How do you ask for a raise at work?

Think for a moment: When was the last time you received a raise? And how much was it for? 

Did you know the average annual employee raise is 3 to 5%? And did you know the average salary increase when moving to a new company is 10 to 20%? We have helped professionals earn up to $100,000 more per year, and I want to show you how. 

So the real question to be asking yourself is how are you going to spend the money once you start making more of it? Go on vacation? Pay off some debts? Save up for a down payment on a house?

Look, if you haven’t received a raise in a while (or ever), you may be asking yourself if you should ask for a raise—or how you can even go about doing so.

The truth is, most professionals have never asked for a raise at work because it seems weird (or even inappropriate?) to initiate that conversation. The truth is, it’s very, very normal to ask for a raise when it is due.

When you know how to do it well, asking for a pay increase raise is not awkward at all. In many cases, when done right, it can actually help to elevate your reputation in the company as a confident professional who understands industry trends, who communicates well, and who values the work your company is doing.

Step 1: Start Sharing Your Wins Now

If you are doing good work, you should be sharing your results, accomplishments, and wins with your manager on a regular basis. Waiting for an annual review is missing 364 other opportunities to reinforce your value to the company.

That doesn’t mean you need to schedule a monthly meeting with your boss and present a long slide deck of all your successes. However, a quick email or chat to share a successful project, new deal, climbing metrics, etc., can go a long way—especially after you start to stack them up.

In many cases, your boss may even appreciate the updates. If you can frame your wins as their wins too, your manager will likely appreciate the opportunity to share those results up the ladder as well (as wins for both them and for you). 

When you do get around to asking for a salary bump raise, your manager will already know how well you’re doing. So whether or not it’s time to ask for a raise, start thinking about easy ways you can share quick wins with your boss as they happen.

Step 2: Do Your Research

Before you initiate the conversation about a raise, make sure you know what you’re worth. There are a few ways to find out, and you should use as many of them as you can for a well-rounded perspective.

Salary Websites

There are several websites such as Glassdoor, Payscale, Salary.com, Blind, and FishBowl—that anonymously collect salary data and make it available to the public. Search for your job title in your city and within your company (or similar companies) to see how much money your peers are making.

A few caveats to keep in mind:

• Each website will provide different numbers. Gather the best data from each site, and create your best average estimate across all the salary sites.

• Salaries vary according to many different factors, including experience, education, etc. If you’re relatively new to your field or company, for example, your peers (who average more experience or tenure) might be making more—and that’s to be expected. And vice versa-–in other words, make sure you are not settling for compensation on the lower side of the pay scale if you have ample skills and experience. 

• The same job title can mean different things at different companies. A marketing “analyst,” for example, might be a very technical, backend position at some companies, but a very big-picture, strategic position at others. If your field is new and growing, or if your title is somewhat ambiguous, salary data will be more subjective.

Salary websites alone cannot provide exhaustive or conclusive findings, they are a very easy and helpful place to start.

Recruiters and Career Coaches

Professional recruiters and career coaches have a lot of considerable first-hand experience with salary and raise rates. They may also have access to specific salary data for your company.

While how much of that data they are willing to share will vary from one agency or coach to the next, but it’s worth calling around to see what kind of information you can gather.

Industry Contacts

You never want to directly ask a colleague how much he or she makes, of course, but you can ask a manager at another company about the salary range of their team members. You might also talk to experienced industry professionals, and ask how much someone in your position “should be” making.

Remember that initiating a conversation about a raise is not uncommon or unprofessional, which means gathering some information is not unprofessional either. It’s okay to tell someone you have a review coming up, or you’re evaluating options and trying to put together a rough idea of what you should expect.

Step 3: Consider the Timing

While it probably shouldn’t be, but timing can be a big factor when asking for a raise. Ideally, your salary, and the result of a conversation about a raise, would be based completely on your professional merit. However, that’s not always the case.

There are some timing considerations to think through and investigate, as necessary, include:

How is the company doing financially?

Is business booming or are belts tightening? 

Some companies (especially smaller ones) are still struggling after COVID-19 closures and restrictions. Even many medium and large companies had to skip raises, limit benefits, and downsize staff to get through the economic pressures of 2020 (and beyond).

If you know or discover, that the company had to make cuts recently, it may not be a good time to ask for a raise. (However, it is always a good time to demonstrate how you’re making or saving the company money.)

How’s your boss?

If your company or your team is still working mostly remotely, it can be difficult to know how your boss is doing. If you’re not sure - check-in. 

Send a casual email to share a recent win, and at the same time, ask how your manager is doing. Depending on your relationship with your manager, you might, for example:

• Ask about a specific project you know he/she was working on. Did it ship on time? Did the C-suite love it?

• Ask if there is anything you can take off his/her plate if you have the bandwidth. Are there any additional projects you can offer to help with? The answer you receive can be a clue as to how busy or stressed they are. 

If your manager is extra stressed, it’s probably not a good time to ask for a raise. (However, it is a good time to step in and help, however, you can. Your manager will remember your extra effort and team-playing attitude when the storm passes and it’s time to talk about that raise.)

How’s your work?

Take a step back and honestly to assess your work over the past six, nine, and twelve months (or longer, if it’s been that long since you had a raise). Try to be objective and analyze your progress and productivity as if you were a manager evaluating your direct report. Have you been consistently on time? Have you gone above and beyond? Have you accepted additional responsibilities?

If you’re killing it lately, this could be an advantageous time to talk about a raise. If you’ve been struggling, however, it’s probably not a good time. (On the other hand, But it probably is a good time to ask for help or take other steps to improve yourself and the results of your work. Maybe it’s a good time to shoulder more responsibility or up your leadership game.)

What’s your company’s review cycle look like?

If your company has regular review cycles, it’s a good idea to talk to your manager about a raise a few months before your normal review. Too many professionals just wait for their annual review and settle for a smaller raise than what they could have received if they would have applied a bit more effort throughout the year.

Leadership teams discuss reviews and raises months before those annual review meetings. This means that by the time you sit down with your manager for an annual review, your raise rate has most likely already been decided. At this stage, positively affecting this previous decision can be much more difficult.

However, if you schedule a conversation with your manager a few months before your annual review, you will have a much better opportunity to make your case before the new salary budget is set in stone. Your manager will take all of the information and research you bring about industry salary standards, your successes, etc., into account during conversations with leadership and HR at the appropriate time (not after the fact).

Finally, reviewing or learning about your company’s annual review and raise cycles will give you an idea of standard raise rates. While most companies offer annual raises between one and five percent, knowing what is normal for your company will help you to be aware of what to expect and what would be a reasonable request.

Want help clarifying how to ask for a raise like a pro? Plus define your best career path, make more money, and gain real career satisfaction without exhausting yourself in the process, or sacrificing your personal values?
Discover How To Increase Your Income By $20K to $100K or MORE Per YEAR!... By Making ONE Simple Change To Your Career! Watch this short 9-minute FREE Masterclass to learn more featuring Chief Career Strategist Sonja Price.

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Step 4: What to Say (and What Not to Say) When Asking for a Raise

You’ve been sharing wins. You know what you’re worth, and the timing is a good time to ask for a raise. Now...what exactly are you going to say?! Here are a few tips for coming across as a professional during this conversation:

Keep it concise.

Do not bring a full report or a slide presentation; honor your manager’s time. They are probably not going to make a decision on the spot, which means that you are primarily initiating the conversation and providing highlights for their consideration.

Highlight a few key accomplishments and/or areas where you’ve taken on greater responsibility. For instance, point out how your work created bottom-line results that saved the company money or increased revenue. Then simply: “I would like to discuss my salary.”

Be clear and specific.

It might feel awkward to be direct about salary numbers, but it’s much easier on your manager than being vague and unsure. (If you’re nervous, and think you might falter a bit here, practice the conversation in a mirror or with your dog a few times.) Being clear and specific means:

• Have a dollar amount in mind and have the research/data to back it up.

• Have a timeline in mind for when you think it is reasonable for your raise to begin.

You may also want to bring a short (one page) summary that you can leave with your manager. He or she may need to keep it for review, and they may need to have something to pass on to HR and leadership for approval. That report should highlight a few key accomplishments and include a salary report demonstrating similar rates for your position across your industry or with similar companies.

Focus on your work, not on your need.

You may be feeling financial pressure at home, but this is not the time to bring it up. Keep the conversation professional, so that no one can later accuse you of trying to manipulate your manager.

Emphasize shared goals and vision.

Managers appreciate a team player and loyalty is often rewarded. 

Let your manager know that you understand his or her goals by echoing them back, and emphasizing how you fit in. “I know we want this department to get to X, and I think I can help best by doing Y.”  Demonstrate that you’re not only interested in your manager’s goals, but that you’re an integral part of those goals and the team efforts to accomplish them.

Finally, reference your future with the company in general. Identify where you think the company is headed, and how you hope to grow within the company. “I know this company is going to be a leader in X in a few years, and I’m excited to be part of that …” Show your leadership initiative and that you are committed.

Step 5: Prepare to Fail (Gracefully)

Even first-rate preparation and a professional, well-conducted meeting are not guarantees that you’ll walk away with a raise. Your best research might have overlooked a financial difficulty that your department is currently dealing with, or your manager might not be in agreement with how you evaluate your success. There are a dozen reasons why you might not be offered the raise you’re asking for.

In that case, the best thing you can do is take it in stride and not appear surprised.

Ask when you can reconnect.

In almost every case, you can ask for a good timeline to reconnect about your raise in the future. This leaves the conversation open and turns almost any, “No,” into a, “Not yet.” 

• If your managers need to check with HR or other leadership, agree on a date when you can check in to see how that conversation went.

• If a raise isn’t in the budget right now, agree on a good time for you to ask again in six or nine months—or whenever is best for the organization/team. Also, keep in mind what we covered earlier about the annual review cycle and when those annual decisions typically get made.  

Negotiate other benefits instead.

If a raise isn’t possible, because of the company’s finances or otherwise, you may still be able to negotiate for other benefits. For instance, if your manager tells you a raise is impossible right now, get creative and ask about:

• More paid time off (PTO)
• A title change, with the salary to follow at a better time
• A paid training/certification or a ticket to a conference you’ve been wanting to attend
• Flextime
• Half-day Fridays
• Or anything else that could be beneficial for you and your career growth 

If there are other benefits available at the company that generally kick in at your next anniversary milestone, ask about moving those up. If a raise really isn’t in the budget, negotiating other benefits can be a win-win, especially if you receive considerable value from it and the company is not spending much to provide it for you.

Create a growth opportunity.

If the answer to all of the above is just, “No,” respond with humility and ask what you can do to earn a raise in the future. 

If your manager lists a few growth opportunities on the spot, you can walk away with an actionable list (and probably a better idea of why you didn’t get the raise you asked for). In most cases, your manager will probably need some time to consider and evaluate your request, but if they are willing to help put together a plan for you—take it! And always express your gratitude for their partnership and support of you and your career growth.

Either way, whether you get an immediate list of opportunities or you reconnect at a future point in time, set up some accountability. 

• Make sure there are specific, measurable goals outlined, such as growth numbers to hit or timelines to maintain. If an opportunity is listed as something like, “Get better at...” push back with, “Great. I know I need to do that. How would you define success for this point?”

• Establish a timeline. Schedule another meeting 3 to 6 months out and plan to reconnect to demonstrate your progress.

Once you have that plan, you can decide what to do with it. If you like working at your company and you think that your manager is sincere—if you see real growth potential where you’re at—you can smash those goals, get your raise, and continue to grow.

If, however, the plan seems unreasonable or you don’t really see much room to grow at the company, it might be time to consider a career move. 

Worse, if your manager can’t (or won’t) provide specifics, it’s definitely time to make a career move. That’s a clear sign that there isn’t much opportunity for you to advance with your current company, and you’ll probably have to go elsewhere to improve your salary.

What’s Next? After Your Pay-Raise Conversation...

However, the conversation ends, wrap it up by summarizing your understanding and make sure you and your manager are on the same page. 

• If your manager agreed on the spot, reiterate that you’re going to get an X% pay increase (or other benefits) starting on Y (date).
  
  
• If your manager needs to discuss with other leadership or HR, make sure you both know the date on which you’re going to check in again.
  
  
• If the answer is, “No,” make sure you’re clear on your opportunities for improvement, or when you’re going to reconnect to get those details from your manager.

Then, keep doing great work! If you’re getting a raise, demonstrate that you really are worth it. If you’re not getting a raise, your manager may expect you to be disappointed, so prove that it’s not going to affect the quality of your work. No matter how the conversation ended, you can be sure that your manager is going to be watching you a little more closely.

Asking for a Raise Like a Pro

Asking for a raise is really not uncommon, and it does not have to be awkward. Be sure to time the conversation well, be prepared to provide data to back up your request and be professional throughout the entire process. 

If you’re due for a raise, start building your case immediately by creating a habit of sharing wins with your boss. Then, do a little research to figure out roughly what you’re worth.

If you need some more assistance, Dynamo Careers is here to help! 

We work with career professionals across a wide range of industries and roles. The majority of our clients work in tech companies along the west coast and throughout the southwest. So if you work in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco (Bay Area), Boise, Los Angeles/Orange County, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Denver, or Austin, we may have some relevant salary data to share. 

Remember: The average annual employee raise is 3 to 5%, and the average salary increase when moving to a new company is 10 to 20%. Dynamo Careers engages with professionals to help ensure you can achieve the absolute highest salary increase possible. Using our unique and highly customized career coaching process, we have even helped some clients earn up to $100,000 more per year! 

We’ve helped scores of clients muster the confidence and the clarity to know exactly when and how to have these conversations—with outstanding success! And if you are looking to significantly increase your income, one of the easiest ways to do so is to get a new job with a new company. Dynamo Careers can help you ensure that you achieve the absolute highest salary increase possible!

For the very best chance of earning that raise, you are due, you want an experienced and results-oriented career coach on your side.

Send us a message or watch our free career masterclass today!

Sonja Price

Dynamo Careers

Chief Career Strategist