How to ask for a raise
To ask for a raise after a strong year on the job, time it a month or two before budgets are set or right after a clear win, and bring a short written list of results with numbers. Ask for a meeting with your manager, name a specific increase backed by pay data for your role, and if the answer is no, ask what it would take and agree on a date to revisit.
About 30 minutes to learnEveryday skill
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How to do it
- Keep a running list of your wins: problems solved, money or time saved, extra duties taken on.
- Find out when your employer sets budgets or does reviews, and aim for a month or two before.
- Research the pay range for your role and area.
- Ask your manager for a short meeting about your pay, not a hallway chat.
- Walk through your results in two or three minutes, then name a specific increase.
- Pause and let your manager respond.
- If the answer is not now, ask what results would earn it and agree on a date to revisit.
- Send a short email afterward summarizing what was agreed.
Common mistakes
- Asking because your rent went up rather than because of your results.
- Threatening to quit unless you mean it.
- Asking in the week of a layoff announcement.
- Leaving without a clear next step.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to ask for a raise
What to say
To ask for a raise after a strong year on the job, time it a month or two before budgets are set or right after a clear win, and bring a short written list of results with numbers. Ask for a meeting with your manager, name a specific increase backed by pay data for your role, and if the answer is no, ask what it would take and agree on a date to revisit.
What to show, in order
- Keep a running list of your wins: problems solved, money or time saved, extra duties taken on.
- Find out when your employer sets budgets or does reviews, and aim for a month or two before.
- Research the pay range for your role and area.
- Ask your manager for a short meeting about your pay, not a hallway chat.
- Walk through your results in two or three minutes, then name a specific increase.
- Pause and let your manager respond.
- If the answer is not now, ask what results would earn it and agree on a date to revisit.
- Send a short email afterward summarizing what was agreed.
The check question
Ask: What is the strongest reason to give?
Related skills
- How to negotiate salary
- How to give and receive feedback
- How to write a professional email
- Every skill in Work and Career
Sources
- National occupational wage statistics, latest release. Checked September 28, 2026.
Last reviewed . First published .