The best time to ask for a raise is a few weeks before your company sets next year's budget, right after a clear win, or once you've been doing a bigger job for a few months. If none of those applies, about a year after your last raise is a reasonable default. Avoid asking during layoffs, right after a bad quarter, or when your manager is under pressure that day.
When is the best time to ask for a raise?
Four moments give you the most leverage:
- Before budgets are set. Many US companies plan next year's salary budget in the fall. US employers paid an average 3.1% merit increase and a 3.4% total increase budget in 2026 and project 3.2% merit and 3.5% total for 2027 (Mercer QuickPulse, 2026). Once that pool is divided, getting more than your share is much harder. Ask your manager when budgets are planned and raise the topic a few weeks earlier.
- Right after a win. You closed a big deal, shipped a project early, cut costs, or got praise from a customer or senior leader. Write the result down with a number and ask within a few weeks.
- After new responsibilities. If you've been leading a team, owning a budget or covering for a departed colleague for a few months, you're already doing a bigger job. Ask for pay that matches it.
- When the market moved. If the pay range for your job has grown past your salary, that's a business reason, not a personal one. Check where your salary sits.
When should you wait?
Some moments make a "yes" unlikely, no matter how good your case:
- During layoffs or a hiring freeze. Ask for criteria and a date instead.
- Right after a bad quarter for your team or the company.
- When your manager is new and doesn't know your work yet — give them a few weeks, but tell them early that you'd like to discuss pay.
- On a bad day. Right before a deadline or after a tense meeting isn't the moment.
- Right after your own mistake. Fix it first, then ask.
Waiting doesn't mean staying silent. You can set up the conversation now:
I'd like to talk about my compensation, and I know this quarter is tough. Could we agree on what you'd need to see from me, and set a date in [two or three months] to revisit it?
How long after starting a job should you wait?
About a year is the usual default. Two exceptions:
- Your role changed a lot faster. If you were hired for one job and are now doing a bigger one, you can ask after a few months.
- You joined below the market rate. If you accepted a low offer and later learned the market pays much more, it's fair to raise it after six months or so — with data. Compare your salary with the BLS range for your job and state.
If you negotiated your starting salary, wait at least until your first full review cycle.
How often can you ask?
About once a year. More often works only when something big changed — a promotion in all but name, a much larger scope, or a clear market gap. Asking every few months without new reasons wears down your manager's goodwill.
Where your salary stands makes a difference
A raise is easier to argue when you're below the market range for your job. For example, nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025):
| Job | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | $67,020 | $83,680 | $109,810 |
| Registered Nurses | $80,330 | $97,550 | $112,350 |
| Medical Assistants | $38,470 | $45,690 | $49,180 |
| Software Developers | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 |
If you earn less than the 25th percentile, three out of four workers in your job earn more base pay — that's a strong argument at any time of year. If you're above the median, your case has to rest on results and scope.
A timeline for your next raise
If your company sets budgets once a year, work backward from that date:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 months before budgets are set | Ask your manager when the budget is planned and what criteria matter. Start a list of your results with numbers. |
| 6–8 weeks before | Check the market range for your job and state. Decide on one specific number. |
| 4–6 weeks before | Book a 30-minute meeting. Bring a one-page summary of results. |
| The meeting | Make your ask. Agree on next steps and a date for the answer. |
| Same day | Send a short email confirming what was discussed. |
| At the review | Confirm the number in writing. |
If your company has no fixed cycle, use the same steps around the anniversary of your last raise — or right after your next clear win. The point is the same: ask while the money is still being decided, not after it's been spent.
How to ask for the meeting
Ask by email or chat for a dedicated meeting. Don't spring it at the end of a status update.
Could we find 30 minutes in the next two weeks to talk about my compensation? I'd like to walk you through what I've delivered this year and discuss next steps.
Would [day 1] or [day 2] work?
Thanks,
[Your name]
What to say when the timing is right
Thanks for making time. Over the past year I've [result with a number] and taken on [new responsibility]. I've also checked the market rate for my role: the BLS median for [job] in [state] is [median]. Based on that, I'd like to ask for a raise to [your number].
Then stop and let your manager respond. Bring a one-page list of your results so they can take it to their boss.
If they say "not now"
| They say | You can say |
|---|---|
| "Raises are only discussed at the annual review." | "Understood. What criteria will you use, and can we agree on a number to review then?" |
| "There's no budget for raises right now." | "When are budget decisions made, and what would I need to show to be part of them?" |
| "You just had your annual increase." | "That was the standard merit increase. This is about the bigger scope of my role." |
| "Let's revisit in six months." | "Happy to. Can we put the date and the target number in an email?" |
| "The company had a tough year." | "I understand. Could we look at an earlier review date or a one-time bonus instead?" |
Always confirm the outcome in writing — even a "not now" with a date.
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