How to Ask for a Raise

To ask for a raise, benchmark your role against the market, build a written case for the value you have delivered, request a specific number, usually a 5 to 15 percent increase, at the right moment, and follow up in writing. The most effective raise requests are scheduled conversations backed by evidence, not spontaneous asks in a hallway. This is career coaching, not legal, financial, or HR advice, and the figures here are estimates to adapt to your role and company.

Step 1: Benchmark your current pay

Find out what your role pays in the wider market for your title, level, location, and industry. If you are 10 to 20 percent below the market median, that gap is your strongest argument. If you are already at the top of the band, the case shifts toward expanded scope or a title change. Anchor the conversation in data with a market-rate benchmark rather than a feeling that you are underpaid.

Step 2: Build your value case

A raise is granted for value delivered and expected, not for tenure or need. Write down three to five concrete contributions from the last 6 to 12 months, quantified where you can:

• Revenue or savings you drove, in dollars or percentages.
• Projects you led and what they unlocked.
• Scope you have taken on beyond your original role.
• Problems you solved that would be costly to lose.

This evidence becomes the backbone of your raise request.

Step 3: Pick the right number

For a standard raise, 5 to 15 percent is a realistic range. Aim higher within that window if you are clearly below market or have taken on a meaningfully larger role; aim lower if you are already well paid. If you are also seeking a promotion, increases of 10 to 20 percent are common because the role itself changes. See promotion for that path. Lock in your target with a counteroffer calculator.

Step 4: Time it well

Timing can make or break the ask. Strong moments include:

1. Just after a clear win or a successful project delivery.
2. During a performance review, when comp is already on the table.
3. Before budgets are set for the next cycle, not after they close.
4. When you have recently taken on responsibilities above your level.

Avoid asking during a layoff round, a bad quarter, or your manager's busiest crunch. For more on windows, see timing advice.

Step 5: Make the ask clearly

Request the meeting in advance so your manager is not caught off guard, then be direct:

"Over the past year I have led the migration project and taken on the analytics roadmap, which has driven measurable results. Based on that work and the market range for this role, I would like to discuss moving my salary to 95,000 USD. How do we get there?"

State the number, give the reason, then let your manager respond. For full wording, see negotiation scripts.

Step 6: Handle the response and follow up

If the answer is yes, confirm the new number, effective date, and any conditions in writing. If it is "not now," turn it into a plan: "What specific results would justify this increase, and can we set a check-in for three months from now?" A vague no becomes a concrete path. Either way, send a short follow-up email summarizing what you discussed.

The takeaway

Asking for a raise works best as a prepared, evidence-backed conversation: benchmark, build your case, request 5 to 15 percent at the right time, and follow up in writing. Counteroffer assembles your benchmark, your number, and your script into one plan. These ranges are estimates and this is coaching, not legal, financial, or HR advice. See how it works and prepare your ask in minutes.