Asking for a Raise in a Letter or Email
Asking your employer for more money isn’t easy, even when you know you deserve it. But if you knocked it out of the park over the past year, took on more responsibilities or received a stellar performance review, you owe it to yourself to talk to your manager about a pay increase. And knowing how to ask for a raise in writing, be it in a letter or an email, may help your chances of getting that pay increase.
The good news is that salaries continue to trend upward in 2024, according to research for the Robert Half Salary Guide. Employers say they are willing to give financial incentives to retain top talent after a year of high turnover rates and talent shortages. And 63% of U.S. respondents to a recent Robert Half survey said they planned on asking for a raise in late 2023 or early 2024. If you’re not sure how or when to ask for a salary increase, or if this is the first time you’re asking your boss for a raise, then start taking notes to build your case.
Once you’ve decided that you will be asking for an increase in pay, it’s a good idea to put your request for a raise in writing, whether it’s an email or printed letter. To get the process started, write down all your accomplishments at work and highlight where you’ve met or exceeded expectations.
Listing your successes can help you develop confidence about the message you want to send as you begin crafting your letter or email with the raise request. These additional tips on how to ask for a raise and get it can also be helpful to keep in mind.
Follow the steps below, and you’ll have a workable plan for how to properly ask for a raise in writing.
You won’t get very far if the amount you ask for is not in line with the realities of today’s job market. Completing your own comprehensive research will help you understand what a competitive wage is for someone in your position and geographic location.
Consult the latest Robert Half Salary Guide, which breaks down starting pay ranges for hundreds of positions across numerous professional fields. Researching the numbers will also demonstrate to your boss that your salary request is backed by real data versus your own appraisal, and putting those numbers in a letter or email to support your raise request can help the boss see that you’re on solid ground.
The “how” of getting a raise begins with knowing the prevailing wages for your position. Putting concrete data in writing when you ask for a pay increase makes it easier for your manager to see the logic behind the specifics of your request.
Get the latest Salary Guide From Robert Half.
Another important step in knowing how to ask for a raise in writing is identifying the best time in your company’s cycle to have the discussion. First up, find out if your company has a policy of granting pay raises only during performance review periods. Check your employee handbook for guidelines.
Consider also whether your organization has had recent layoffs or a hiring freeze. If you bring up your pay when your company has just furloughed employees or is seeing reduced revenues, your appeal is likely to go nowhere fast, regardless of how amazing you are. Picking the right time to ask may help other things fall in place when it comes to knowing how to get a raise.
Reviewing a sample template is an important early step in helping you know how to write a letter or email asking for a raise. The sample template below can help you in crafting your written request for a pay raise. You will, of course, want to personalize all relevant sections, keeping in mind the tips discussed in this post. The template is best viewed as a starting point that you can modify and personalize as you put your request for a raise in writing.
Dear (Name),
As my X-year anniversary gets close, I would like to request a review of my (job title) salary. During my time at (name of company), I have taken on additional responsibilities and have achieved success in several areas. I’ve made a brief list of just some of my accomplishments and responsibilities, which include the following:
Taking the lead on …
Meeting goals in …
Improving efficiencies that led to a savings of $X for the company ...
Achieving success in …
Adding to my (skill level or education as it relates to the job) …
Aside from my X skills in this role, I have also demonstrated excellent X abilities and proficiency with X. The team can count on me for X.
Given the added value I have brought the company, I think it is fair to request a bump in pay. Based on the research in the Robert Half Salary Guide, I’ve found that the midpoint salary (or median national salary) for this position is $X for my experience level. Considering regional variances, an X percent raise would put my compensation closer to those salary benchmarks.
Thank you for your consideration. I would be happy to meet with you to discuss my request and the company’s needs. Please let me know if you are available for a short meeting.
Sincerely,
Name
Next in the letter or email, decide how to word your request to meet with the manager to discuss a pay raise. If this is the first time your boss hears you want more money, set the stage appropriately. You might consider a sentence or two, such as this: Could we have a short discussion to review my salary or devote a few minutes to that topic during our next one-on-one meeting?
If you have a performance review coming up, it’s a good idea to ask ahead of time: Would it be OK if we discussed my compensation during my performance review? If you have already expressed the desire for an increase, you should go ahead and circle back with specifics.
If you’ve already discussed your request for a raise via email or chat, consider including a line like this: We’ve discussed my wish for additional pay, and after some research, I’d like to request a salary increase of X percent.
In a longer letter or follow-up email asking for a raise, explain how you landed on the salary figure you are requesting. Numbers are convincing, so use them in the descriptions of your accomplishments: money saved, revenue earned, services improved, responsibilities taken on.
Just as you did in your salary negotiations when you interviewed for the job, your request should reflect the value you bring to the role, goals you’ve met or exceeded, results you have delivered, and industry averages based on your job skills and years of experience. It’s easier to put nerves aside when you feel ready to answer direct questions about why you deserve a pay increase.
Remember to thank your manager for supporting you in your role and for considering your request. After you hit send, be patient. Your manager may need to talk to a higher-up or HR before getting back to you. Those conversations and the resulting negotiations can take time.
Even if you don’t get what you’re looking for, thank your manager for allowing you to express yourself. Seek clarity on what would be required for a future salary increase, and set a time to check in again. Recent Robert Half research found that 34% of survey respondents who planned to ask for a raise said they would ask to revisit the salary conversation in a few months if their request for a raise got turned down.
Negotiating is a process. Putting your request in writing is likely just the first step, but if you make the ask and back it up with solid reasoning, it can pay dividends in the form of more money in your paycheck.
After you’ve researched your salary range, determined a good time to broach the subject, and decided on the best phrasing for key portions of your request, you will know much more about how to request a raise in writing and be well-prepared to put it all together in a succinct letter or email.
Below are key points to remember when finalizing the document:
Explain that you’d like to connect to review your compensation.
Outline your impact clearly and concisely.
Prepare compelling bullet points that describe exactly how you’ve excelled in your role.
Also, while it may be tempting to include external circumstances in your life unrelated to your job performance, do not mention any personal reasons you may have for needing a raise. If you happen to know what your coworkers make, do not share that information. Your raise request is about your job performance and the compensation you receive; it should not venture off into how much other employees make.
Once you’ve finished the final draft, be sure to proofread from top to bottom — and from bottom to top. Reading each sentence or bullet point in reverse order can help you avoid overlooking a missing word or typo you may not catch when reading in the usual start-to-finish order.
Finally, if someone you trust with a keen reading eye is willing to proofread the letter or email for you, consider yourself fortunate. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and an error-free and well-written request for a raise can only increase the chances of it succeeding.
