A clear raise request names what you’ve contributed and the pay you’re asking for. Start with the script below, then use the preparation questions, email template, and follow-up lines to make it fit your job. The words can help you present your case; they can’t promise an approval.
A word-for-word script to start with
“Thanks for making time. I’d like to discuss my pay. Over [time period], I’ve [key contribution] and [specific result]. Based on [my responsibilities, those results, or relevant pay information], I’m asking for my annual base salary to increase to $[amount]. I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
If you’re paid hourly, replace the salary sentence with: “I’m asking for my hourly rate to increase to $[amount].” State the new rate you want, rather than an amount that could mean either your total pay or the size of the increase.
Use only the supporting points that are true for you. If you haven’t researched comparable pay, leave out market rates. If your responsibilities haven’t expanded, make your case through the quality, consistency, or results of the work you already do.
After the request, pause. Give your manager a chance to answer before adding qualifications or offering to accept less. A brief silence doesn’t require you to revise your number.
Preparation questions that make the script yours
Your goal is a short case you can explain and your manager can accurately pass along. Answer these questions in notes before the conversation.
What amount am I requesting, and why?
For this script, choose a specific target. “I’m requesting a base salary of $[amount]” gives the conversation a clearer starting point than “I was hoping for a bump.”
Decide what supports that figure: a larger role, documented results, comparable job postings, your employer’s pay range, or some combination. There’s no universal percentage that makes sense for every request. A routine adjustment and compensation for substantially different responsibilities may need different conversations.
Privately, consider how you would respond to a lower offer. Separate the amount you’re requesting from an amount you might accept, so you aren’t making that decision for the first time in the meeting.
What has changed—or what have I done especially well?
Compare your current work with the work your pay was last based on. Perhaps you now train new hires, manage additional accounts, coordinate another location, or own a process that previously belonged to someone else.
Then look beyond added duties. You might be doing the same job with stronger results: fewer errors, more reliable delivery, improved customer feedback, or better handoffs between teams.
A useful preparation sentence is: “Since [date], I’ve [specific change or contribution], which has meant [concrete benefit].” If you’re covering someone’s work temporarily, name the duration and ask how compensation for that assignment is handled rather than describing it as a permanent role change.
What evidence can I show?
Choose two or three strong examples. Use numbers when you have reliable ones: turnaround time, completed projects, repeat business, reduced rework, or hours saved. Label estimates as estimates, and be accurate about what you contributed to a team result.
Work without tidy metrics still counts. “I trained both new coordinators, who are now handling their accounts independently” is more informative than “I’m always helping everyone.” A completed launch, a well-run handoff, or a process other people now use can also make the work visible.
Keep supporting records within your employer’s normal information-sharing practices. You can summarize an accomplishment without attaching confidential customer material.
Which pay comparisons actually fit my work?
Compare responsibilities, experience level, location, and working arrangements—not titles alone. A role with the same title may involve a larger team, different hours, or a different mix of duties.
Current job postings can provide examples to discuss. For broader context, consult the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables. Treat broad wage figures as reference points, not a precise valuation of your position.
Check what each figure includes. Base salary, total compensation, and hourly pay aren’t interchangeable. Note the source and date so you can explain the comparison if asked. If your employer shares internal pay ranges, consider how your role fits those ranges as well.
Who approves a raise, and when are decisions made?
Your manager may be the decision-maker, or may need approval from a department head, HR, or another leader. Ask about the process rather than assuming a supportive conversation means the increase is authorized.
“How are compensation adjustments approved, and when would you need my request for it to be considered?”
If annual reviews are approaching, find out when pay recommendations are submitted. That deadline may come before the review meeting itself. If pay follows a set scale, ask how movement within that scale works.
Choose a dedicated meeting when possible. If there’s an immediate deadline for requests, however, don’t wait indefinitely for a perfectly calm week.
What alternatives would be useful to me?
Identify a few possibilities before the conversation: additional paid time off, a schedule adjustment, a training budget, a one-time bonus, or a title that accurately reflects your responsibilities. Ask about options your employer can realistically offer.
Keep the differences clear. A one-time payment doesn’t change your ongoing base pay. A title change may recognize your work without changing what you earn. A future review is a conversation, not a promised increase.
You can discuss alternatives without treating them as equivalent to your original request. Decide which would have enough value for you to consider.
Turn your preparation into a short case
Put your request, two or three supporting points, and relevant pay comparisons on one page. This is a summary your manager can use, not a transcript of everything you’ve accomplished.
Here’s a hypothetical project coordinator example. All duties, results, and salary figures in this example are illustrative, not researched pay benchmarks:
“Thanks for making time. I’d like to discuss my compensation. Since March, I’ve coordinated vendors for all three regional offices rather than one. I rebuilt our intake checklist, and our tracking shows that average project setup time fell from nine days to four. I also trained both new coordinators.
“The comparable roles I found with similar responsibilities list base salaries between $72,000 and $80,000. Based on the scope of my work and those comparisons, I’m asking for my base salary to increase to $78,000. I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
Read your version aloud. Replace wording you wouldn’t normally use, but keep the contribution and the amount clear. Practice the sentence with the number until you can say it at the same pace and volume as the rest of the request.
Bring notes if they help. You’re preparing for a work conversation, not auditioning to deliver it from memory.
How to request the meeting
Name the subject when you schedule the conversation so your manager knows what you want to discuss.
By chat:
“Do you have 20 to 30 minutes this week or next to discuss my responsibilities and compensation?”
By email:
Subject: Time to discuss my role and compensation
Hi [Name],
Could we schedule 20 to 30 minutes in the next week or two? I’d like to review my responsibilities and discuss a compensation adjustment. I can send a short summary in advance if that would be useful.
Thanks,
[Your name]
During an existing one-on-one:
“I’d like to put a compensation conversation on the calendar. Is there a good time for us to discuss it, and is there anything you’d like me to send beforehand?”
If your manager asks for the main point immediately, give it: “I’d like to discuss increasing my pay to reflect [my expanded responsibilities / the results I’ve delivered]. I’ll bring the specifics.”
An email version of the raise request
Use email if your manager asks for a written proposal, if that fits your workplace, or as a follow-up to the conversation. Replace the bracketed material and delete any sentence that doesn’t reflect your situation.
Subject: Compensation review request
Hi [Name],
I’d like to request a review of my compensation. Over [time period], I’ve made the following contributions:
- [Responsibility or contribution, including when it began if relevant]
- [Result, supported by a number or concrete outcome]
- [Another significant result or responsibility]
Based on [the scope of my role, these results, and/or relevant pay comparisons], I’m requesting that my annual base salary increase to $[amount].
I’d welcome a conversation about the request and the approval process. Could we meet sometime [proposed time frame]?
Thank you,
[Your name]
For an hourly role, use “I’m requesting an hourly rate of $[amount].” If you include pay comparisons, identify them briefly rather than attaching a large collection of loosely related job ads.
Keep praise for the team or company only if you mean it. “I value working here” is useful when it expresses your position; it isn’t a required opening fee for asking about pay.
What to say after your manager answers
Listen to the actual response before choosing a follow-up. These lines cover common situations without assuming what your manager means.
“Yes, we can do that.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it. Can we confirm the new amount, the effective date, and when I should expect written confirmation?”
Clarify whether the amount is base pay or a one-time payment. If the change starts later, ask which pay period should reflect it. You can express appreciation and still check the details.
If your manager says they support the request but someone else must approve it, treat that as support—not final authorization—and use the approval-process response below.
“I need to check with HR or my manager.”
“Thank you for taking it forward. What information would help you present the request, and when should we check back in?”
Offer your one-page summary and ask whether there’s a form or other documentation to complete. Agree on a follow-up date if possible.
If your manager can’t estimate a decision date, ask for an update date instead: “Could we check in next Friday, even if the decision is still pending?” That gives you a next step without asking them to promise an answer they don’t control.
“We can offer less than you requested.”
If you want to discuss a higher amount:
“I appreciate the offer. Given [your strongest supporting point], I was requesting $[target]. Is there flexibility to move closer to that amount?”
If you want time to consider it:
“Thank you. I’d like to think through the offer. May I get back to you by [date]?”
If you’re ready to accept:
“Thank you. I’d like to accept that increase. Can we confirm the amount and effective date?”
Choose the response that reflects your position. Asking for a raise doesn’t obligate you to counter every offer, and receiving an offer doesn’t require an immediate yes.
“There isn’t room in the budget.”
“Understood. Is the issue the timing of the budget, or is this amount outside what can be approved for my role? I’d like to understand what a realistic next step would be.”
If the obstacle is timing, ask when funds are considered again and how to submit your request for that cycle. If an alternative interests you, raise one specific option:
“While the base-pay request is pending, would there be flexibility for [additional paid time off / a training budget / a schedule adjustment]?”
A budget limit may remain a limit. The purpose of the follow-up is to understand it and explore useful options, not to argue that it can’t be real.
“Raises happen only during annual reviews.”
“When are the recommendations due, and what would you need from me before then? I’d like this request to be considered in that cycle.”
Ask whether your current summary can be included now and whether you should update it closer to the deadline. Put the submission date on your calendar, not only the date of the review meeting.
If you’ve taken on substantially different duties, you can also ask: “Does a change in role responsibilities follow the same process, or is there a separate review?”
“Your performance doesn’t support that increase yet.”
“Which specific results or responsibilities would support it? Could we agree on the expectations and a date to review my progress?”
Clarify vague language such as “more leadership” with a practical question: “What would that look like in my current role?” Then check whether meeting the expectations would support the amount you requested, or merely make you eligible for consideration.
Keep the plan achievable and clear. A list of additional duties without a review date or explanation of how pay is decided leaves the original question unanswered.
“You’re already at the top of the pay range.”
“Could we review how my current responsibilities fit the role’s level? If the base salary can’t change within this range, what options are available?”
Ask whether a role review, promotion process, or other compensation option is relevant. A promotion may involve different expectations, so find out what those would be before agreeing to take them on.
If the range is firm and your role is correctly classified within the employer’s system, the useful answer may be clarity about the limit rather than an immediate increase.
“Why are you asking now?”
“Since [date], I’ve [expanded responsibility or significant result]. I’d like to review whether my compensation reflects the work I’m doing now.”
If the timing is about a scheduled review rather than a role change, say that: “With compensation reviews coming up, I wanted to submit a specific request and supporting information.”
Your explanation can be straightforward. Personal expenses may be part of why you want more money, but keep the request anchored in the work and pay information you prepared.
“Do you have another offer?”
If you don’t:
“No. I’m making this request based on my contributions and the responsibilities of my role.”
If you do, and want to discuss it:
“Yes, I have an offer that I’m considering. I’d like to understand whether there’s flexibility on my compensation here before I decide.”
Only state a deadline if it exists. Don’t invent an offer or imply that you’ve decided to leave when you haven’t. If you prefer to keep an outside search private, you can return to the request: “I’d prefer to focus this conversation on my work here and the compensation I’m requesting.”
“I’ll get back to you,” followed by no update
Follow up after the agreed date. If no date was set, you might check in after about a week, adjusting for known absences or your workplace’s process.
“Hi [Name], I’m following up on our compensation conversation from [date]. Do you have an update, or is there anything else you need from me? Could we agree on when to check in next?”
If the request remains unresolved, ask directly: “Is this still being considered, or should I understand that an increase isn’t available at this point?” An answer you don’t want can still be more useful than an indefinite pending request.
Send a short recap afterward
Confirm what was actually agreed, distinguishing a decision from a proposal. If your manager said they would ask about $[amount], don’t describe that as an approved increase.
Subject: Compensation conversation recap
Hi [Name],
Thanks for discussing my compensation today. My request is to increase my [annual base salary / hourly rate] to $[amount], based on [brief summary of your main supporting points].
My understanding is that [agreed next step, who is responsible, and the relevant date]. Please let me know if I’ve misunderstood anything.
[If useful: I’ve attached the short summary we discussed.]
Thank you,
[Your name]
For an approved raise, replace the request summary with the confirmed amount and effective date. For a performance-based review, include the agreed expectations and check-in date. Keep the message brief enough that the next step is easy to find.
If the answer stays no
Before ending the discussion, find out whether there is a realistic path to a different answer:
“So I can plan, is this a no for the current cycle, or is there no available path to this pay level in my role? If there is a path, what would need to change?”
There may be clear criteria and a credible review date. There may also be a firm pay ceiling, no available budget, or no commitment to reconsider. A script can help you ask for clarity; it can’t turn every answer into a workable plan.
Record the answer and decide what it means for you outside the meeting. You might continue toward agreed goals, consider an internal opportunity, explore other roles, or stay for reasons that still matter to you. None of those decisions needs to become an announcement while you’re processing the conversation.
Your immediate task is narrower: make the request you prepared, understand the response, and leave knowing what happens next—even if the next decision is yours.