Pay and progression · 6 min read
How do I ask for a raise?
How to ask for a pay rise: pick the right moment, bring evidence of your value and market pay, name a number, and know your next move if the answer is no.
The short answer
Ask for a raise in a planned meeting, timed a month or two before budgets or pay reviews are set, ideally after a clear win. Bring three things: evidence of what you've delivered since your last pay change (results, extra responsibility, skills), market data for your role and location, and a specific number or range. Ask clearly, then stop talking. If the answer is no, ask what would need to be true for a yes and when you can revisit it, and get that in writing. Typical pay rises in 2026 surveys are around 3 to 4%; asking for 5 to 10% needs evidence that your role or results have grown, and more than that usually needs a promotion or a new job.
Key takeaways
- Time it before budgets are set, not after; ask your manager when pay decisions are made.
- Lead with what you've delivered, then show the market rate, then name the number.
- A specific figure gets a more specific answer than "a bit more".
- If it's no, agree the conditions and date for a yes, in writing.
On this pageWhen to ask
When to ask
- Before budgets are set: ask your manager or HR when pay decisions for next year are made, and ask one to two months before.
- After a visible win: a successful project, a big client, a strong review.
- When your job has grown: new responsibilities, people to manage, a colleague's work absorbed.
- Not in the middle of layoffs, or in a passing chat in the corridor.
The three pieces of evidence
| Evidence | What it looks like | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Your results | Three wins since your last pay change, with numbers | Your notes, reviews, dashboards |
| Your bigger role | Responsibilities added since you were hired | Your job description against what you do now |
| The market | Pay range for your role, level and location | Salary surveys, job ads with ranges, government data |
A script
Thanks for making time. I'd like to talk about my pay. Since my last review I've taken over the supplier contracts from Lee, which cut our costs by about £40,000 this year, and I'm now training the two new starters. I've looked at similar roles locally and they're advertised at £44,000 to £48,000. I'm on £40,000. I'd like to ask for an increase to £46,000. What do you think?
After you name the number, stop. Silence feels awkward but it's where the answer comes from. If your manager says they need to check, agree a date for the follow-up before you leave.
If the answer is no
- Ask what would need to change for a yes: specific results, a skill, a date.
- Agree when you'll revisit it, and send an email summarising the conversation.
- Ask about non-pay options from other budgets: title, training, flexibility, a bonus.
- Keep a log of progress against what was agreed.
- If the conditions are met and the answer is still no, look at the market. Job switchers' pay has consistently grown faster than stayers' in the Atlanta Fed's data.
Illustrative example: from no to yes in six months
A nurse educator asks for a regrade after taking over the training of all new starters. The answer is that the budget is fixed until April. She asks what evidence the panel would need, gets a list of three items, collects them over five months and is regraded in the April review, with the increase backdated a month.
Questions people ask
- How much of a raise should I ask for?
- Base it on the market rate for your role and your results. If you're paid below market, ask to be brought to it. If you're at market and have taken on more, 5 to 10% is a reasonable ask in most organisations. Bigger jumps usually come with a promotion or by changing employer.
- Is it okay to mention another job offer?
- Only if you have one and would genuinely take it. It can work, but it changes the conversation from "I'm worth more" to "pay me or I'll go", and some employers will let you go. If you're simply curious about your market value, use salary data instead.
- Should I ask for a raise by email or in person?
- In person or on a video call, with an email first asking for the meeting and saying what it's about, so your manager isn't caught off guard and can check the budget. Follow up with a short email summarising what was agreed.
- What if my employer says there's no budget?
- Ask when there will be budget, and what you'd need to show by then. Ask about non-salary options that come from different budgets: a title change, training, extra leave, flexible hours or a one-off bonus. Then decide whether the answer is good enough, or whether it's time to look elsewhere.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Salary finder · CareerOneStop, US Department of Labor
- Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings · Office for National Statistics
- Wage Growth Tracker · Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.