How to ask for a raise (and actually get one)

The raise conversation that works isn't the conversation. It's everything you do in the four weeks before it. By the time you're sitting across from your manager, the decision should already be three-quarters made.

Week 1 — Build the brag doc

Open a fresh document. Write down every meaningful thing you've shipped, owned, fixed, or led in the last 12 months. Be specific — projects, metrics, headcount, dollars. This is for you, not your manager — yet. The goal is to have ammunition you'd otherwise forget when the moment matters.

• Shipped projects with the impact metric ("redesign cut time-on-task 28%")
• Cross-team work where you were the connective tissue
• Junior people you mentored or unblocked
• Process improvements you initiated, not just participated in
• Skills you grew (with what you can do now that you couldn't a year ago)

Week 2 — Anchor your number

Pull comp data from 3-5 sources: levels.fyi for tech, Built In's salary tool, Glassdoor for industry-specific roles, payscale.com for non-tech, and 2-3 recent recruiter messages if you've gotten any. Find the 75th percentile for your role + level + location. That's your target. Bring the data when you ask, but don't lead with it.

Week 3 — Pre-wire the manager

Don't surprise your manager in the meeting. Send a calendar invite a week ahead with a short note: "I'd love to use our 1:1 next week to talk about my growth here and compensation — wanted to give you time to think about it first." Their answer either way tells you a lot. If they say "happy to chat" — proceed. If they say "we're not doing comp adjustments right now" — proceed anyway, but adjust the ask.

Week 4 — The conversation itself

Open by stating what you've been working on this year, not by asking for the raise. Walk through 4-5 highlights from your brag doc, framed as outcomes for the team. Then make the ask: a specific number, with a one-sentence justification anchored to market data.

Sample script: "Based on what I've delivered this year and where the role sits in the market, I'd like us to move my base from $X to $Y. The data I'm using is the 75th percentile from levels.fyi for senior engineers in this region. I'd love to make this work — what would I need to do to get there?"

What to do when the answer is no

If the answer is "not now," make it specific: "Got it. What would change between now and the next review for the answer to be yes?" Take notes. Get it in writing if possible. Then schedule a follow-up for whenever they named.

If the answer is "the budget doesn't allow it," ask about non-cash levers — title change, extra PTO, equity refresh, training budget, conference travel. These are often easier for a manager to approve than base, and they compound.

If the answer is a flat no with no path forward, you have your answer about the company. Don't quit on the spot. Quietly start interviewing. Most people who get raises by leaving could have gotten 60-80% of the same raise by staying — but only at a company that wanted to keep them. Now you know which kind you work for.