How Much of a Raise Should You Ask For?
There's no single number — it depends on why you're asking. Here are the typical ranges for each situation, plus a planner that turns a gross or after-tax goal into a target and opening ask.
The short answer: at least enough to beat inflation, and as much more as your performance, market rate, or a bigger role can justify. A cost-of-living bump keeps you level; a strong performance case or a competing offer can support a higher number. Your first number should leave room to discuss the evidence without pretending there is one universal correct percentage.
Start by deciding which reason fits your situation, then use the calculator to translate a target salary or dollar figure into the percentage you'll actually ask for.
Plan your raise ask
Set a salary, percentage, annual-dollar, or monthly take-home goal. The planner shows a tax-adjusted purchasing-power floor, your target, and an opening anchor with room you control.
Your planning target
10.0%
$60,000.00 → $66,000.00
Purchasing-power floor
4.6%
$62,779.22 · estimated after-tax break-even at 4.2% inflation
Your target
10.0%
$66,000.00 · set by the goal you entered
Opening anchor
12.0%
$67,200.00 · your target plus 2 points
Compared with the company's offer
Current offer: 3.0% · $61,800.00
7.0% gap · $253.23/mo net
Gross increase
$6,000.00
$500.00/month before tax
Estimated net increase
$364.09/mo
$168.04/biweekly paycheck
Raise kept after tax
73%
California · single
After 4.2% inflation
+5.6%
estimated real purchasing-power growth
Conversation starter
Based on the results I delivered this review cycle, I would like to discuss adjusting my base salary to $67,200.00. My goal is to land near $66,000.00, a 10.0% increase that is worth about $364.09 more per month after estimated federal, FICA, and state income taxes. I am happy to discuss the number and the path to get there.
This is a planning range, not a market-pay recommendation. The floor models the gross raise needed to keep estimated take-home purchasing power level at 4.2% inflation. Your target and opening room come from your inputs. Tax estimates exclude local taxes, credits, and payroll deductions.
How tenure changes the conversation
Time at the company is context, not a raise formula. What matters most is the evidence that accumulated during that time: results, added scope, a promotion, or a gap between your pay and the market.
After 6 months
Usually early for a routine review. A stronger case is a materially different role, responsibilities that exceeded the offer, or a correction promised when you joined.
After 1 year
A natural review point. Bring a concise record of outcomes, new responsibilities, and the salary range for comparable work.
After 2 years
Check whether repeated small increases have kept pace with inflation and the external market. Frame the ask around the work you do now, not your original job description.
After 3 years or more
Compare your current pay with the role's present market band and the cost of replacing your experience. Tenure alone is not leverage; retained knowledge and measurable impact are.
How much to ask for, by reason
Match your ask to your strongest justification. These are typical ranges, not rules — your leverage depends on your performance, the market, and your employer's constraints.
| Reason | Typical ask | What backs it up |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living adjustment | ~4.2% | Just to keep up with inflation. This is the floor — anything less is a real-terms pay cut. Tie it to the current CPI rate. |
| Merit / strong performance | 4–7% | Cost of living plus a premium for exceeding expectations. Come with specific results, metrics, and added responsibilities. |
| Market correction (underpaid) | 10–20% | When your pay has fallen behind the market rate for your role. Justify it with salary data for your title, location, and experience. |
| Promotion / new scope | 10–20%+ | A bigger role with more responsibility warrants a step change, not an incremental bump. Tie the number to the new job's market band. |
| Competing offer | match the offer | A written offer is the strongest leverage there is. Ask your employer to match or beat it — but only raise it if you'd actually leave. |
Unsure what counts as strong? See what makes a good raise percentage, and the difference between a cost-of-living raise and a merit increase.
Aim a little higher than you think
Two things quietly shrink a raise. First, inflation: with CPI-U at 4.2% (12 months ending May 2026), a raise below that loses purchasing power even though the number went up. Second, taxes: the new dollars are taxed at your marginal rate, so your take-home grows a little slower than your gross pay. Together they mean the raise that actually keeps you whole is a touch above the inflation rate.
Before you settle on a number, check the real, after-tax break-even for your state on the raise you need to beat inflation, and see what any raise looks like in your paycheck with the take-home pay calculator.
How to justify the number
- Name a specific figure or range. “I'm looking for a 10% increase to $66,000” is far stronger than “a raise.” Anchor with a number backed by a reason.
- Lead with evidence, not need. Results you delivered, scope you've taken on, and market data for your role — not your rent or personal expenses.
- Separate cost-of-living from merit. Use the purchasing-power floor as one benchmark; your performance and market evidence determine whether the request should go higher.
- Leave room to negotiate. If your evidence supports a range, opening near its upper end can leave room to reach your actual target.
- Time it well. Reviews, budget season, after a big win, or when taking on new responsibilities are the strongest moments.
How-much-to-ask FAQ
Is asking for a 5% raise too much?
A 5% ask is not automatically too much. It is close to the upper end of many routine merit conversations and may only modestly exceed current inflation. Support it with specific outcomes, added scope, or evidence that your pay trails comparable roles.
Is asking for a 7% raise too much?
A 7% ask generally needs a stronger case than tenure alone: sustained above-scope work, a meaningful market gap, or responsibilities that changed without a matching pay adjustment. Use the planner to see what 7% changes after estimated taxes.
Is asking for a 10% raise too much?
Not necessarily. 10% is reasonable for a strong performance case, a market correction if you're underpaid, or a promotion. For a routine annual review with no change in role, 3–5% is more typical. The key is matching the number to a justification.
Is asking for a 20% raise too much?
A 20% internal increase is a large request and usually requires a promotion, a major market correction, or a credible competing offer. Compare the number with the new role's market band rather than treating 20% as a standard annual-review target.
What raise should I ask for with a competing offer?
Ask your employer to match or beat the written offer. A documented offer is the strongest leverage you have — but only use it if you'd genuinely accept the other job, because they may call your bluff.
How much raise should I ask for after a promotion?
A promotion is a step change, not an incremental bump — 10–20% or more is common, depending on how much the new role's market band exceeds your current pay. Tie the ask to the going rate for the new title, not a percentage of your old salary.
Should I ask for a percentage or a dollar amount?
Either works — lead with whichever is more concrete for your case. A target salary (“$66,000”) or dollar raise is easy to justify against market data; a percentage is easy to compare to inflation and typical raises. The calculator above converts between them.