How Much Should I Ask for in a Raise?

A reasonable raise ask starts with your current salary, the raise you already received, and the business case for more.

When You Should Ask for More

Ask when the raise is below estimated inflation, below your target, or not aligned with expanded responsibilities.

What to Prepare Before Asking

What to Say

Keep the request specific and calm. Use the salary increase calculator before setting your number.

Email / Script Example

Use a short note asking for time to discuss compensation and responsibilities.

Need help turning your raise result into a salary conversation?

Get My Plan

Before naming a number, decide which case you are making. A cost-of-living case is different from a promotion case. A retention case is different from a market correction. The clearer the reason, the easier it is to choose a number and explain it without sounding random.

Use your current salary, the raise already offered, estimated inflation, and responsibility changes as the base. Then choose a target that is specific enough to discuss. For more support, read salary increase request email, how to ask for a raise after a small raise, and what is a good raise percentage.

How to Choose a Target Number

Start with the minimum raise that would keep you ahead of estimated inflation. That number helps you understand the cost-of-living floor, but it should not automatically become your target. If your role expanded, your target may need to reflect responsibility changes rather than inflation alone.

Next, calculate the raise percentage and new salary for a few possible targets. For example, compare what a 5%, 7%, and 10% raise would mean annually, monthly, and biweekly. This gives you a practical range instead of one emotional number. You can then decide which number is easiest to explain with your responsibilities and results.

Finally, think about timing. If the company just finished a compensation cycle, your manager may have less flexibility immediately. That does not make the conversation pointless. You can ask for a future review date, a promotion path, or the specific results needed to support the raise you want.

What Evidence Helps

The strongest evidence is specific and business-focused. Good examples include revenue impact, cost savings, process improvements, customer outcomes, expanded ownership, leadership responsibilities, training new employees, covering a vacant role, or becoming the person others rely on for a critical system or workflow.

Avoid relying only on personal expenses. Your budget matters to you, but compensation decisions are usually based on role, performance, market, budget, and internal equity. Estimated inflation can support the context, but your business case should explain why your pay should change relative to the job you are doing.

How to Phrase the Ask

Keep the ask direct and calm. You might say that you appreciate the current adjustment, you calculated the raise and inflation-adjusted result, and you would like to discuss whether there is room to move the salary closer to a specific number. Then connect the number to your scope and results.

If you are unsure what number to name, ask for process clarity first. You can ask how compensation ranges are set, what level your role is mapped to, and what would justify a stronger adjustment. That turns a vague compensation concern into a concrete path.

What Not to Do

Do not threaten to leave unless you are truly prepared to leave. Do not invent market data or claim offers you do not have. Do not turn the conversation into a long comparison with coworkers. Those approaches can weaken trust and distract from the raise math and the role-based case.

Also avoid asking for a range so wide that it sounds careless. A specific target or narrow range usually works better. It shows you have done the math and understand what you are asking the company to consider.

Building a Practical Range

A practical range has a floor, a target, and a stretch number. The floor is the lowest result that would make the conversation feel productive. The target is the number you can explain most clearly with your responsibilities and results. The stretch number is the high end you might discuss if the company has room and your evidence is strong.

Do the math for each number before the meeting. If your current salary is $60,000, a 5% raise is $63,000, a 7% raise is $64,200, and a 10% raise is $66,000. Seeing the actual salaries helps you avoid asking for a percentage that sounds reasonable but does not produce the salary you want.

If the Answer Is No

A no is not always the end of the process. Ask what would need to be true for the company to revisit the number. Ask whether the timing is a budget issue, a performance issue, a level issue, or a compensation policy issue. Each answer points to a different next step.

If the issue is timing, ask for a review date. If the issue is level, ask what responsibilities or outcomes would support the next level. If the issue is budget, ask whether other compensation elements can be discussed. Keep the conversation factual and document the next steps after the meeting.

After the Conversation

Send a short follow-up note. Thank the manager for the discussion, summarize any agreed next steps, and restate the timing if there is a future review. This protects both sides from vague memories and gives you a written path to reference later.

Then continue tracking results. If your next compensation discussion depends on specific outcomes, keep a simple record of those outcomes as they happen. A raise ask is easier when the evidence is already organized.

Example Planning Walkthrough

Suppose your current salary is $70,000 and you received a 3% raise to $72,100. The annual increase is $2,100, and the monthly gross increase is $175. If estimated inflation is close to that raise, the real purchasing power improvement may be limited. If your role stayed the same, you may simply ask how the company thinks about future reviews. If your role expanded, you may prepare a stronger case.

Now suppose you believe $77,000 better reflects the role. That would be a 10% increase from the original $70,000 salary and about 6.8% above the new $72,100 salary. Naming that target is easier when you can explain why the role changed, what results support it, and why the current raise did not fully address the gap.

The exact number should come from your situation, not from a generic rule. The goal is to choose a number that is specific, understandable, and connected to the work.

Calculate Your Raise First

Want to calculate your own raise?

Use the Salary Increase Calculator.

FAQ

How much should I ask for in a raise?

Start with the raise needed to beat estimated inflation, then adjust for responsibility changes, performance, and the business case you can support.

Should I ask for a raise by email?

Email is usually best for requesting a meeting and previewing the reason, not for handling the entire negotiation.