How to Ask for a Raise: What to Say and When to Ask
You’ll usually have a stronger case for a raise if you bring evidence of your contributions, pick a favorable time, and go into the conversation with a specific request. If you may also be considered for a promotion, address that separately. Within a company, raises, promotions, and merit adjustments can follow different rules.
Key takeaways
- Bring 3 concrete examples of your contributions, such as goals met, projects completed, and expanded responsibilities taken on.
- Choose the right window, preferably before the performance review cycle or after a significant accomplishment.
- Define your request in advance: a specific amount in Brazilian reais or a percentage range, without improvising during the meeting.
- Keep raises, promotions, and merit adjustments separate, because each involves a different decision within the company.
- If the answer is no, leave with 1 deadline, 1 criterion, and 1 follow-up conversation scheduled.
What to Bring to the Conversation and How to Decide Whether Now Is the Right Time
Bring facts that show the value you’ve added recently, rather than relying on a general feeling that you’ve been “working really hard.” The person across the table will usually focus on results, context, and consistency. Your request carries more weight when you can point to completed work, broader responsibilities, the direct impact of your role, and your current salary basis instead of leaning only on your tenure.
- Completed work, goals met, and projects with measurable impact, such as increased revenue, less rework, or faster delivery.
- Pay stub data and salary history to understand your current compensation base, including benefits that already make up your total compensation.
- Changes in scope, new responsibilities, feedback received, and the company’s performance review cycle.
- When to Avoid the Conversation: an internal crisis, a weak quarter, a recent reorganization, or a lack of concrete evidence of your contribution.
What Your Manager Is Likely to Evaluate
In practice, the question usually isn’t “Do you deserve it?” It’s more like this: “What has the company gained, what does it cost to keep you at the same level, and when is the right time to adjust your pay?” Trevisan emphasizes that asking for a raise or promotion takes preparation, self-awareness, and clear communication. This is part of your professional positioning, not a spontaneous vent. Bring data to the meeting and leave with a next step, even if you don’t get an immediate answer.
Your department’s schedule is a useful timing guide. If a performance review is already on the calendar, start gathering your examples a few weeks in advance. That gives your manager the material needed to support an adjustment internally.
A request can still be reasonable when the company is under financial strain, but approval is usually less likely. Look for concrete signs, such as a salary freeze, budget cuts, or a restructuring. In some cases, it makes sense to wait until the budget and the company’s results are moving in the same direction.
How to structure a salary increase request without confusing a raise, a promotion, and a merit increase
Start with the request itself, then give the reference amount and your reason. Be direct, and skip the excuses. After that, connect your case to what you’ve delivered, what you’ve taken on beyond your role, andthe expectations attached to your current positionso it’s clear why your salary no longer matches the work you’re actually doing.
- Start with a direct request: “I’d like to talk about a salary adjustment. Based on what I’ve been delivering, I’d like to propose a review to US$ X or an increase of Y%.”
- Support your request with concrete results, new responsibilities, and your impact on the team’s day-to-day work, such as meeting targets, cutting costs, or supporting projects that were previously outside your scope.
- Distinguish between a salary increase, a promotion, and a merit increase. A raise adjusts compensation; a promotion changes your pay range or position; a merit increase recognizes performance within your current role.
- Close by aligning on next steps: ask for a date to follow up or for another conversation with objective criteria for the decision.
How to choose the amount without guessing
The amount should make sense for both your level and the market for your role. Hays reports that negotiations often land between 5% and 20%. That range can help you avoid asking for too little to make a real difference or so much that the conversation ends before it starts. Treat it as the source’s editorial reference, not an automatic rule. The company, industry, internal policy, and the impact you can demonstrate may shift the range considerably.
If you don’t have reliable salary research available, don’t invent an appealing number.
It’s better to say you want a review that reflects the growth in your contributions and ask for feedback based on the position’s pay range, internal discussions, comparable job postings, or reliable salary databases. Guessing at a random amount could cost you credibility.
When an internal role change is part of the discussion, separate the change in responsibilities from the financial adjustment. A promotion may bring a new compensation package, a broader scope, and additional responsibilities.
A short, professional script
“I’d like to talk about my salary because, over the past few months, I’ve taken on X and Y, delivered Z, and become responsible for tasks that weren’t previously part of my role. Given that, I’d like to propose a review to US$ X or an increase of Y%, and I’d like to understand what the process would be.” The wording is direct and respectful. It also gives your manager room to negotiate without making them guess what you want.
What to do if the answer is no, and how to leave the meeting with clear next steps
If the answer is no, focus on turning that no into clear criteria, a timeline, and a record. A blunt refusal closes the conversation. A well-handled refusal can create a path back to it, with a clear understanding of what needs to happen first and what will be considered at the next review.
| Scenario | What the manager signals | Practical response | Timeline for revisiting it | What to document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget-based rejection | There’s no budget right now | Ask what would need to change for the department to reopen the discussion | At the next performance review or budget cycle | Goals, stated constraints, and agreed-upon date |
| Performance-based rejection | Some deliverables or consistency are still missing | Ask for objective criteria and examples of what’s missing | After meeting the defined criteria | Requested metrics and expected improvement |
| Request postponed due to timing | Now isn’t the best time | Confirm when the topic will be back on the table | On a specific date, not “sometime later” | The month, event, or cycle that will serve as the trigger |
| Partial counteroffer | There’s room to negotiate, but it’s below what you requested | Evaluate the value, benefits, and scope change before accepting | After your analysis, without leaving the answer hanging | Amount offered, terms, and outstanding items |
Fast Company Brasil recommends avoiding this conversation during performance review periods when the budget has already been set. That helps explain why “not now” doesn’t necessarily mean “never.” If your manager refuses, ask for two things: the criterion you still need to meet and the date when the conversation can resume. Without those details, the request stays an expectation. With them, you have a plan.
Put the agreement in writing, even if it’s only a simple note for your own records. Include the date, the points discussed, the agreed-upon goal, and the follow-up deadline. That record gives you something concrete to review and keeps the negotiation from disappearing into vague impressions at the next meeting.
If you left the meeting with a clear understanding of what’s missing, follow through on the agreement and return with new evidence instead of pushing before the timing is right. If you got silence, evasive answers, or a promise with no date, take that as a sign of a weak negotiation. Reassess your next steps honestly, even if the answer is uncomfortable.
Asking for a raise takes preparation, good timing, and precision. Bring your results, state the amount clearly, and end the meeting with a specific next step. That gives you a better chance of being taken seriously, even if the immediate answer isn’t positive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask for a raise outside my annual review?
Yes, provided you have a concrete reason, such as a change in scope, new responsibilities, or results beyond what was agreed upon. The article stresses that the strongest timing comes when you can bring recent facts and, if possible, a review date instead of making an open-ended request. Approval is usually less likely during an internal crisis, reorganization, or weak quarter.
Should I name a specific amount or a percentage?
Come prepared with a clear reference point. It cuts down on ambiguity and gives you something concrete to negotiate around. The article says that point can be an amount or a percentage, but it should fit both your role and the company's pay range. As a starting point, Hays advises that negotiations typically fall between 5% and 20%.
What if my boss says the budget is tight?
Ask what objective criteria will guide a future review, then agree on when you'll revisit the topic. If the company makes a counteroffer, check whether it includes a specific amount, date, and change in scope. A vague promise doesn't bring the negotiation to a close. The article also recommends documenting the agreement, so you won't have to rely on memory later.
What mistake most hurts this type of conversation?
Showing up without data, a clear request, or a firm distinction between a raise, a promotion, and a merit adjustment puts you at a serious disadvantage. The request can come across as improvised, which weakens your negotiating leverage. The article also stresses that the meeting should end with a next step, even if you don't get an answer right away.
