting Your Achievements and Impact

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After you’ve gathered market data, document your achievements and impact so you can show why your target pay is justified. List specific projects, outcomes, metrics, timelines, and your role.

Quantify results: revenue gained, costs cut, efficiency improved, customers retained, or error rates reduced. Tie each result to company goals and include sources: reports, dashboards, client emails, or peer feedback.

Highlight leadership, cross‑functional influence, and skills you developed that enabled outcomes. Create a one‑page summary and a short slide or talking points for your manager.

Keep dates and numbers verifiable and avoid vague adjectives. Update this dossier regularly so you’ll enter any raise conversation with clear, evidence‑based claims that make your contribution undeniable. Save backups and organize files for easy reference during performance reviews now.

Making the Ask and Handling Negotiation

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Where you schedule the conversation and how you open it sets the tone, so pick a private, calm moment—ideally after a clear win—and lead with your one‑page summary.

State your requested salary or range confidently, tie it to documented outcomes, and explain market data briefly.

Pause for your manager’s response; listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and handle objections with facts, not defensiveness.

If they counteroffer, evaluate total compensation—bonus, benefits, growth—and propose alternatives like phased increases or targets for review.

Use silence strategically and avoid apologizing for asking.

If they need time, agree on when you’ll revisit the discussion.

Stay professional and collaborative: aim for a solution that reflects your value while preserving the relationship.

Keep notes during the talk so you remember key commitments.

Follow-Up, Feedback, and Next Steps

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Set clear next steps immediately: send a brief follow‑up email that thanks your manager, summarizes what you asked for, records any counteroffers or promised actions, and confirms dates or metrics for the next review.

Then ask for specific feedback on what you can improve and which achievements would justify the raise.

Note agreed milestones in a shared doc or calendar invite so nothing slips.

If they’ll need time, politely request a timeline and what evidence they want.

Use the feedback to adjust priorities and track progress weekly.

Keep tone professional and curious, not defensive.

If you hit targets, remind them with concise updates.

If circumstances change, revisit expectations and propose alternative compensation or timing.

Document outcomes and celebrate progress to reinforce your case regularly

Conclusion

You’ll pick the right moment after a clear win, book a private meeting, and send a brief agenda. Prepare a one‑page summary with measurable achievements, market data, and added responsibilities, and rehearse a concise script. State your requested salary or range confidently and tie it to evidence, then listen and ask clarifying questions. If needed, negotiate total compensation or phased increases, follow up in writing, and set measurable milestones for a future review and timelines.