Guide
How to ask for a raise
Most raise conversations fail for an unglamorous reason: the person asking cannot quickly describe what they delivered. Confidence is not the missing ingredient - receipts are. This guide covers when to ask, what evidence to bring, how to open the conversation, how to name a number, and what to do if the answer is no.
The short version
- Ask before budgets close, not during the review meeting.
- Bring three proof points with numbers, not a list of everything you did.
- Name one specific figure, anchored on the market rate for the work you actually do.
- Argue the job changed, not that you have been there a while or that costs went up.
- Turn a no into written criteria and a date.
A timeline that works backwards from the decision
8 weeks out
Work out when pay decisions are actually made at your organisation, and who makes them. If your manager is not the decision-maker, your job is to arm the person who is.
6 weeks out
Assemble the evidence: what you delivered, what changed because of it, and what you now own that you did not own a year ago. Three strong items beat twelve weak ones.
4 weeks out
Benchmark the number. Pull live adverts for the job you are actually doing and note the mid-point. Decide your specific figure and your walk-away position.
2 weeks out
Flag it. 'I'd like to put some time in to talk about my compensation' - so nobody is ambushed and your manager can prepare rather than defend.
The conversation
Twenty minutes, three proof points, one number, one clear ask. Then stop talking and let them respond.
The evidence that actually moves a number
Outcome, not activity
'Ran the migration' is activity. 'Ran the migration; cut page load from 4.1s to 1.3s and removed £2k/month of hosting spend' is an outcome. Pay decisions are made on outcomes.
Scope that grew
The strongest raise argument is that the job changed. New teams, bigger budgets, decisions you now make alone. Show the before and after, dated.
Evidence someone else can verify
A dashboard, a launch note, a message from a stakeholder. Your manager may have to repeat your case in a room you are not in - give them something quotable.
Recency and consistency
One heroic quarter reads as luck. A record spread across twelve months reads as a level change. This is exactly why a running record beats a memory dump.
What to actually say
Opening: "I'd like to talk about my compensation. Over the last year my scope has changed, and I don't think my salary has kept up with it. Can I walk you through three things and then the number I'm asking for?"
The proof: "First, I led the onboarding rebuild - time-to-first-value went from nine days to four. Second, I took over the roadmap for two teams in March. Third, I've onboarded three new hires and now run the handover process."
The ask: "Roles advertising this scope are paying around £X. I'm asking for £X. What would it take to get there?"
Then stop. Silence after the number is uncomfortable and it is doing work. Let them fill it.
If the answer is no
A no is information, not a verdict. Ask three questions: what specifically would need to change, who else has to agree, and when can we revisit. Then send a short summary email so the criteria exist in writing. If the criteria keep moving, that is your real answer - and your evidence file is exactly what you need for the next job application.
Common questions
When is the best time to ask for a raise?
Six to eight weeks before budgets are set, and shortly after a visible win. Asking during the review meeting itself is usually too late - the numbers are already decided. Ask early enough that your manager can put your name into the planning conversation.
How much of a raise should I ask for?
Anchor on the market rate for the work you are actually doing, not a percentage of your current salary. Look at three to five live job adverts with your responsibilities, take the mid-point, and ask for a specific figure rather than a range - ranges get read as your lower number.
What if my manager says no?
Convert the no into criteria. Ask exactly what would have to be true for a yes, in writing, and agree a date to revisit. A no with a defined bar is progress; a no with vague encouragement is a delay tactic you should follow up in writing.
Should I mention another job offer?
Only if you would genuinely take it. Using an offer as leverage works once and it changes how you are seen. A case built on delivered scope holds up better and does not expire.
The hard part is remembering it all
Everything above depends on having the receipts to hand. Look at you go asks you one 90-second question a week, pulls out the outcomes, scores them for strength and recency, and tracks how your scope is changing - so when you ask for the raise, the case is already written. Free to start.
Start my career record