How to Ask for a Raise: The Proven Script That Actually Works

Most people who ask for a raise and don’t get one made the same two mistakes: they asked at the wrong time, and they didn’t come with a number.

Your manager wants to know one thing before they can help you: what do you want, and can I justify it? If you walk in and say ‘I feel like I deserve more money,’ you’ve given them nothing to work with. You’ve also positioned the conversation as an emotional appeal rather than a business case, which is the wrong frame for a financial negotiation with someone who has to defend the decision to their own manager and to HR.

Here’s how to do it correctly.

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The Two Mistakes That Kill Raise Requests

Mistake one: Asking without a number. ‘I’d like to discuss my compensation’ is not a raise request. It’s a conversation opener that puts the burden on your manager to guess what you want. Without a specific request, managers may struggle to determine what you’re seeking or defer the discussion, or they’ll punt to HR, or they’ll ask you to wait. Come with a specific number.

Mistake two: Asking at the wrong time. Raise requests made immediately after a mistake, during a company-wide cost-cutting period, or in the first 30 seconds of a Monday morning meeting have lower success rates than requests made during or shortly after performance reviews, following a visible win, or when the company is publicly doing well. Timing is not everything, but it’s more than people think.

Do The Number Research First

Your number needs to be defensible. ‘I feel underpaid’ is not defensible. ‘The median salary for my role in this city is $X, and I’m currently at $Y, which puts me in the 40th percentile’ is defensible.

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Where to get real market data:

• LinkedIn Salary (free): Shows salary ranges by job title, location, and years of experience, sourced from member-reported data.
• Glassdoor (free): Salary reports with company-specific data. Useful for seeing what people at your actual employer earn.
• Levels.fyi (tech roles): Highly specific compensation data for software, product, and data roles with equity breakdowns.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (free, government data): The most methodologically rigorous source, updated annually.
• Your network: What do colleagues at comparable companies earn? This is often the most accurate data point and the most underused.

Triangulate across at least three sources. Use the 50th to 75th percentile of the market range as your target zone, not the top of the range — that’s what you’re building toward, not where you open.

When to Ask

Best windows: Immediately following a performance review where you received positive feedback; after delivering a major project on time and under budget; when you’ve recently taken on responsibilities that weren’t in your original job description; when the company announces strong quarterly results or raises a funding round.

Bad windows: First thing Monday morning; during a company restructuring or layoff period; right after your team missed a major deadline; the day before a holiday.

If your company does annual reviews: Request a compensation discussion 60–90 days before the review. This gives your manager time to actually do something about it. Asking during or after the review is often too late — decisions are already made.

The Script: Exactly What to Say

The request itself should take less than five minutes to deliver. Here is a script that works:

‘I’d like to talk about my compensation. I’ve been looking at market data for my role — specifically [LinkedIn Salary / BLS data / what I’ve heard from colleagues at comparable companies] — and the median salary for someone with my experience and responsibilities in [city] is around $[market figure]. I’m currently at $[your current salary], which I think represents an opportunity to align my compensation with the market.

In the past [6 months/year], I’ve [specific achievement 1], [specific achievement 2], and [specific achievement 3]. I’m looking for a salary of $[target] — a [X]% increase. I believe that reflects both the market and the value I’m contributing.

Is this something we can make happen?’

Then stop talking. The instinct to fill silence by softening or qualifying is one of the most common mistakes in salary negotiations. Make the request, state the number, and wait.

Handling Every Response

If they say yes: Get it in writing before the conversation ends. Ask when the change takes effect.

If they say ‘I need to think about it / talk to HR / check the budget’: ‘Of course. Can we schedule a follow-up in two weeks to come back to this?’

Then send a brief email summarizing the conversation within 24 hours: ‘Thanks for the conversation today. As discussed, I’m requesting a salary adjustment from $[X] to $[Y] based on [market data/contributions]. I look forward to following up on [date].’

If they say no: ‘I understand. Can you help me understand what it would take to get there, and what timeline you’d see that on?’ This turns a no into a roadmap. Get them to commit to specific milestones.

If they say the budget is frozen: ‘If salary isn’t possible right now, I’d like to discuss other forms of compensation — additional PTO, a performance bonus, or a review date in 6 months tied to specific targets.’ Non-salary compensation is easier to approve and still has value.

Asking by Email

In-person is almost always better for a raise request. Email lacks tone and removes the real-time negotiation dynamic. But if email is necessary — remote team, manager preference, international time zones — here’s the structure:

Subject: Compensation discussion — [Your Name]

Opening: ‘I’d like to schedule time to discuss my compensation. Based on market research and my contributions over the past [period], I believe there’s an opportunity to adjust my salary to better reflect both the market and my role here.’

Body: The same market data and achievements you’d cover in person, briefly.

Request: ‘I’m looking for a salary of $[amount]. I’d appreciate the chance to discuss this further — could we find 30 minutes this week or next?’

Keep the email to under 250 words. The goal is to secure a meeting, not to negotiate by email.

How Much to Ask For

Standard raise range in most companies: 2–5% annually (cost-of-living adjustments). Market correction raises: 10–20%. Promotions: typically 15–30%.

If you’re underpaid relative to market: ask for the market rate, not for a percentage increase from your current salary. ‘I’d like a 25% increase because that brings me to the market median’ is a much stronger frame than ‘I’d like a 25% raise.’

Research by Linda Babcock at Carnegie Mellon found that people who negotiate their first salary earn an average of $5,000 more per year than those who accept the initial offer. Over a 40-year career, a single successful negotiation compounds to hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional earnings.

Ask for 10–20% more than your actual target to leave negotiating room. If you want $85,000, ask for $90,000–93,000. If they land at $88,000, you’ve exceeded your target. If they push back to $85,000, you’ve hit exactly where you wanted to be.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to ask for a raise?

60–90 days before your annual review, or immediately following a major project success. Avoid periods of company financial stress or right after a team mistake.

What percentage raise should I ask for?

For a market-correction raise: 10–20%. For an annual adjustment: 5–8% is assertive but not unreasonable. For a promotion: 15–30%.

What if my boss says the budget is frozen?

Ask about non-salary compensation: additional PTO, a performance bonus, a title change, or a defined review date with specific targets. Establish a written record of the conversation.

Should I mention a competing offer when asking for a raise?

Only if it’s real and you’re prepared to accept it. A bluffed competing offer that gets called is career-damaging. A real competing offer is the single most effective negotiating tool available.

Sources and References

Harvard Business Review – 10 Myths About Negotiating Your First Salary

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)– Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

TIME – What Salary Should You Ask For? Here’s How to Figure Out What You’re Worth

Note Salary negotiations are influenced by factors such as company performance, industry standards, location, and individual experience. The advice in this article is intended as general guidance and should be adapted to your specific role, employer, and circumstances. Always research current market salaries and approach compensation discussions professionally.