How to Ask for a Raise (With a Word-for-Word Script)

Nobody is going to walk into your cubicle and hand you a raise out of the goodness of their heart. It does not work that way, and pretending it does has cost good people thousands of dollars over a career. A raise is something you ask for, and asking well is a skill you can learn in an afternoon. The folks who get paid more are rarely the smartest in the room. They are the ones who did their homework and opened their mouth. Here is how to be one of them, with the exact words to say.

Step 1: Do the Math Before You Do the Talking

Walking in and saying "I feel like I deserve more" is a losing move. Feelings do not move budgets. Numbers do. Before you say a word to your boss, you need two figures locked in.

First, your market rate. Look up what your role pays in your city on sites that publish salary data, like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, or Payscale. Get a realistic range, not the one dream number at the top.

Second, your ask. A common, reasonable raise request lands somewhere between 5 and 15 percent, depending on how far below market you sit and how strong your case is. Here is a quick example. Say you earn $60,000 and the market rate for your work is $68,000. Asking for a 10 percent bump to $66,000 is defensible, and it still leaves your boss feeling like they got a deal. Do the arithmetic so you can name a specific number, not a vague wish.

Step 2: Build Your Brag Sheet

Your boss is busy and does not remember half of what you did last quarter. Your job is to remind them, in a way that ties your work to money and results. Write down every win from the past 6 to 12 months, and put a number on it wherever you can.

• Money you made the company: "Landed three new accounts worth $45,000 in annual revenue."
• Money you saved the company: "Renegotiated the vendor contract and cut costs by $8,000 a year."
• Time you saved: "Built the new reporting template that saves the team about 5 hours a week."
• Extra weight you carried: "Covered the Denver territory for four months after Sarah left, with no drop in sales."

Ten specific wins beat a hundred vague ones. This brag sheet is your evidence, and it turns the conversation from "please" into "here is why."

Step 3: Set the Meeting the Right Way

Do not ambush your boss in the hallway or spring this on them during a stressful Monday. Ask for time on purpose. Timing helps too. Right after you finished a big project or just before annual review season is when your case is freshest. Send something like this:

"Hi [Boss's name], I'd like to grab 20 minutes with you this week to talk about my role and my compensation. Is there a good time that works for you?"

That is it. You do not spill the whole pitch over email. You just get the meeting on the calendar so nobody is caught off guard and you both have time to talk like adults.

Step 4: Use the Script

Here is where nerves take over for most people. So memorize a simple opening and let it carry you. Walk in calm, sit down, and say something close to this:

"Thanks for making the time. I really enjoy working here, and I've taken on a lot over the past year. I landed three new accounts worth $45,000 in revenue, cut our vendor costs by $8,000, and covered the Denver territory when we were short-handed. I've looked at the market rate for my role, and it runs around $68,000. Based on my results and that range, I'd like to talk about moving my salary to $66,000. How do you feel about that?"

Then stop talking. This is the part people blow. They get nervous in the silence and start negotiating against themselves. Do not. Let your boss respond. The silence is doing your work for you.

Step 5: Handle the Answer With Grace

You will get one of three responses, and you should be ready for each.

• Yes. Say thank you, and ask for the new number in writing along with the effective date. Get it in an email so it is real.
• Not right now. Do not deflate. Ask the money question: "I understand. What specifically would I need to accomplish to earn that raise, and can we put a date on the calendar to revisit this in 90 days?" Now you have a roadmap instead of a rejection.
• The budget won't allow it. Pivot to other value. "I understand the budget is tight. Could we talk about an extra week of vacation, a work-from-home day, or a title change instead?" Those things have real value, and they are often easier to say yes to.

Whatever the answer, stay warm and professional. You want a raise now and more raises later, and burning the bridge helps neither.

Bottom line: A raise goes to the person who researched their market rate, built a brag sheet full of numbers, asked for a specific figure, and then had the nerve to sit in the silence. Do the homework, use the script, and ask. The worst they can say is "not yet," and now you know exactly what to do with that answer.

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