Asking for a raise
How to Ask for a Raise (and Actually Get It)
Asking for a raise is not about needing more money; it is about making a clear case that your value has grown. Managers are rarely surprised by the ask, and a well-prepared one is easy to say yes to or to escalate on your behalf.
The work happens before the meeting. You build a short, factual case for your impact, pick the right moment, and then deliver one calm, direct request. Apologizing or hedging undercuts the whole thing.
Evidence, Ask, Path
- Evidence. Come with specifics: what you have delivered, how your scope grew, results with numbers where you can.
- Ask. State the raise you want directly, with a number or range, not a vague "is there room for more?"
- Path. If the answer is not yes today, ask what would need to be true and by when, so you leave with a plan.
What to actually say
Opening the conversation
- I would like to talk about my compensation. Over the past year my scope has grown a lot, and I want to make sure my pay reflects that.
- I have taken on X and Y since my last adjustment, and I would like to discuss a raise to match the value I am adding.
Making the ask concrete
- Based on my impact and the market, I am asking for an increase to X. Can we make that happen?
- I am looking for a raise in the range of 8 to 10 percent, given everything I have taken on. How does that land?
If they cannot say yes now
- I understand if it cannot happen this cycle. What specifically would need to be true for this to happen, and when could we revisit?
- Can we put a follow-up on the calendar for the next review so this does not slip?
Walk into that meeting sounding sure of yourself.
The words matter, but how you say them matters more. Practice your case out loud in TalkStride and get scored on confidence and clarity, so you do not shrink the moment it counts.
How to keep it flowing
- Bring receipts. A one-page list of what you have delivered makes it easy for your manager to advocate for you upward.
- Pick the timing well: after a clear win, during review season, or when you have visibly taken on more. Avoid a chaotic week.
- If you get a no, get a path. "What would it take?" turns a dead end into a roadmap and a date.
Common mistakes
- Leading with personal need instead of your value and impact.
- Being apologetic ("sorry to even bring this up"), which signals you do not believe you deserve it.
- Asking with no specifics, so your manager has nothing to take upstairs.
- Making it a threat ("match this or I walk") unless you genuinely mean it.