How to Ask for a Raise at Work (With Tips, Scripts, and Email Templates)
By
Samantha Cox
•
Jul 7, 2025
Ready to ask for a raise at work but not sure where to start? This guide will show you how to ask for a raise at work, prepare, present your case, and successfully negotiate a higher salary, ensuring you’re compensated fairly for your hard work. And for recruiters or managers, Fonzi AI helps you stay competitive by offering insights into current compensation trends and making it easier to attract and retain top-tier talent who know their worth.
Key Takeaways
Preparation is key: Choose the right time, conduct salary research, and analyze your contributions before asking for a raise.
Build a strong case: Document your achievements, highlight additional responsibilities, and gather positive feedback to support your request.
Maintain professionalism: Avoid entitlement statements and ultimatums, and be open to discussing future opportunities if your request is denied.
Preparing for the Raise Conversation
Job satisfaction and appropriate compensation are crucial reasons for asking for a raise. Before the raise conversation, thorough preparation is key. This preparation involves picking the right moment, conducting salary research, and analyzing your current position.
Putting your new skill set into action and meeting with a career advisor can also provide valuable skills guidance.
Choose the Optimal Moment
Timing is everything. Choosing the appropriate time to discuss a raise significantly impacts the success of your raise request. Optimal moments include after completing significant projects or during scheduled performance reviews. Factors like the company’s financial health and your manager’s stress levels should also be considered.
Gauge the company’s overall performance and your managers’ current workload. If the company is thriving and your manager is not overwhelmed, this might be the opportune moment to raise the topic. Being strategic about timing shows your awareness of the broader context, which can work in your favor.
Conduct Salary Research
Knowing what others in your role earn is vital for a raise request. Consider the following:
Utilize tools such as the Monster Salary Calculator.
Use the LinkedIn Salary Tool to obtain relevant salary data.
Consider factors such as industry standards, experience, and cost of living to determine an appropriate salary range.
With this information, you can confidently approach salary discussions. Credible salary data helps you understand what peers in similar roles earn, allowing you to make a well-informed case for a salary increase. Being well-prepared paves the way for successful salary negotiations and helps you gather relevant salary information.
Analyze Your Current Position
Evaluating your job responsibilities and achievements is crucial for justifying a raise request. Review your performance over the past year and ensure you’re meeting or exceeding expectations. Create a list of recent accomplishments and projects that showcase your value to the company during the fiscal year.
Explain how your contributions have positively impacted the company by highlighting:
Key performance indicators
Successful projects
Increased profits
Improved processes
This analysis forms a solid foundation for your raise request, showcasing the tangible benefits and cost savings you bring to the organization.
Building Your Case for a Raise
A successful raise request hinges on precise timing, evidence of your contributions, and understanding salary benchmarks. Focus on concrete evidence of your achievements, additional responsibilities, and positive feedback to build a compelling case.
Highlight your education, years of experience, time with the current employer, and specialized skills to showcase your value. Avoid entitlement phrases and concentrate on your contributions.
Document Your Achievements
Quantifiable achievements and metrics are crucial when asking for a raise. Include data that highlights the value of your contributions to the organization. AI tools can also analyze and align your personal achievements with organizational goals, further strengthening your case.
Showcasing your documented achievements enhances your argument during the raise conversation. Clear documentation of your impact makes it harder for your manager to overlook your request, especially when you have a strong track record.
Highlight Additional Responsibilities
team and Showing the added responsibilities you’ve taken on since your last job title pay review is pivotal for a salary increase. Reference specific new duties or roles you’ve taken on to strengthen your case for a raise.
Specify the new roles or tasks undertaken to justify the increase. Increased responsibilities highlight your growth and contribution, clarifying why you deserve a higher salary and more responsibilities in your job description.
Gather Positive Feedback
Positive remarks from colleagues and supervisors can serve as powerful endorsements when requesting a salary increase. Gather feedback from performance reviews and everyday interactions to build a compelling case. This feedback can significantly bolster your request, demonstrating your positive impact on the organization.
How to Ask for a Raise: Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide is crucial for preparing to ask for a raise. This includes scheduling a private meeting, presenting your case confidently, and preparing for negotiation. Maintain a professional and serious demeanor, focusing on your contributions and career goals.
Use hard data and your achievements to make a strong case for a paid time last pay increase while paying attention to your contributions.
Schedule a Private Meeting
To schedule a private appointment effectively:
Ideally, arrange it in person or over a video call.
Avoid public spaces to ensure confidentiality.
If the meeting is not during a performance review, schedule it at least two weeks in advance.
When remote, consider asking for a raise via email, especially if you are in a different city from your boss.
To discuss a raise effectively:
Choose a closed-door meeting room as the ideal setting.
Maintain a confident yet casual tone during the discussion.
State the purpose of the meeting at the beginning to set the right expectations.
Express confidence in your performance and your belief that you deserve a raise.
Present Your Case Confidently
To back up your raise request, present a detailed list of your accomplishments and successes, including:
Specific examples of your contributions that have positively impacted the company or team.
Clear reasons for the raise based on your achievements.
Evidence that your performance meets or exceeds market standards.
Your written request should clearly outline these key points to reinforce your case effectively, which makes sense.
Conduct thorough salary research to ensure your salary review request aligns with market trends. Specify your desired raise with a clear figure that reflects your market research.
Practice negotiating your raise with simulation tools or in front of a mirror to build confidence. Request a salary that is slightly higher than what you want to account for potential negotiation.
Prepare for Negotiation
Be prepared for negotiation when asking for a raise. Be flexible and open to alternatives during salary discussions. Be ready to answer questions from your manager regarding your accomplishments and discuss salary research.
If a raise isn’t feasible, ask when you can revisit the conversation and set a timeline for future discussions. This approach shows your willingness to continue working towards your goal, demonstrating your commitment to growth within the company.
Example Scripts for Asking for a Raise
Using a script can help you articulate your raise request clearly and confidently. Whether you prefer a formal or casual approach, these scripts can guide you through the conversation. An email requesting a raise should include a clear statement of the case and specific examples.
The main components of a raise request email are the subject line, body, and ending.
Script 1: Performance-Based Raise Request
When crafting a raise request, detail the following specific achievements and points to showcase your value to the company:
Your proposed salary change.
Recent accomplishments.
Additional responsibilities and projects you have taken on.
A request for a meeting to discuss the raise.
Mention these elements clearly in your raise request email to effectively communicate your contributions and justify your salary increase.
Highlight contributions like consistently meeting or exceeding goals, leading product launches, and streamlining processes. Reference your contributions and compare them to market benchmarks when discussing a salary adjustment.
Script 2: Responsibility-Based Raise Request
When requesting a raise, clearly articulate how your responsibilities have expanded since your last evaluation by:
Documenting specific instances where you have taken on new tasks or roles, such as leading a project or mentoring new staff.
Showing how these additional responsibilities have positively influenced team dynamics or company results.
Reinforcing your value to the company through these contributions.
After presenting your case, confidently request a raise that reflects the increased value you bring to the organization. This demonstrates your commitment and growth, clarifying why you deserve a higher salary.
Using AI Tools to Prepare for Your Raise Discussion
AI tools can act as practice partners, sounding boards, and personalized coaches to help prepare for a raise discussion. They help refine your arguments and provide different perspectives based on AI insights.
MailMaestro, for example, is an AI writing assistant that streamlines drafting an email to ask for a raise. It features:
A collection of email templates
Coverage of formatting
Grammar checking
Spelling correction
Punctuation assistance
Practice Conversations With AI
AI tools can simulate real conversations, providing unlimited practice without judgment. AI practice allows you to experiment with different conversation approaches. This can boost your confidence and help refine your strategy for future conversations.
Refine Your Argument With AI Insights
AI tools can help refine your raise conversation by:
Providing strategic insights.
Conducting salary research to help you understand market standards.
Fine-tuning your arguments for a raise based on data analysis and feedback.
Using AI tools in your raise conversation can lead to more confident and well-supported requests.
What Not to Say When Asking for a Raise
Knowing what not to say is as important as knowing what to say when asking for a raise. Avoid entitlement statements, such as ‘I deserve a raise’ or ‘I’m overdue for a raise’. Words that undermine your confidence, like believe, feel, think, just, only, and might, can weaken your argument.
Avoid ultimatums or salary comparisons, as they can create a negative tone and potentially harm your relationship with management. Professionalism during a raise conversation is crucial for effective communication.
Avoid Entitlement Statements
Avoid statements like ‘I’m overdue for a raise’. Instead of claiming you deserve a raise, consider the following approach:
Explain the impact you’ve made through projects.
List quantifiable results.
Remember that tenure does not guarantee a raise.
Focus on your contributions and achievements instead of cost-of-living adjustments.
Entitlement statements can undermine your request and are perceived negatively.
Don't Compare Salaries
Bringing up coworkers’ salaries can backfire as it may not reflect your qualifications. These comparisons may lead to misunderstandings about your value in the workplace. Citing industry salary standards is more effective than peer comparisons.
Focusing on your performance and contributions can strengthen your case for a raise.
Steer Clear of Ultimatums
Issuing ultimatums, like threatening to leave, can harm your negotiating position. Indicate you have received other offers but prefer to stay under the right conditions.
Avoid statements that include ultimatums when asking for a raise.
Handling a Denied Raise Request
If your raise request is denied, respond professionally and continue the conversation to understand future steps. A manager may deny a raise request due to budget constraints or concerns about maintaining pay equity among employees.
Consider the following when negotiating compensation:
Other forms of compensation, like benefits or additional vacation time, can be negotiated alongside salary during salary negotiations.
After a denied request, evaluate your long-term fit.
Discuss potential future raises or promotions.
Seek Constructive Feedback
To address a denial and seek improvement, consider the following steps:
Ask for reasons behind the denial to understand what aspects need improvement.
Directly ask your manager for feedback on your performance that led to the denial.
Inquire about how you can expand your scope or improve your impact to be considered for future raises.
Ask what you can do to earn a future raise, showing initiative and readiness to improve.
Discuss Future Opportunities
Expressing interest in future promotions shows your commitment to growth within the company. Discussing a timeline for future conversations about raises helps to set clear expectations. Ongoing communication about career advancement ensures alignment of goals between you and your employer.
This approach helps create a pathway for professional growth and shows your long-term dedication to moving the company’s success.
Consider Alternative Compensation
If a salary increase is not possible, consider other forms of compensation. Alternative compensations can include additional benefits or professional development opportunities.
If your raise request is rejected, consider whether to stay in your current position or look for a new job. If not compensated fairly, consider seeking new job opportunities.
Summary
Asking for a raise is an important step in growing your career and feeling valued in your role. The key is solid preparation; gather your achievements, highlight any extra responsibilities you’ve taken on, and collect positive feedback to support your case. Practicing with AI tools can also help you refine your approach and boost your confidence. Just be sure to avoid making the conversation about comparisons or ultimatums. If the answer is “not yet,” use it as a chance to get feedback and explore other growth opportunities. And for recruiters or managers looking to stay competitive with compensation and retention, Fonzi AI offers smart insights and hiring support to ensure you’re attracting the right talent.
