How to Ask for a Raise (Scripts, Timing & What to Say in 2026)

Published June 1, 2026

Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we'd genuinely suggest to a friend. See our full disclosure.

Asking for a raise feels uncomfortable, which is exactly why so many people never do it — and quietly stay underpaid for years. But it’s a normal, professional conversation, and the people who get raises aren’t usually the best at their jobs; they’re the ones who ask, with a clear case. This guide gives you the preparation, timing, words and follow-up to do it well — and to handle a “no” in a way that still moves you forward.

Step 1: Build your case with evidence

Walk in with proof, not feelings. Before the conversation, write down:

• Your achievements, with numbers wherever possible — revenue brought in, costs saved, projects delivered, processes improved, targets beaten. “I led the migration that cut processing time 30%” lands; “I work really hard” doesn’t.
• Your expanded scope — anything you’re doing now beyond what you were hired for. Taking on more without more pay is the strongest argument there is.
• The market rate for your role, in your location and industry. Knowing you’re 15% below market is powerful, concrete leverage.

This written case is the backbone of the whole conversation. It moves the discussion from “I’d like more money” to “here’s the value I deliver, and here’s what the market pays for it.”

Step 2: Decide on a specific number

Don’t go in vague. Research comparable salaries, decide your target, and ask for a specific figure slightly above it — that leaves room to negotiate down to where you actually want to land. A precise number (“I’d like to discuss moving my salary to £X”) signals you’ve done your homework and anchors the conversation around your figure rather than theirs.

A common ask sits around 5–15% above current pay, with bigger jumps justified by a promotion, much-expanded responsibilities, or being well under market.

Step 3: Time it well

Timing genuinely changes the odds. Ask when you’re in a position of strength:

• After a clear win or a successfully delivered project.
• At a performance review, or — better — just before review season, since budgets are often decided in advance.
• When you’ve taken on more responsibility.
• When the company is doing well.

And avoid asking during budget freezes, layoffs, or right after a bad quarter. Reading the room is part of the skill.

Step 4: Request the conversation properly

Don’t ambush your manager in the corridor or drop it into an unrelated meeting. Ask for a short dedicated meeting — something like: “I’d like to find 20 minutes to talk about my role and compensation — when would suit?” This signals it’s a considered request and gives them time to prepare rather than react defensively.

Step 5: What to actually say

Keep it calm, confident and brief. A simple structure:

1. Open with value: “Over the past year I’ve [key achievements with numbers], and I’ve taken on [expanded scope].”
2. Make the ask: “Based on that contribution and the market rate for this role, I’d like to discuss increasing my salary to £X.”
3. Then stop talking. Let them respond. Silence is uncomfortable, but filling it undercuts your ask. Listen, and treat it as a conversation, not a demand.

Lead with what you’ve delivered for them, not with your rent going up. Your personal costs aren’t your employer’s decision-making criteria; your value is.

Step 6: Handle the answer

If it’s yes — great. Confirm the figure and the effective date in writing.

If it’s “not right now” — turn it into a plan. Ask: “What specifically would need to change for this to be a yes, and can we set a date to revisit it?” Get concrete, measurable goals and a follow-up date agreed. In the meantime, ask about non-salary wins — extra leave, flexible working, a development or training budget, a title change. These have real value and are often easier to grant than cash.

If it’s a firm no with no path forward and you know you’re below market, that’s important data. It doesn’t mean storming out — stay professional — but it tells you where you stand for your next career move.

Make your money work once you get it

A raise only changes your life if it doesn’t quietly get absorbed into higher spending — the classic “lifestyle creep” that keeps people living paycheck to paycheck at every income level. When the raise lands, decide in advance where the extra goes: bank a chunk of it toward savings or debt before it disappears. A simple budget you’ll actually stick to is what turns a pay rise into real progress instead of just a bigger number that vanishes each month. (And if you’re weighing a move to get that raise, our resume and interview guides and Resume & Cover Letter Kit help you land the better-paid role.)

The honest bottom line

You don’t get a raise by hoping it’s noticed — you get it by asking, with evidence, at the right time, for a specific number. Build a case around the value you’ve delivered, research the market, time it to a position of strength, request a proper conversation, and make the ask cleanly. Then handle the answer like a professional: lock in a yes, or turn a no into a dated plan. The conversation is uncomfortable for about ten minutes; being underpaid is uncomfortable for years.

Related guides

• How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck — make the raise actually count.
• How to Prepare for a Job Interview — if the better-paid role is somewhere new.