Asking for a Raise: The Case, The Number, The Timing

Raises are won with evidence and timing, not courage. The prepared case gets the meeting; the meeting gets the number.

Building the evidence file

Six weeks before, start a brag document: shipped projects, saved dollars, earned revenue, scope quietly absorbed. Numbers where possible — 'cut report time 40%' outargues 'worked really hard.'

Then price it: market data from multiple aggregators for your role and city, plus your current compensation. Promotions typically command a 10-15% increase, while merit increases are generally in the 3-5% range.

The conversation

Ask for a meeting about compensation, not a decision. Present the file, state the number, then stop talking — the silence after the ask is where raises happen.

If yes: get the date in writing. If not yet: ask precisely what metrics would produce yes by which review — that converts a no into a checklist. If never: that's your signal the raise lives at the next employer, because the biggest raise you'll ever get is switching.