Most raise conversations don't go badly because the asker is unworthy. They go badly because the ask is fuzzy, the timing is improvised, and the follow-up plan doesn't exist. This guide gives you the words. Use them as written, or adjust the tone — but keep the structure.
Do the homework before you ask
A raise conversation is sales. You wouldn't pitch a product without knowing what competitors charge and what the customer can pay. Same here — your job is to walk in with three numbers and the receipts to back them up.
Spend 90 minutes the week before getting the data straight. You'll need:
- Your current band's range at this company. Ask HR, ask a peer, or check the internal handbook — most companies document this somewhere, even if they don't advertise it.
- The next level's range. This is your real ceiling and your strongest argument: "I'm operating at the bottom of the next band already."
- External market for your role and level. Levels.fyi for tech, Glassdoor or Payscale for everyone else, and the most accurate signal of all: a recent recruiter call where someone named a number.
- Your impact in the last 12 months in three crisp lines, each with a number attached. "Led the migration" is weak. "Led the migration that cut API latency 40% and unblocked the mobile launch" is the line you want.
- What your manager has done with raise asks before. Talk to a peer who has asked and won (or asked and lost). The pattern is data.
Time the conversation
When you ask matters as much as how you ask. Bad timing turns a strong case into a polite "come back next quarter." Good timing pays in days, not cycles.
- Right after a visible win, while the impact is fresh in your manager's mind.
- Before performance review season, so you set the anchor — not after, when budgets are already locked.
- Not in the same meeting as a perf review (more on that in a second).
- Not when the team is in crisis or someone just left and morale is fragile.
- Not on a Friday afternoon, not in a hallway, not over Slack, not at the company offsite.
Before the meeting: set it up properly
Don't ambush your manager in a 1:1 about the sprint. Send a calendar invite with a clear subject line so they walk in expecting the conversation. This signals seriousness and gives them time to think.
“Hey [manager], I'd like to use our Thursday 1:1 to talk about my comp and the next 12 months. I'll come with specifics — wanted to flag in advance so it's not a surprise.”
A few things to get right in the setup:
- Calendar invite with a clear subject line — "1:1 — comp and next 12 months" beats "quick chat."
- Three-line agenda in the description: what you've done, what you'd like, what you need from them.
- 30–45 minute slot, not your usual 1:1. The conversation deserves space.
- A written one-pager you can share *only if asked*. Don't email it ahead — your goal is the conversation, not a document review.
The four-part script
Open with what you've done, name the number, explain why you've earned it, and ask what they need from you. In that order. Each part has a specific job; if you skip one, the other three weaken.
“Over the last [time period], I've [3 specific outcomes — shipped X, led Y, owned Z]. Two of those weren't in my original scope.”
Three outcomes is the sweet spot. Two feels thin. Five feels like a pitch deck. Pick the three that most closely match what your next level is supposed to do — if you led an initiative outside your scope, that's worth two of them, because it shows you're already operating at level.
“Based on that, and on [market data point — e.g. Levels.fyi median for this role/level], I'd like my base to move to $[X]. That's a [Y]% increase.”
Don't bury the number. Don't ask "what range can you do?" — that gives away the anchor. State it clearly, with a percentage attached so they can hear how close it is to fair. A 6% bump sounds like a token; the same dollars framed as "aligning my base with the level I'm operating at" lands differently.
“I've looked at what [adjacent role / next level] is paid here and externally — this puts me at the lower end of the new band, which feels fair given I'm operating at that level already.”
You're not threatening; you're showing your work. The implicit message is: "I'm informed, I've thought about this, I'm not pulling a number from nowhere." If you have an outside data point — a recruiter call, an offer from a friend, a public salary database — say it without making it a threat.
“How does that land for you? What would you need to make it happen, and on what timeline?”
This is the most-skipped step. Asking "what would you need from me?" turns the conversation from a one-shot ask into a plan, and forces them to either commit or tell you the path. Either is better than "we'll see."
What to say when they push back
Six pushbacks come up over and over. Each one has a specific response — the goal is always to keep the conversation moving toward a number and a date.
"It's not the right time / not in the budget."
“I hear you. If it can't happen this cycle, what's the path? I'd like to leave today with a written plan: the number, the milestones, and the date we revisit it. Something I can hold us both to.”
"You're already at the top of your band."
“That's actually the strongest signal that I'm operating above level. Can we talk about a promotion path? What would the next 90 days need to look like for me to move up a level?”
"Let me think about it / take it to my manager."
“Of course. Can we agree on when you'll come back to me? Let's put a follow-up on the calendar for [10 days out].”
"We just gave you a raise / promotion last cycle."
“I appreciate that, and I'm not asking for two raises in a row. I'm asking that this one reflects what I've taken on since — [scope expansion]. If base isn't on the table, can we talk about [equity refresh / sign-on / target bonus / title]?”
"Wait until your review."
“Two questions. When is the budget actually decided? And is there room to bring this conversation forward? In my experience, by the time the review happens, the band has been set. I'd rather have the discussion now and confirm at review.”
"I agree, but I need approval from up the chain."
“Totally fair, that's how it usually works. Can we agree on the number you'd advocate for, so we're aligned when you take it up? And on a date by which you'll come back to me with where it landed?”
Edge cases
The four-part script works in most situations. A few that need adjustment:
You got promoted recently.
Wait at least 6 months, then ask in the context of the next level — not the one you just got. Anchor on what you've added beyond the promo description, and use the new title as a base, not the old one.
You have a competing offer.
Lead with loyalty, not the offer. Say: "I want to be here. I have an offer at $[X]; before I make a decision, I want to give you the chance to make this work." Then go silent. Don't apologise. If you lead with the offer, it sounds like leverage. If you lead with loyalty, it sounds like a choice they can shape.
You're remote or hybrid.
If your company has location-based pay, you'll hit it. The script is the same; you just need to know which cost-of-living bracket they have you in, and ask in those terms: "I'm in band X based on [city]; I'd like to move to the upper end of that band." Don't argue the policy in this meeting — fight it separately if you must.
You're new to the manager.
Don't ask in your first month. Spend 60–90 days proving you're worth investing in, then bring the full case. With a brand new manager, your impact paragraph (step 1) does even more work — they don't have a year of context, so spell it out.
You want something other than base.
If they truly can't move base, ask for: an equity refresh (often easier to approve), a sign-on or retention bonus, a target bonus increase, a title bump (which moves you up the band next cycle), more flexible hours, or a budget for L&D. None of these are consolation prizes — they all matter, and several compound.
After the meeting
Send the recap from your phone before you stand up from your desk. Procrastinate by 24 hours and the moment passes — and so does the version of the conversation that's still fresh in your manager's head.
“Thanks for the conversation today. To recap: I asked for a move to $[X]. You're going to [check budget / take it to your manager / come back by [date]]. Happy to share anything else that's useful in the meantime.”
If they say yes
Don't celebrate yet — the answer is real when it's in writing. Most "yes" becomes "maybe" on the way through HR and finance. Lock it down:
- Get the new number, the effective date, and any conditions in writing — Slack, email, or HR portal. Don't accept a verbal yes alone.
- If equity, sign-on, or bonus is part of the deal, get the dollar amount and vesting schedule in writing too.
- Set a follow-up for 12 months out: the same conversation, next level. Put it on your calendar before you leave the room.
- Send a short thank-you, then quietly start delivering against whatever you implicitly promised.
If they say no, with no path
A no with a clear path is a deal: "hit X by date Y and we'll revisit." A no with no path is data — they don't think you're worth more, or the company can't pay it. Either way, you have a decision to make.
- Don't quit on the spot — emotional decisions backfire. Sleep on it for at least a week.
- Schedule a recruiter call within 7 days to test the market without pressure. You don't have to take a job to take a call.
- Update your CV. If you've been at the company more than 18 months without a raise, the market knows what that says.
- If you're underpaid by 15%+, leaving usually beats negotiating — base salary compounds, and the fastest way to fix it is a new offer.
- If you're underpaid by less but love the role, the data point is still worth having for next time.