Asking for more money feels personal, which is exactly why it helps to make it less so. A raise request built on outside pay figures and your own documented results turns the talk from "I would like more" into "Here is what this work is worth and what I have delivered." Managers still have budgets and rules, and the answer can be no. But a prepared request is far more likely to get a fair hearing, a partial yes or a clear path to one.
Find out what the role pays
Begin with numbers you can show. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes yearly wage figures by occupation and by metro area, including the middle wage and the range around it. Many states and cities now require employers to list pay ranges in job postings, so a search for your title in your area often reveals what similar employers are offering right now. Professional associations sometimes publish salary surveys for their members, and people you trust in the same line of work can give you a sense of where you stand.
Collect three to five figures and write down where each came from. You are looking for a range, not a single magic number. Notice where your current pay sits in that range, and think honestly about where your experience and results place you.
Build your case on one page
Your manager may need to take your request to someone else, so give them something they can forward. One page is enough. Put your current pay and the outside range at the top. Below it, list three to five results from the past year, each with a number or a concrete outcome, then a line about the responsibilities you have added since your pay was last set. Finish with the figure you are asking for.
Results beat effort. "Worked late most of the quarter" invites sympathy; "Took over vendor invoices when a coworker left, cutting late payments from twelve a month to two" invites a raise. Your performance review notes and work log are the best source for these lines.
Worked example: Anita prepares her number
Anita is a payroll specialist earning $52,000 a year. Her research turns up a local middle wage for her occupation of about $56,500, and four nearby postings for similar roles with ranges between $53,000 and $61,000. Over the past year she moved the company's time-clock records into a new system and trained three office managers to approve hours themselves.
She works out the math. A request for 8% would mean $52,000 × 1.08 = $56,160, just under the local middle wage. A request for 10% would mean $57,200, inside every posted range. She decides to ask for $57,000, about 9.6%, and to name $56,000 as the lowest figure she would treat as a fair outcome, keeping that second number to herself.
Her page lists her current pay, the four ranges and the wage figure with sources, the time-clock project, the three trained managers and the fact that payroll errors fell from about six per pay period to one. The page asks for $57,000 starting with the new budget year.
| Section | What to include | Anita's version |
|---|---|---|
| Current pay | Base pay and date it was last changed | $52,000, set 18 months ago |
| Outside range | Three to five figures with sources | Postings $53,000 to $61,000; local middle wage about $56,500 |
| Results | Three to five outcomes with numbers | Payroll errors down from six per period to one |
| Added duties | Work taken on since pay was set | Runs the new time-clock system; trained three managers |
| The ask | One figure and a start date | $57,000 from the new budget year |
Choose the moment
Timing matters as much as wording. Raises are often decided weeks or months before they take effect, when managers build next year's budget. Ask your manager, without pressure, when pay decisions are made, and aim to make your request a month or two before that. Shortly after a strong result or a good review is also a natural moment. Avoid the week of a major deadline or bad company news, when even a supportive manager has little room to say yes.
Request a meeting in advance and say what it is about, so your manager is not caught off guard: "I would like twenty minutes next week to talk about my pay. I will bring a short summary."
Handle the answer
State your number, walk through the page and then stop talking. Silence feels long but gives your manager room to respond. If the answer is yes, ask for it in writing with the start date. If it is a partial yes, ask what it would take to reach the rest and when you could revisit it. If it is no, ask what would need to change and agree on a date to talk again, then write a short follow-up note recording what was said. Pay is not the only lever, either: a title change, extra paid days off, training or a flexible schedule can sometimes be approved when a budget line cannot.
Raise preparation checklist
- Collect three to five outside pay figures and note the source of each.
- Pull three to five results with numbers from your work log or last review.
- Write a one-page case with current pay, outside range, results, added duties and the ask.
- Choose a target figure and a private lowest acceptable figure.
- Ask when pay decisions are made and schedule the talk a month or two before.
- Request the meeting in advance and say it is about pay.
- Send a follow-up note after the meeting that records the outcome and any next date.
Key terms
- Base pay
- Your regular salary or hourly wage before any bonus or overtime.
- Pay range
- The lowest to highest pay an employer sets for a role.
- Middle wage
- The point where half of workers in an occupation earn more and half earn less.
- Merit increase
- A raise tied to performance, often set during review season.
- Pay transparency law
- A rule in some places requiring employers to post pay ranges.
- Budget cycle
- The period when an employer plans next year's spending, including raises.
Questions to ask your manager
- When are pay decisions made for my role, and who makes them?
- Where does my pay sit within the range for this position?
- What results would you need to see to support a raise?
- If the full amount is not possible now, what could be revisited and when?
- Can we put what we agree on in writing?
The strongest raise cases are built from a year of notes, so start with getting ready for a performance review, and use setting career goals to plan the results that will support your next request.
Shiftano guides are general information to help you prepare; they cannot promise a rating, a raise or a promotion. Pay rules and review practices vary by employer and place, so confirm details with your own employer.