How to Ask for a Raise During a Performance Review
A performance review is more than a conversation about what you did last year. It’s a chance to explain how you’ve grown, what you’ve achieved, and why your contribution matters.
If you plan to ask for a raise, don’t wait until the last five minutes of the meeting to find your words. A thoughtful request isn’t pushy or ungrateful. It’s a professional conversation about your contribution and future.
A little preparation can turn nervous energy into a clear, confident message.
Key Takeaways
- Build your case around measurable accomplishments, expanded responsibilities, and the value you bring to your team or company.
- Research compensation for comparable roles, considering your location, experience, industry, skills, and total compensation package.
- Raise the topic before budget decisions are final, and request enough time for a focused, private conversation.
- State a clear salary target, support it with evidence, and pause to let your manager respond.
- Whether the answer is yes, maybe, or no, ask about next steps, decision dates, and the specific conditions for revisiting your compensation.
Before the Conversation, Build Your Case
Your manager may know you work hard, but they may not remember every project, problem solved, or responsibility you picked up. Bring the proof with you. Together, those examples form a business case for your request.
Keep your case focused on the work, not on personal financial pressures. Your bills matter, of course, but your request will carry more weight when it centers on business value.
Gather accomplishments that show results
Review your calendar, project tracker, emails, project objectives, and positive feedback. Look for work that improved a process, strengthened a client relationship, supported the team, increased revenue, reduced costs, or solved a recurring problem.
For each accomplishment, write down:
- The challenge or goal you were responsible for.
- The action you took and skills you used.
- The result, using numbers when you have them.
- The benefit to your team, customers, or company.
Not every win will have a dollar amount attached. Training a new employee, handling a difficult client, creating a process that saves time, or becoming the person others depend on also matters.
Show how your role has grown
Compare your original job description with your current job responsibilities. Have you taken on additional responsibilities? Are you managing projects, mentoring colleagues, handling work once assigned to a higher-level role, or carrying a larger workload?
Use language that is calm and factual. Instead of saying, “I do way more than everyone else,” say, “My role has expanded to include responsibilities beyond my original scope, including…”
That small change keeps the conversation rooted in your work, not frustration.
Research Market Compensation Before Naming a Number
Knowing your market value gives your request a foundation. It also helps you avoid walking into the review with a number that feels like a guess.
Start with your role, location, years of experience, industry, specialized skills, company size, and cost of living. A job title alone rarely tells the full story.
Use more than one salary source
Review market data and salary benchmarks from reputable job and compensation sites, professional associations, and current job postings. Use those postings to inform a job search, but don’t treat them as perfect benchmarks. Indeed’s salary negotiation guidance is a salary guide with practical career advice on market research and talking points.
Save the information you find, including the date, methodology, and role details for each source. Pay ranges can vary widely between cities, industries, and organizations. Compare positions that match the work you actually do, not only the title on your email signature.
If your company has published salary bands, ask Human Resources how your role is structured. Knowing the salary range helps you understand whether you are below market, in the middle, or nearing the top of the band.
Choose a clear salary increase request
There is no one percentage that is reasonable for every employee. A small annual increase may fit one company, while a larger compensation adjustment may be appropriate when your role changed substantially or your pay falls below market.
Choose a target annual salary or a reasonable range you can explain. A wide range can invite the lowest number, so lead with the amount you believe reflects your role and results.
Remember to consider the full package. Base salary matters, but bonuses, retirement contributions, equity, paid time off, and flexibility also affect your overall compensation. Robert Half’s compensation guidance offers a helpful reminder to look beyond base pay.
Choose the Right Moment for a Salary Review
The best time to bring up pay is before decisions are final. Start preparing before the manager meeting, since budgets may take shape weeks or months ahead.
Start planting the seeds in regular one-on-ones. Share progress, ask for feedback, and discuss how your responsibilities are growing. The formal review shouldn’t be the first time your manager hears about your expanded role.
Give a new job time to show your value
If you recently started, focus first on learning the role, meeting expectations, and building a record of results. For many employees, the first annual review after a year in the position is a natural time to talk about pay.
The New York State Department of Labor’s salary negotiation guide also points to an annual review after one year as an appropriate time for a raise discussion. Company policies still matter, so learn your review and budget cycle early. A promotion timeline may also affect when compensation decisions are made.
Request enough time for the conversation
Don’t squeeze a salary request into a rushed check-in. If compensation is not already part of the review agenda, ask for a separate meeting or let your manager know you’d like time to discuss your growth and pay.
Choose a private setting and bring a one-page summary of your accomplishments. You don’t need a thick folder of every email you sent. A few strong examples are easier to discuss and remember.
What to Say When You Ask for a Raise
You don’t need a dramatic speech. You need a respectful opening, evidence of your impact, a clear request, and the confidence to pause after you speak.
Practice your key points aloud. A trusted friend can help you hear where your explanation becomes too long or too apologetic.
Use this raise discussion script
Begin with appreciation, then move to your accomplishments and request. Keep your tone warm, direct, and grounded.
“Thank you for the feedback and for the opportunities I’ve had this year. I’ve taken on additional responsibilities in [area], and I’m proud of the results I’ve delivered, including [two or three accomplishments]. Based on my expanded role, my performance, and market compensation for this work, I would like to discuss adjusting my salary to [amount]. What would the process be for reviewing this request?”
Then stop talking. Give your manager room to respond. Stating a clear number, then allowing silence, is one of the most effective negotiation tactics. Silence can feel uncomfortable, but filling it with nervous explanations may weaken your message.
When you ask for a raise, you are not asking for a favor. You are asking for your compensation to be reviewed in light of your work.
Use a pay raise letter to support the conversation
An email or pay raise letter can help you schedule the discussion and summarize your evidence in advance. The actual conversation is usually better in a meeting, where you can answer questions and listen to your manager’s response.
You could write:
“I’d appreciate time during the review to discuss my expanded responsibilities, recent results, and compensation. I’ve prepared a short summary to support the conversation.”
After the meeting, send a brief follow-up email that confirms what you discussed, any next steps, and the expected decision date.
Respond Well to a Yes, Maybe, or No
Your manager’s first response may not be a final answer. Stay composed, even if the conversation doesn’t go exactly as you hoped.
A thoughtful response protects your professional relationships and keeps the door open.
If the answer is yes or maybe
If your manager agrees, thank them and ask when the increase takes effect. Get the new salary, effective date, and any other details in writing.
If they say they need approval or more time, ask clear questions: What information is needed? Who makes the decision? When should you expect an answer? Put a follow-up date on the calendar.
A “maybe” without a date can drift for months. A “maybe” with a defined growth and pay path is a real conversation. It can also support employee retention.
If the request is denied or delayed
A no can sting, especially after you have worked hard. Don’t argue, threaten to quit, or compare yourself to a coworker. Instead, ask what would need to change for a future salary increase.
Try this: “I understand. Can you share the performance goals, responsibilities, or timing I should focus on for my compensation to be reviewed again? Can we set a date to revisit this?”
A budget freeze may be real. Ask whether a title change, one-time bonus, professional development support, or a written compensation review date is possible. Those options do not replace a base salary increase, but they can give you clarity while you decide your next steps.
Handle an Outside Offer With Care
A job offer can change the conversation, but it is not something to use as a bluff. An offer may emerge during a job search or signal a possible career change. Disclose the outside offer only if it is genuine and you are willing to accept it.
You can say, “I have received another offer, but I value my work here and would prefer to stay. I’d like to discuss whether my compensation can be adjusted to reflect my current role and the market.”
Avoid ultimatums or bluffing. Your employer may respond with a counteroffer, so you don’t have to decide immediately.
If your employer can’t meet your request, decide based on the full picture. Before accepting a counteroffer, weigh it against long-term growth, culture, flexibility, pay, stability, and peace of mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to ask for a raise?
Start preparing before your performance review and bring up your growing responsibilities during regular one-on-ones. Raise the request before compensation and budget decisions are final, and make sure there is enough time for a focused conversation.
How much of a raise should I ask for?
There is no single percentage that fits every situation. Choose a salary target or narrow range based on your results, expanded role, market compensation, and the value of your total benefits package.
What should I do if my raise request is denied?
Stay professional and ask what performance goals, responsibilities, or timing would support a future salary review. Request a specific follow-up date and consider alternatives such as a title change, bonus, or professional development support.
Should I mention an outside job offer?
Mention it only if the offer is genuine and you are willing to accept it. Avoid bluffing or issuing an ultimatum, and evaluate any counteroffer against long-term growth, culture, flexibility, pay, and stability.
A Raise Request Is a Professional Conversation
You can be grateful for your job and still ask to be paid fairly. Preparation, proof, market research, and a clear number give your request the strength it needs.
The conversation is a chance to speak up for the work you have done and the value you continue to bring. Confidence does not mean demanding an answer. It means asking with clarity, professionalism, and purpose. Whatever follows, you can stay and continue to grow or consider a career change when the time is right.