How to ask for a raise: when, how much and the exact script

Ask for a raise in a booked meeting, before next year's budget is locked, with one clear number and proof you're worth it. Say the number, then stop talking. If the answer is "no budget", get a date and a condition in writing.

Asking works far more often than people expect. In an October 2024 LendingTree survey of 2,049 U.S. adults, 82% of full-time workers who asked for a raise in the past year got one. Among all full-time workers, the figure was 66%. Only 35% of women had asked, versus 49% of men.

When is the best time to ask for a raise?#

Earlier than you think. If your company's year runs January to December, next year's raise money gets split up this fall. By your December review, your manager is mostly reading out numbers someone above them already signed. Ask in October or November and you help set the number. Ask at the review and you're arguing with it.

Money is tight, too. WTW's 2027 salary budget report, published July 2026 from 1,650 U.S. organizations, puts the average projected increase at 3.4%, after 3.5% actually paid in 2026. WTW says employers are choosing more carefully who gets what.

Skip layoff week and the coffee machine. Send a 20-minute invite called "my compensation" so nobody walks in surprised.

What to say: a word-for-word script#

Say it's Tuesday at 2pm, and you're at your manager's door with your proof written down. Make the words your own, but keep the order.

The opening: "Thanks for making time. I want to talk about my compensation for next year, and I wanted to raise it now while budgets are being set."

The case, in under a minute: "This year I took over the vendor contracts when Sam left. I cut month-end close from nine days to six and trained the two new analysts. BLS data and two salary surveys put the median for this role in Chicago around $92,000. I'm at $81,000."

The ask: "I'm asking to move to $90,000 starting in January."

Then stop. The silence feels endless. Let your manager fill it.

If they say "there's no budget": "I understand it's tight. Can we agree on what I'd need to show to get to $90,000, and put a date on it? I'd like to revisit in April with that target written down."

If they need time: "Of course. When do you expect to know? I'll follow up then."

People rarely freeze on the opening. They freeze when the manager says no.

Want to look around first? See how UnchartedCareer works.

How much of a raise should I ask for?#

One number, picked from real data. A number with a source holds up when your manager questions it. A number from your gut gets talked down.

For market data, use the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables for your occupation and metro area. Add a salary site that knows your field (Levels.fyi for tech). Quote the middle of what you found, because your manager can check.

Don't give a range. Say "$80,000 to $85,000" and you just agreed to $80,000.

How do you build the case?#

Before the meeting, write one page, just for you. It turns your proof into the sentences in that script.

1. Your best results from the last 12 months, each with a number. "Cut month-end close from 9 days to 6" beats "improved processes".
2. What changed since your pay was set, like more work or people now reporting to you.
3. The market figure and where it came from.
4. What you'll take on next year. A raise is a bet on your next 12 months.

Keep it about the work. "My rent went up" may be true, but it won't move a budget.

Should you ask for a raise by email?#

No. Ask in person or on video, because email makes a "no" easy to send. Use email to book the meeting and to recap it the same day:

Thanks for talking through my compensation today. To confirm: you'll raise the move to $90,000 with finance and let me know by November 15. If it can't happen this cycle, we'll revisit in April against the targets we discussed.

That's your paper trail if your manager forgets.

What if the answer is no?#

Ask why, then ask what would make it yes. The fix depends on the reason.

• No money: ask for what costs less now, like a one-time bonus, a title change or a training budget. Still lock the April date.
• They don't see the case: ask which result would change their mind, and get it in writing.
• They can't sell it upward: offer to write the summary they'll forward.

If you hear a vague no twice, with no clear target, take that as an answer about the job itself. A September 2025 Bankrate survey found 13% of workers got a raise in the prior year by moving to a better-paid job. If you go that way, how to negotiate salary covers the offer, and how much negotiating actually raises your salary has the numbers.

FAQ#

How much of a raise should I ask for after one year?#

U.S. employers are budgeting about 3.4% on average for 2027, per WTW's July 2026 report. Ask for more with a reason, like proof you're underpaid.

Is it better to ask for a raise in person or by email?#

In person or on video. Use email only to book the meeting and recap what was agreed.

Can I get fired for asking for a raise?#

A calm ask with proof, in a booked meeting, is a normal part of a manager's job. Threatening to quit when you don't mean it is what backfires, so don't bluff.

Tonight, write your one page and pick your number. Then say the script out loud twice, once to a friend playing a boss who says "no budget".