Asking for a Raise
Make the case for more money with evidence rather than with how long you've been there.
About the wording below: every example in this library is written to illustrate a pattern. They are illustrative examples, not transcripts, and not accounts of anyone's real conversation. Use them as a starting point and put them in your own words.
The situation
You think you're underpaid for what you do, or your responsibilities have grown past your title. You've decided to ask. The conversation feels high-stakes because it's about money, and because a no is hard to hear without taking it personally.
Why this conversation is difficult
Money conversations are tangled up with self-worth, and most people haven't had many of them, so there's no practised script to fall back on. The request also depends on someone else's budget and timing, which means you can make an excellent case and still get a no — a possibility that makes people either avoid asking or ask in a way that's easy to decline.
Your goal
Leave with a decision or a dated next step, having made your case on evidence rather than on tenure or personal need.
Recommended approach
- 1Ask for a specific meeting rather than raising it in passing. This is a conversation that needs a slot.
- 2Lead with the value you've delivered and the scope you're carrying now, not with how long you've been there.
- 3Bring numbers where you can — scope, outcomes, and market range for the role.
- 4Name a specific figure or range. An unquantified ask gives the other person nothing to respond to.
- 5Ask for a decision and a date, and be ready for a no with a timeline attached.
What you could say
Example wording
"I'd like to talk about my compensation. Since I took on the client accounts in March, I'm carrying roughly a third more scope than my job description covers, and the accounts have renewed at a higher rate. Based on that and the market range for the role, I'm asking for a move to [figure]. Is that something you can consider, and when could we revisit it?"
Softer version
"I'd like to understand where I stand on compensation. My responsibilities have grown quite a bit this year and I'd like to make sure my pay reflects the role I'm actually doing. Is that a conversation we can have?"
Direct version
"I'm asking for a raise to [figure]. My scope has grown, the results are on record, and I'm below the market range for this role. What would it take to get there?"
Professional version
"I'd like to request a compensation review. I've put together a short summary of my scope and outcomes over the last twelve months, along with the market range for this role. Could we set time to go through it?"
What to avoid saying
"I need more money."
Your personal costs aren't a business case. They may make you sympathetic, but they don't give a manager anything to approve.
"I've been here three years."
Tenure is a reason to expect a review, not a reason to expect a raise. Without scope or results attached, it's easy to defer.
"Other people at my level are on more."
Unless you can evidence it, this invites a conversation about how you know, which is not the conversation you want.
"If I don't get it, I'll have to look elsewhere."
An ultimatum you aren't ready to carry out damages your position, and one you are ready to carry out changes the conversation entirely — decide which before you speak.
If the other person reacts badly
They say the budget is frozen.
Ask for a dated commitment. "I understand. Can we agree a date to revisit it, and what would need to be true for it to be a yes?"
They praise you warmly and commit to nothing.
Convert the praise into specifics. "Thank you — I'd like to turn that into something concrete. What would a yes look like, and by when?"
They ask you to justify the number.
Have your evidence ready and keep it factual. "The range for this role at my scope is [range], and I'm at [current]. That's the gap I'm asking you to close."
The framework behind this script
Evidence before appeal
Negotiation practice consistently distinguishes positions from interests: a manager can't act on your need, but they can act on a documented gap between your scope and your pay. The ask lands when it's specific, evidenced and dated.
Read the framework in fullRelated Say It Better guides
More work & professional scripts
Want wording for your exact situation?
The library covers the common patterns. If your situation is more specific, the Response Generator will draft something for the details you give it.