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How Much of a Raise Should You Ask For?

Use the free tool — Raise Request

Start with what your job actually pays

Before you ask for a number, find out what the federal government says people in your job earn in your metro area. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) page shows pay reported by employers themselves, broken into percentiles: 10th, 25th, median (50th), 75th, and 90th.

• Look up your occupation and your metro area on the BLS page.
• The 10th percentile is the low end. The 90th is the high end. The median is the middle.
• Your own range will be roughly what you see there — confirm the real numbers on the BLS page, not here.

If you're paid hourly or you're a tipped worker, also check the Florida minimum wage, which rises every September 30. That's your floor, not your target.

Picking your number

Anchor your ask to the BLS range and to what you've actually done. Workers with concrete, specific wins typically ask somewhere in the 50th to 75th percentile for their occupation and metro area — never a figure pulled from nowhere.

If that number feels too high for your workplace right now, have a fallback ready:

• A smaller raise now, plus a review date on the calendar
• A title change
• A shift differential
• A certification bonus
• Extra PTO

Never threaten to quit and never invent a competing job offer. Those aren't part of a real case, and this guide won't suggest them.

What you can say about coworkers' pay

Under federal law, most private-sector employees have the right to discuss their pay with coworkers. That's real, and it's yours.

But talking with coworkers about pay and naming them in your meeting with your manager are two different things. Bring your own wins and the published BLS range — not a coworker's number.

If something looks wrong before you even get to the raise conversation

If your pay looks like it's under the Florida minimum wage, or you're doing unpaid overtime, that's a different conversation than asking for a raise. Check the Overtime and Paystub tools, and confirm with the U.S. Department of Labor.

If you're in a union

Your contract's wage scale governs, not the BLS range. Call your steward first. The case you build can still help — for a reclassification or a step review — but the contract comes first.

What to do next

The free Raise Request tool reads your own job title, metro area, pay, tenure, and what you've done, and gives you: the BLS range to confirm yourself, a specific number and a fallback, a one-page case, the email to request the meeting, and the script for the conversation itself — in English or Spanish. Nothing you type is saved.

You can also get free help in person at your county's CareerSource Florida center.

Raise Request can be wrong and never guarantees a raise. It gives coaching and points to public wage data — it is not legal, financial, or employment advice. Wage figures must be confirmed on the BLS OEWS page for your area. If you're in a union, your contract and steward come first.

Raise Request gives coaching and points to public wage data; it can be wrong, and it is not legal, financial or employment advice. Wage figures must be confirmed on the BLS OEWS page for your area. Nothing you paste is stored.