How to ask for a raise (and what number to ask for)
Asking for a raise feels awkward because most of us treat it like begging. It isn’t. It is a short business conversation: here is what I do now, here is what it is worth, here is the number I am asking for. If you walk in with that, and with a number you can defend, the conversation is ten times easier.
Start with the number, not the nerves
Start with the number, not the nerves. Look up what your role pays in your city, for your experience, right now. Job boards and salary sites will give you a range, not a single magic figure. Pick a range, not a plea. If the market says $65,000 to $72,000 and you are on $60,000, asking for $68,000 is reasonable. Asking for $90,000 is a different conversation, and your manager will know it. The range is your protection — it shows you did the work, and it gives both of you room to land somewhere in the middle.
What a $6,000 raise is really worth after tax
Here is the worked example, so the number means something in real money — and remember it is an estimate, not a payslip. You are on $60,000 and you ask for $66,000 — a 10% raise. That is $6,000 more a year on paper. After tax, it is less, and you should know that before you negotiate, not after. As a single filer in 2026, with the $16,100 standard deduction, your take-home pay on $60,000 is about $50,390 a year. On $66,000 it is about $55,211. The raise is worth about $4,821 a year after federal tax and FICA, or about $402 a month. That is the number to keep in your head when you decide whether the offer is good enough. State tax and any 401(k) change would move it a little, but the shape stays the same: a $6,000 raise is roughly a $400-a-month raise in your pocket. Run your own numbers on the calculator before the meeting, so no one can surprise you with the after-tax figure.
Bring proof, not feelings
Bring proof, not feelings. “I work hard and I deserve it” is a feeling, and feelings don’t move budgets. Proof is a list. Three things you did in the last year that made the team money, saved time, or stopped a problem — with numbers if you have them. “I rebuilt the onboarding checklist and new hires now finish it in two days instead of five.” “I took over the Friday report and it hasn’t been late since March.” That is what a manager can take to their own boss. If you can’t think of three things, that is useful information too. It means the work comes first, and the ask comes after.
Timing matters as much as the words
Timing matters as much as the words. The best time is when your work is fresh in your manager’s mind — right after you finished something real, or in a normal review cycle when budgets are being set. The worst time is the week your team just missed a deadline, or as an ultimatum when you have no other offer and everyone knows it. If you can, ask a month or two before review season, so there is time to actually put it in the budget. And ask for a meeting with a clear subject — “I’d like 20 minutes to talk about my pay and my role” — not a surprise ambush at the end of a Friday.
What to actually say — and how to practise it
What do you actually say? Keep it short. “I would like to talk about my pay. In the last year I took on X and Y, and the results were Z. Roles like mine in this city are paying $65,000 to $72,000, and I am on $60,000. I would like to move to $68,000. Can we talk about what it would take to get there?” Then stop talking. Let them answer. The silence feels long. It is usually about five seconds. Saying more after you have made your case only gives them something to argue with.
Practice it out loud before the meeting. Not in your head — out loud, to a mirror or a friend, twice. The first time you say the number, your voice will shake a little. The third time, it won’t. That is the whole point of practice. You are not rehearsing a performance. You are getting used to hearing yourself say a number out loud, so it doesn’t feel strange when it matters.
If they say no, ask what would change the answer
If they say no, don’t walk out. Ask what would change the answer. Is it budget, timing, or something you need to do first? Get a date, not a vague promise. “Let’s revisit this in three months, after the project ships” is a real answer. “We’ll see” is not — ask for the date, and write it down in the same meeting. If the answer is a skills gap, ask what the next level looks like, in writing, so you know exactly what to aim at.
And one thing nobody tells you: the raise is also a negotiation about the rest of the package. If the salary number can’t move, ask about a bonus, extra days off, training, or a title change that makes the next raise easier. Sometimes the money really isn’t there this quarter, and a title plus a date is worth more than a flat no. A title change today can be worth thousands at the next job, because the next employer reads the title first.
Do this today: write down three things you did in the last year that made your team or your company money, saved time, or stopped a problem. One sentence each. That list is the start of your case, and it is much stronger than “I work hard and I deserve it.”
Frequently asked questions
- How much should I ask for? A market-based range. Ask for the top half of it, so there is room to meet in the middle.
- Should I mention another offer? Only if it is real, and only if you would actually take it. A bluff that gets called is hard to come back from.
- What if I just started? Then the conversation is usually about your next review, not a raise this month. Ask what the path to the next level looks like.
- Does a raise push me into a higher tax bracket and cost me money? No. The USA taxes income in slices, so only the dollars above each threshold are taxed at the higher rate. A raise never makes your take-home pay go down.
- What if my manager says the budget is fixed? Ask for a date to revisit it, and ask what else can move — bonus, title, training, or time off.
General information only, not financial advice. Figures verified 2026-10-28.