How to ask for a raise: the case, the number, and the email

Most people ask for a raise the wrong way round. They walk in, say they feel underpaid, and hope their manager agrees. Their manager, who usually cannot approve anything alone, now has nothing to take upstairs.

A raise gets decided by whoever holds the budget, often in a meeting you are not in. Your job is to hand your manager a case they can carry into that room. Here is how to ask for a raise in four steps, with the words.

1. Build the case on what changed

"I have been here three years" is not a reason. Tenure is expected. What moves budgets is a change in what you do or what you are worth elsewhere.

• Scope: you took on work that used to belong to someone more senior, or a team got bigger under you.
• Results: a number you moved, a problem that stopped happening, revenue or cost you can point to.
• Market: what the same role pays at comparable companies right now.

Write each one as a single sentence with evidence. Three strong lines beat a page of reasons.

2. Pick the number before the meeting

Use two or three salary sources for your role, level and location, then pick a specific figure near the top of the range you can justify. A specific number such as 78,500 signals you did the research. A round range like "somewhere around 80" invites the bottom of it.

Know your walk-away position too, even if you never say it. It stops you accepting the first counter out of relief.

3. Time it to the budget, not your mood

The best time is a few weeks before budgets or review cycles are set, not the week after. Other good moments: right after a visible win, or when you have just been handed more responsibility. Bad moments: during a hiring freeze, the day after a reorganisation, or by ambush in a one-to-one about something else.

Ask for a dedicated meeting. Say what it is about so your manager can prepare.

The conversation

I would like to talk about my pay. Over the last year my role
has changed: [scope change]. In that time [result with number].

I have looked at what this role pays elsewhere, and roles with
this scope are paying between [X] and [Y]. I am asking for my
salary to move to [specific number].

What would you need from me to take that forward?

Then stop talking. The last question matters most. It turns your manager from a judge into someone helping you build the case.

How to ask for a raise via email

Email works well as the follow-up, and it is fine as the opener if you work remotely or your manager prefers things in writing. Keep it short enough to forward.

Subject: My compensation, ahead of the review cycle

Hi [Name],

Ahead of the budget round, I would like to ask for a salary
review. Three things have changed since my last one:

- [Scope change, one line]
- [Result with number, one line]
- [Market data, one line]

Based on this I am asking for [specific number]. I would
welcome 30 minutes to talk it through, and I am happy to
prepare anything you need to take it to [finance / your manager].

Thanks,
[Name]

If the answer is no

Ask what would need to be true for a yes, and by when. Get it in writing. "Not now" with a date and criteria is worth far more than a vague promise to revisit. If money is truly fixed, ask about the things that are not: title, scope, training budget, flexible working.

Questions people ask

How much of a raise should I ask for?

Whatever your market evidence supports for your current scope. For a standard review that is often a single-digit percentage; for a genuine change in role it can be much more. Anchor on the market figure, not a percentage.

What if I am underpaid compared to colleagues?

Lead with market data and your own results rather than naming colleagues. The comparison is still the point, but it is easier for your manager to act on without a confidentiality problem.

Should I mention another job offer?

Only if you would genuinely take it. A bluff that gets called leaves you worse off than before.

Where to take this next

If you want to rehearse the conversation first, the MONEY framework prompts will run a practice negotiation with you. For ready-made playbooks covering reviews, pay and promotion cases, see the Work Arsenal.