How to Ask for a Raise: Timing, Pay Data and What to Say

Most US employers are planning modest pay rises for 2027, which makes preparation the difference between a standard increase and a meaningful one. Mercer’s August 2026 survey of more than 1,000 organisations found employers expect to budget a 3.2% average merit increase and 3.5% in total pay increases for 2027. If you think you are worth more than that, this guide explains when to ask, how to research your market value, what to say and what to do if the answer is no.

How Big Are Pay Rises Expected to Be in 2027?

Knowing the typical budget helps you pitch your request. Mercer’s QuickPulse US Compensation Planning Survey, published on 31 August 2026 with Marsh, found:

• Average merit increase: 3.2% projected for 2027
• Total salary increase budget: 3.5%, including promotions and adjustments
• Highest merit budgets: high tech (3.8%), banking (3.7%), and energy, insurance and non-financial services (3.6% each)
• Lowest merit budgets: consumer goods (2.9%), healthcare and retail (3.0% each)
• Promotions: employers expect to promote 8.4% of staff in 2027, down from 8.6% in 2026 and 9.9% in 2025

The consultancy WTW’s August 2026 survey points in a similar direction, with US salary increase budgets projected at about 3.4% for 2027. In other words, a 3% rise is the baseline. Anyone asking for 8% to 15% needs a case built on market data, a bigger role or a competing offer, not simply inflation.

There is some good news in the detail. Mercer found that 64% of employers make off-cycle pay adjustments, and 87% said their 2027 budgets were still preliminary when surveyed. Budgets are not fully fixed in the autumn, which is why timing matters.

When Is the Best Time to Ask for a Raise?

The best time is usually before your employer finalises its pay budget, not after. In many US companies that means autumn for a January increase, or two to three months before your annual review. Once the budget is allocated, managers have little room to manoeuvre.

Good moments to ask include:

• After a measurable win: a project delivered, a sale closed or a cost saved
• When your role has grown: you manage more people, a bigger budget or new responsibilities
• During budget planning: typically September to November for calendar-year companies
• At your performance review: but raise the topic beforehand so it is not a surprise

Moments to avoid include the week of layoffs or a profit warning. Recent cuts in large US employers, such as Comcast’s 634 job cuts in Philadelphia, are a reminder to read the room before asking.

How Do I Find Out What I Should Be Paid?

A pay request lands best when it is anchored to evidence. Gather three kinds of data:

• Public pay ranges: a growing number of states, including California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington, require employers to include pay ranges in job adverts, so live listings for similar roles are a good guide
• Government data: the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics give median and percentile pay by job and metro area
• Salary surveys and peers: professional associations, recruiter guides and trusted colleagues

Aim to establish a realistic range for your role, experience and location, then decide where you sit in it. If you are underpaid against the market median, say so with numbers. If you are already near the top of the range, the stronger argument is a promotion or a change in title.

How Do I Build the Case?

Managers rarely need to be persuaded that you would like more money; they need ammunition to persuade their own boss or HR. Build a one-page summary covering:

• Results: two or three achievements with figures, such as revenue, time saved, customer scores or projects shipped
• Scope: how your responsibilities have grown since your last pay change
• Market evidence: the range you found and the source
• The ask: a specific figure or percentage, plus an alternative you would accept

Keep your CV current at the same time; it forces you to articulate your achievements and is useful if the answer is no. Our guide to the CV vs resume explains which format US employers expect.

What Should I Actually Say?

Book a dedicated meeting rather than raising pay at the end of an unrelated call. Then keep it short, factual and forward-looking. A simple structure:

• Open: “I’d like to talk about my compensation ahead of next year’s review.”
• Evidence: “Over the past year I’ve taken on X and delivered Y, which saved Z.”
• Market: “Based on pay ranges for similar roles in our area, the market for this job sits around $A to $B.”
• Ask: “I’d like to propose a salary of $C.”
• Close: “What would you need to see to support that?”

Name a specific number. Research on negotiation suggests that the first credible figure on the table tends to anchor the discussion. Make it ambitious but defensible, and then stop talking. Silence is not a bad sign; your manager may simply be thinking.

What Mistakes Should I Avoid?

• Making it personal: rent, childcare or a new car matter to you but are not your employer’s reason to pay more; focus on value and market rates
• Ultimatums you won’t carry out: mentioning another offer only works if it is real and you are prepared to leave
• Comparing yourself with named colleagues: it can backfire and may involve confidential information
• Asking by email only: use email to follow up, not to replace the conversation
• Accepting a vague “later”: ask for a date

What If the Answer Is No?

A refusal is often “not now” rather than “never”. Ask what would need to change, agree measurable goals and set a date to revisit, ideally within three to six months. Confirm the conversation in a short email afterwards.

You can also negotiate beyond base salary. Options include a one-off bonus, a title change, extra paid leave, a training budget, remote-working days or an earlier review. Some of these are cheaper for the employer and easier to approve mid-year.

If you keep hearing no while the market moves on, your best route to a significant rise may be a new job or a promotion. Promotions and job moves usually come with larger increases than a standard annual merit rise. Before you leave, make sure your finances can absorb a gap: our guide to building an emergency fund sets out how much to keep aside.

Does Asking for a Raise Work for Freelancers?

If you are self-employed, the equivalent is raising your rates. The same rules apply: base the rise on market data and results, give clients notice, and apply new rates to new projects first. Remember that freelancers pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare tax, so your rates need to cover more than an employee’s salary would. Our explainer on self-employment tax shows how to factor that in.

Featured image: Illustrative AI-generated scene created for MediaPavilion; it does not depict a real person or event. Combined with MediaPavilion branding.

Sources

• Mercer — US employers stick with moderate pay increases for 2027 (31 August 2026).
• WTW — Answers about salary increase budgets in 2027 and beyond (August 2026).
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (2026).