How to Ask for a Raise: A Step-by-Step Guide with Expert Tips

Knowing how to ask for a raise is pretty important—especially for women. “Not just for the immediate financial benefit, but also for long-term career advancement and closing the gender pay gap,” says Laurie Hyllberg, VP of recruiting firm Kinsa Group.

“Women earn an average of $0.83 for every dollar a White male colleague in the same position earns,” says Herrera. This gender pay gap highlights the importance of taking active steps to negotiate a higher salary (AKA ask for a raise) and get the compensation they deserve.

“By proactively negotiating their compensation, women assert their value in the workplace, contribute to setting fair standards in their industries, and build confidence in their professional capabilities,” says Hyllberg. “It’s yet another step towards ensuring that their contributions are recognized and rewarded equitably in our society.”

But acknowledging that you should ask for a raise and knowing how to do that are two separate things. So how, exactly, do you ask for the raise you know you deserve?

Why it’s so important for women to ask for raises

First things first. Before we jump into how to ask for a raise at work, let’s touch on why it’s so important for women to ask for raises to begin with.

In addition to the gender pay gap, “women often face unique challenges in the workplace, including underrepresentation in leadership roles and systemic pay inequities,” says Hyllberg. These factors can prevent women from getting salary increases, even when they’re well-deserved.

As such, women often have to take matters into their own hands—which can improve both the individual woman’s compensation and contribute to improving compensation structures for women across the board.

“When asking for a pay raise, women are showcasing their interest and desire for growth within a company and the possibility of being assigned more responsibility,” says Licensed Clinical Psychologist Cynthia Shaw. “Women can further their careers towards leadership roles and senior positions.”

“As a woman, when asking for a pay raise, we are asserting our value, skill set, and capabilities, lending to greater workplace equality,” says Shaw. “We are further reducing the compensation gender gap by demonstrating authority in areas of expertise.”

When should you ask for a raise?

Now that you know why asking for a raise is so important, let’s jump into how to do that—starting with choosing the right time.

“Timing is absolutely critical in asking for a raise,” says Hyllberg. “Women should consider factors like recent professional achievements, their role in successful projects, and the company's overall financial health.”

For example, some ideal time to ask for raises could include:

• After finishing up a successful and/or visible project;

• After completing an educational or professional development course;

• After the company announces a significant financial win (like a new funding round);

• When raises are typically granted (for example, at the start of a fiscal year);

• When management seems to be in a good place/mood (and not overly stressed).

Another good time to ask for a raise is “after positive performance reviews,” says Hyllberg. During a positive performance review, your boss is focused on all the ways you’ve contributed to your role, team, and company—and asking while those contributions are top of mind could help you land the salary bump you’re after.

You should also consider how long you’ve been with the company—and how that time frame might impact your ability for a promotion and/or pay raise. “The odds of getting a promotion when only at a job for under a year are not likely,” says Shaw. “Similarly, receiving multiple pay adjustments within a given year is also not likely.”

In addition to timing your ask right in the larger scheme of things, you should also ask at the right time during the week. “Never schedule a pay raise conversation at the beginning of the week,” says Adriana Herrera, founder of salary and compensation app PayDestiny. “The best days to ask for a pay raise are Thursday and Friday when…decision-makers are already thinking about the weekend and more relaxed.” 

Now, while it’s ideal to wait for the right time to ask for a raise, there are definitely situations where the “right time” is right now. For example, “if she has discovered that she is underpaid compared to colleagues with the same experience, skills, and outcomes…she should ask for a pay raise to get her pay equitable to the pay rate of colleagues,” says Herrera.

6 steps on how to ask for a raise

Now that you know when to ask for a raise, let’s jump into how to ask your boss for a raise, including:

1. Do your research

If you want to successfully get a raise, you don’t want to have the conversation on a whim. Instead, it’s important to do your research. “Good preparation is the cornerstone of a good ‘ask,’” says Hyllberg. “Women need to conduct market research to understand the standard compensation in their field and region.”

Before asking for a raise, research what people in similar roles, with similar experience, and/or in your geographical area are making. This will give you insights into what a reasonable salary increase might be—which can guide your decision on how much of a raise to ask for.

You’ll also want to pull your research together so you can share it with your manager, HR, or leadership team when you actually ask for a raise. “Make sure to be prepared with data on what the market is paying someone with your skills, education, experience, and outcomes,” says Herrera.  

2. Build your case

Once you’ve done your research and determined how much of a raise you’re going to ask for, it’s time to start building your case for why you deserve that raise.

Sharing the insights from your research will help support your case in asking for a raise—as will “compiling a list of recent accomplishments, contributions, and additional responsibilities” says Hyllberg. 

For example, in addition to sharing data points on what the market is offering a person of your skillset, background, and abilities, you can also share a list that outlines the ways you’ve excelled at work, like successful projects you’ve worked on or junior employees you’ve mentored.

In addition to sharing your own insights, asking colleagues or managers for additional feedback can also help strengthen your case. “Documenting positive feedback from clients or colleagues can also be a powerful tool,” says Hyllberg.

3. Schedule a meeting

The next step in the process is to schedule a meeting with the person (or people) responsible for giving you a raise—and then being crystal clear on what the meeting is about.

“Start by reaching out to your supervisor, manager, or team lead and note the reason for requesting a meeting,” says Shaw. “The key here is to be clear and direct.”

For example, you might email your manager and say, “I’d like to schedule a meeting to discuss my current compensation. Are you available to meet on Friday?”

Give the person a few days to respond—and if you don’t hear from them, follow up every few days until you have the meeting on your calendar.

4. Practice your pitch

Once you’ve got your meeting scheduled, it’s important to anticipate how that meeting might go—and practice what you’re going to say. “Practice your pitch, anticipate potential objections, and prepare your responses,” says Hyllberg.

Write down exactly what you’re going to say when you ask for your raise—and then practice your pitch out loud. If you feel comfortable, ask a friend or colleague to role play as your boss and practice responding to any potential objections. Keep practicing until you feel confident in what you’re going to say.

Why? Because the more you practice asking for your raise, the more comfortable you’ll be—and the more likely the conversation will be a successful one.

“The more familiar we are with what it is we want to say to our superior and why we believe we have warranted a raise, the more comfortable we will feel when it comes down to having the conversation,” says Shaw. “The more we say something, the more we believe it, and the more we can express these beliefs with conviction. “

5. Ask

Your meeting day has come. You’ve practiced your pitch. You know what you want to say. Now, it’s time to actually ask for your raise. How you ask is just as important as what you ask. “Be clear, confident, and specific about your request,” says Hyllberg.

One thing you’ll want to be specific about is how much of a raise you’re asking for—and ideally, you’ll want to ask for more than you actually want. “It's typically recommended to go slightly over your ideal number, as you and your employer will likely meet somewhere in the middle,” says Shaw. 

6. Be prepared to negotiate

When you ask for your raise, the person you’re asking might say “yes” right away—in which case, congratulations! But in other cases, you might need to negotiate—and you should be prepared to do so.

When you’re negotiating, “it’s always important to remain professional and poised, even if the response is not immediately positive,” says Hyllberg.

So, for example, let’s say you ask for a $10,000 raise—and your boss says that’s not possible. If your boss says no, don’t walk away! Not negotiating, “can result in leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table over the course of a career,” says Herrera.

Instead, ask follow-up questions on why they’re not granting the raise—as well as negotiate a deal that works for both of you (for example, if a $10,000 raise is too much, you may be able to negotiate a $7,500 raise plus extra time off).

If you can’t come to an agreement, you have a few different options. “If you are not satisfied with the presented salary change, you can request time to consider, come back with an alternative number, or consider looking for a position elsewhere,” says Shaw. 

If you don’t want to leave your current position, “you can ask for feedback—as well as instructions as to what you'd need to do or how you'd need to perform to receive that position or change in salary,” says Shaw.

How to ask for a raise: Here are some expert tips to get you ready

Need more tips on how to successfully ask for a raise? Here’s some advice to support you through the process:

Validate yourself

Asking for a raise can be hard. And if you’re finding it hard, it’s important to validate that experience. “Take a moment to validate your anxiety and the nervousness that comes with confrontation and having to self-advocate,” says Shaw. 

Once you’ve validated your feelings, remind yourself that asking for a raise is a completely appropriate, common thing to do—and while you may be feeling nervous, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

“Remind yourself that asking for a raise is typical in many industries and different job settings and that your boss and managerial staff will expect these conversations,” says Shaw. “Remember, you deserve to be fairly compensated for the work that you are doing.”

Follow up

Sometimes, you’ll get an answer right away on whether you’ve landed a raise. But sometimes, your boss may need time to mull the idea over.

And that’s fine! But don’t let your ask slip through the cracks—and instead, make sure to follow up. “If you haven't heard from your boss in a week or two, check in with an email or request another conversation requesting a status update,” says Shaw.

Don’t give up

Not getting the raise you’re asking for can feel demoralizing. But don’t let it get you down! You have options, which include looking for another job that offers a higher salary.