Pro Work Tip 6: How to Get a Raise, One Way or Another
Asking for a raise is one of the most anxiety-inducing conversations in a career, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. There’s a simple, honest process that works whether your employer says yes or no. Here’s how it goes.
Step One: Ask, and Explain Why
Sit down with your manager and tell them directly that you want a raise. Don’t frame it around what someone else makes. Comparing yourself to a coworker makes the conversation about them, not you, and puts your manager in an awkward position they can’t really act on.
Instead, make the case for yourself. Explain why you believe you deserve more. Maybe you’ve taken on more responsibility. Maybe you’ve delivered results that are easy to point to. Maybe your skills have grown since your pay was last set. Whatever it is, be specific. A vague “I think I deserve more” is easy to brush aside. A clear list of contributions is much harder to ignore.
Step Two: If They Say No, Start Interviewing
If the answer is no, don’t sit around resentful. Start looking. This isn’t about burning bridges or being dramatic, it’s about finding out what you’re actually worth in the market. Sometimes the honest answer is that your current employer genuinely can’t or won’t pay more, and the only way to raise your income is to leave.
Interviewing elsewhere also gives you something valuable: real data. An offer letter is proof of your market value, and proof is far more persuasive than an argument.
Step Three: When You Get an Offer, Be Upfront
If you land a new offer, go back to your current employer and tell them you’re leaving, and tell them why. Be honest about the number and the reasons. This isn’t a threat or a bluff, it’s just information. You’re giving them the chance to respond with full knowledge of the situation.
Step Four: If They Counter, Decide What You Actually Want
Sometimes an employer will try to match or beat the new offer to keep you. This is where you get to decide what you want.
If you don’t want to stay no matter what, don’t bother countering. Just take the new job.
If you do want to stay, you can push a little further, not out of greed, but principle. One example: ask for a little more than the counter, because you already gave your word to another company and matching exactly would still mean walking that back. That “little more” doesn’t have to be a dramatic number. For a lot of people, it might be a few hundred or a couple thousand dollars a year. It’s not about the number itself, it’s about being compensated for the position you’re being put in. Scale it to your industry, your experience, and what actually matters to you.
Step Five: Take the Outcome in Stride
If they don’t match the offer, that’s fine. Give your two weeks’ notice, wrap things up professionally, and move on to the new job.
If you don’t get any offers at all this time around, don’t panic. Keep doing good work, and keep an eye out for other opportunities. Grin and bear it until something better comes along.
And if you go through this whole process and truly never get an offer anywhere, it’s worth being honest with yourself. Either the market for your specific skills in your specific location is tougher than you’d like, or there’s something in your approach, skills, or attitude that needs work. Both are fixable, but only if you’re willing to look at them honestly.
None of this is about manipulation or playing games with your employer. It’s about being direct, being willing to walk if you have to, and understanding that your pay is ultimately set by what you’re willing to accept and what the market is willing to offer. Ask clearly. Be ready to leave. Be honest either way. That’s really the whole strategy.