How to ask for a raise during a performance review

A raise request works best when it follows a review of your results rather than arriving as a surprise. The review gives you and your manager a shared record to discuss, and it places the request inside a process that already decides pay. Your job is to prepare the record, make a clear and specific request and handle the answer, whether it is yes, no or not yet.

Most of the work happens weeks before the meeting. That is when you learn how decisions are made, collect evidence and decide exactly what you are asking for. Before the meeting, compare several pay sources for your role's scope and location, so that any figure you name rests on more than one data point.

Find out how pay decisions are made

Ask your manager early in the review cycle how pay is decided. Useful questions include when salary decisions are finalized, whether they are made in the same meeting as the performance rating or separately, which criteria matter most and whether a budget has been set for increases. Many companies publish a compensation guide or review calendar. Read it before you ask, so the conversation does not repeat what is already written down.

Timing can decide the outcome. At many employers, raise budgets and individual increases are set before the review meeting, so a request made in the meeting can arrive after the decision has been made. If you learn that decisions are made earlier, raise the request with your manager before that point, for example when self-assessments are due, and use the review meeting to confirm the outcome.

Learn the difference between a merit increase, a promotion and a market adjustment. A merit increase usually reflects performance within a budget. A promotion changes your level and responsibilities, and it often has its own process. A market adjustment reflects how the pay for your role compares with the market. Knowing which one you are asking for shapes the evidence you bring.

Build a record of your contributions

Keep a running document throughout the review period. For each entry, record the date, what you did, who it affected, the outcome and any feedback from colleagues or customers. Include work beyond your assigned goals, such as training others, improving a process or taking on tasks outside your formal scope, as long as the work is real and you can describe it accurately.

Make your contributions easy to tell apart from the team's. Say what you did, what you owned and what you added to a shared result. If a project succeeded because several people worked on it, say so and describe your part precisely. Overstating your role is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility, and reviews often involve colleagues who can confirm or correct the record.

Where measurable results exist, use them, but only figures you can verify from company data or your own records. Do not round or invent numbers to make a point. If results are hard to measure, describe the effect in concrete terms, such as the time saved on a recurring task or the number of teammates who now use a process you documented.

Compare the record against the expectations for your current level, and against the scope of the next level if you are asking for a promotion. A request that shows you already work at a higher level is stronger than one that only shows you did your current job well.

Make the request clearly

Open by stating the request plainly. You might say that you would like to discuss your compensation in light of the scope you have taken on over the review period, and that you have a summary of your contributions to share. Then give a specific figure or target range tied to the market research you did, and explain briefly why it fits your scope. A clear number gives your manager something concrete to act on.

After you state the request, stop talking and listen. Silence can feel uncomfortable, but adding more justification usually weakens the ask. Let your manager respond, take notes on the reasons given and ask follow-up questions. A question such as "What would need to be true for this to move forward?" keeps the conversation productive whether the answer is yes or no.

Keep the tone collaborative. The purpose is to reach a decision you can both support, not to win an argument in the room. A request that treats the manager as a partner in the outcome is easier to act on than one framed as a demand.

Handle a no or a not yet

A no or a not yet is often a decision about timing or budget rather than a verdict on your worth. Ask for specifics: which criteria are not yet met, what a stronger case would look like, when the decision will be revisited and what budget constraints apply. Write the answers down. A clear list of gaps is far more useful than general reassurance, because it turns the response into a plan.

Agree on a written development plan with a date to review progress. Include the skills or outcomes to demonstrate, the support you need, such as training or a stretch assignment, and the checkpoint where pay will be discussed again. Then send a short email summarizing the agreement. This record protects both of you if circumstances change before the next review.

Stay composed even if the answer disappoints you. Thank your manager for the feedback, ask one or two questions and end with a clear next step. You can take time to consider the outcome and decide what you want next. A calm response keeps future requests credible, and it leaves the door open for the conversation to continue.