Asking for a raise may be challenging through 2026, as the U.S. faces a difficult economic environment, and corporate America expects salary increases to remain flat, according to a report by Willis Towers Watson.
But despite these obstacles, tech workers have a good chance of landing a raise, if they heed the advice of experts like Robin Ducot, chief technology officer at SurveyMonkey, Dawn Mitchell, chief people officer at HackerOne, and Thomas Vick, senior regional director at Robert Half.
For starters, you need to ask yourself why you want a raise, they note. Is the request based on your current salary being below the industry benchmark for people in a similar role? Or is your request tied to wanting to grow your career? Knowing the reason behind your salary increase request will help guide your preparation for meeting with your manager and your presentation.
Four Steps to Prepare for Your Raise Request Meeting
If your salary is below industry benchmarks, you will want to focus your preparation on gathering data and examples of your achievements and contributions to your organization, Mitchell says.
But suppose you’re already at the benchmark, and want to grow your compensation by expanding your skills and securing a new role. In that case, you will also need to gather quantitative and qualitative data and information to make your case with your manager, experts say.
Research Salary Benchmarks for Your Job and Title
Several external sources can be consulted for researching salary benchmarks, including Robert Half’s 2025 IT and Technology Salary Guide, Salary.com, and Glassdoor.com.
Although it’s essential to benchmark your salary, prepare to hear that it might differ from how your company views compensation data, Mitchell warned. For example, some companies may lean towards offering a higher salary and less equity, while others may provide smaller salaries but substantial bonuses.
You can also use internal research to benchmark your salary. For example, scan your company’s job postings and search for a similar role and see if a salary range is listed. Also, ask your HR department if your organization has a pay transparency policy and inquire about the salary range for your role.
However, when comparing co-workers’ salaries to your own, Ducot cautions, it’s crucial to understand any differences in seniority.
“Even if job titles are the same, there’s often a salary range that accounts for factors like years of experience at the company or in the industry,” she says. “Understanding your own seniority relative to those you’re comparing yourself to is key before making this kind of comparison.”
List Your Achievements and Impact on the Company
One of the most critical steps in securing a raise is not only listing your achievements, but tying them to the company’s success, experts say.
Past performance reviews or specific key performance indicators (KPIs) that you expect to meet will point you to the expectations for your role and level, Mitchell says.
From there, list your accompaniments in terms of the benefits they brought to the company. For example, if you developed a new system or wrote significant code, translate that effort into quantifiable results, such as money saved, revenue generated, or new market penetration, Ducot says.
“It’s highly beneficial to learn early in your career what the business truly values and how to articulate your contributions within that framework. This approach makes it much easier for your manager to justify a raise on your behalf,” Ducot explains.
State the Size of the Raise You are Seeking
It’s generally beneficial for employees to mention a specific percentage or amount when seeking a raise, say experts.
“Setting clear expectations about what you’re looking for is a good strategy,” Ducot says. “A supportive manager will typically inform you right away whether your request is reasonable or not.”
Avoid giving a salary increase range, because managers will hear what they want to hear, Vick says. “If they want to hear the lower part of the range, that is what they’ll focus on,” he explains.
Mitchell suggests presenting your request as, “I am expecting an X percentage increase, based on the following data sets. Does that align with how the company thinks about compensation for this role?”
Rehearse Your Raise Request Presentation
The final preparation step is practicing your request for a raise.
“It’s natural that asking for a raise will make you nervous, but the more you practice, the less nervous you’ll become,” Vick says. “I know it feels unnatural practicing how to talk to your boss, but it does help quite a bit.”
Ideally, practice your presentation for a raise request with a friend or family member who is a manager and is accustomed to fielding requests for raises, or perhaps a mentor if you have one, Vick advises.
If these professionals are not available, ask a family member to take their place and provide the same honest feedback on how you sound, whether you are providing all the relevant information to decide a raise, and, lastly, how comfortable you appear when asking for a raise, he adds.
Three Ways to Conduct an Effective Compensation Meeting
Once you’ve completed your preparation work, it’s time to execute a strategic approach to securing that raise, experts say.
Identify the Best Time to Request a Raise
When selecting the best time of year to approach your manager about a meeting to discuss a raise, broach the topic six months before annual raises are typically issued, Ducot says.
“This allows you to receive crucial feedback on what specific contributions or improvements are needed to earn that raise,” she advises. “If your manager provides constructive criticism, having this lead time gives you an opportunity to address it and demonstrates growth before final compensation decisions are made.”
Also consider your manager’s mood and the time of day when discussing a raise, Ducot notes.
“It’s generally advisable to initiate the conversation when your manager is in a positive and receptive mindset. If they appear stressed or clearly having a difficult day, it’s best to postpone the discussion until they are in a better frame of mind,” Ducot says, adding, “People often tend to be less tired and more open to new information in the morning, though this can vary if your manager is a ‘night person.'”
Follow Your Manager’s Communication Style
Understanding how your manager typically communicates is key when asking for a raise, Mitchell says. For example, does your manager prefer reading information before a meeting? Then, consider providing them with salary benchmark documents prior to your meeting. If career growth and higher compensation are your desire, then give them a list of ways you hope to advance your career.
“People receive information best when it’s in the style they prefer to communicate,” says Mitchell.
Ace the Way You Phrase Your Raise Request
Suppose you are seeking career growth and higher compensation. In that case, Mitchell advises beginning the conversation along the lines of “Can we talk about how to get to the next stage of my career and what the compensation could look like there?”
In this particular case, it’s best to have an open-ended salary conversation with your manager and allow them to provide a dollar figure first, she says. This way, you won’t be selling yourself short on the salary you would receive in a new role.
“Compensation is often as much art as it is science,” Mitchell says. “Companies base their compensation data on the companies they aim to compete against, so the external data you find is not always the same as what they use internally. You are better off starting the conversation about your career growth.”
Alternatives to Consider if Denied a Raise
If your manager rejects your raise request, consider asking for other forms of compensation, experts say.
Financial compensation, like bonuses and equity, is typically the most flexible area for negotiation, says Ducot. However, benefits like additional vacation days can be harder to secure because companies tend to avoid setting a precedent by offering unique perks, she adds.
It’s also essential to keep your frustration or emotions in check if your raise request is denied, Ducot notes. Instead of expressing anger, ask for clear, constructive feedback on what you can do to earn a raise in the future, she says.
“Approaching the situation with a positive, solutions-oriented mindset will always serve you better,” Ducot says.
Common Mistakes Made When Asking for a Raise
One of the most common mistakes tech workers make when asking for a raise is simply not asking at all, especially if concerns exist about their current salary, Ducot says.
Another critical misstep is failing to present a compelling case that highlights your contributions and achievements since your last salary adjustment, she notes. Comments like “a co-worker is making more than me” or “a person at another company with the same title is earning more” lack a persuasive argument for a raise, Ducot warns.
A lack of patience is another common mistake, says Mitchell. Often, employees expect a commitment or confirmation from their manager when discussing compensation. Still, they don’t realize that their manager may not have direct control over the budget allocation to grant a raise, she explains. As a result, employees need to be aware of their company’s schedule for performance reviews and the lag time before compensation decisions, which can be a gap of several months.
Failing to benchmark their salary against the industry and other companies before asking for a raise is another common mistake that often leads to an out-of-line request, Vick says. And compounding that problem is when an employee takes a raise rejection personally, he adds.
For tech workers, it’s also imperative to keep an eye on the market in terms of which skills are receiving the most recognition for raises, Vick says.
“We’ve seen a little bit of flattening as to how much salaries are increasing, with the exception of AI, security, data, and software automation,” says Vick. “There are a lot of variables right now in the market, and depending upon how some of that goes, I think it could drastically change what the impact is to the positions, as well as the impact to salaries, in particular.”
