When asking for a raise, do you give a number?

12 Comments

1. AnonymousJuly 14,2024 at 10:59PM UTC

   I would, be bold, you have numbers on your side. make them JUSTIFY not paying you what you are worth,

2. Dr. Erica WallsJuly 14,2024 at 11:25PM UTC

   Great that you conducted research first! That will help you feel more confident when you ask.

   You can offer a number, but here's another approach:

   Share why you think you deserve a raise (i.e., great performance) and allow them to provide a number. If too low, negotiate. You never know, it could be higher than your number!

3. Sharece WillcoxonJuly 15,2024 at 2:13AM UTC

   I recently had the same situation, found out I’m being paid 75% of what median entry level employees with my specific job title make. I didn’t ask for a number, but I asked for a larger percentage raise, citing that and giving them a detailed list of reasons why I personally deserve it. They more than doubled the raise percent originally offered.

4. AnonymousJuly 15,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

   IMO, I would first put your found information in front of a wage analysis expert. Make sure you are actually comparing apples to apples, so many don't take into consideration many other factors, like demographics, indepth experience (that you may not be privy to about others), even when they were hired (plays a bigger role than you think), your actual experience, for a few things.

5. GirlBossanova934974July 16,2024 at 12:36PM UTC

   When asking for raises, there are two choices. You can ask for a % increase or a $ amount. The preferable choice is a percentage figure. Anything over 4-5% is considered over the rate of inflation so that is what employers focus upon. Anything over 10% is going to require a material amount of justification which yo u say you have.

6. AnonymousJuly 16,2024 at 4:06PM UTC

   If I were you I would go into the conversation with a spreadsheet of what you have accomplished and why you think you deserve an out of cycle bump (assuming you have cyclical ones) and with that take some information about the motivators that you need to continue to achieve so highly. Then share industry information with your manager about other external companies within your similar space. To disclose that you are comparing yourself to others internally is not the way, since that information is usually private and determined at time of hire/experience/etc. Compare yourself to the job and the level at which you are going above and beyond the job description. If you feel the need to tag a number on it use cost of living plus a 3-5% bump. Good luck.

7. Cindy GloverJuly 17,2024 at 1:35PM UTC

   Exactly!!!! I’m going to borrow your idea (if you don’t mind)

8. AnonymousJuly 17,2024 at 5:12PM UTC

   Steal or borrow at will! I posted it for the betterment of the OP and anyone else who can benefit from this information. Go get it!

9. AnonymousJuly 17,2024 at 1:29PM UTC

   I pulled a few salary reports for my specific job to confirm what I should be paid, checked with the job descriptions listed for these salary reports, and listed my accomplishments and why I deserve this raise and discussed with my boss. She submitted to our top management for approval. Resulted in a 12% increase for me.

10. Cindy GloverJuly 17,2024 at 1:34PM UTC

    I would use %

    I’ve found most websites relational to salary comparison is done either by range or % - it’s just my personal preference

11. maria roseJuly 17,2024 at 3:13PM UTC

    Because most companies don’t really post the full extent of salary ranges ( they only post a range), what you really should know is how the company does pay increases. This should be mentioned somewhere in your employment hiring packet or as part of the discussion on how the company encourages employees growth potential—achieving X factors will make X increase. Some companies give automatic increases yearly under the COLA clause and others offer incentives to get raises for promotions or achievements. But whatever methods used to get increased pay raises, they all used a percentage based on your current salary. So if for example, you currently make $40,000/year and you want to achieve $50,000/year , you are looking at a 25%% increase in income yearly, which in today’s economy means that you are looking at assuming more responsibility in your current job responsibilities. You don’t get such a large pay increase for just being able to do your single job responsibilities and being present physically at work. Remember labor costs affect the profit margin of the business the most. So you f you are looking for big increases in your pay rate be prepared to put more effort into the performance and if in doubt, ask for what is needed to progress upwards. Otherwise the only increase in pay you might get will be those COLA increases when the business has to increase pay rates as demanded by law.

12. Jennifer TaylorJuly 18,2024 at 2:41PM UTC

    I would go into the conversation with a number (knowing that might negotiated down, so aim higher), a list of my accomplishments and value adds to the organization, and comparable salaries for my position and location.