All tools · Raise Request

What to Say When Asking for a Raise

Use the free tool — Raise Request

You can ask for a raise — here is how to get ready

Say your job, your metro area, your pay, how long you have been there, and what you have done. That is the whole starting point. You do not need a business degree or a script you found online. You need real numbers and a plan.

Find out what your job actually pays

Before you ask for a number, look up what your occupation pays in your metro area. The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) page is built from a federal survey that employers themselves answer. It shows a range — roughly the 10th, 25th, median (50th), 75th, and 90th percentile pay for your occupation in your area. Confirm the real numbers on that page yourself; nothing here can state a figure as fact.

• The 10th percentile is roughly the low end for that occupation in your metro area.
• The median (50th) is roughly the middle.
• The 75th and 90th percentiles are roughly where strong performers and long-tenured workers land — confirm on the BLS page.

If you are paid hourly or work for tips, also check the Florida minimum wage, which rises each September 30. The source for that is FloridaCommerce.

Build your case in three points

Your case is not a complaint about bills. It is three plain facts: your title and how long you have done this job, what you have actually done (specific wins, not "I work hard"), and how your pay compares to the BLS range for your occupation and metro area.

Pick your number — and a fallback

Anchor your ask to the BLS range and to what you have actually done. For strong performers, that is typically somewhere around the 50th to 75th percentile of the range for your occupation — confirm the real figures on the BLS page before you settle on a number.

Have a fallback ready in case the answer is "not that much, not now":

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

Never plan around an ultimatum. Do not threaten to quit and do not invent a competing job offer.

Know your rights — and what not to bring into the room

Under the NLRA, most private-sector employees have the right to discuss their pay with coworkers. That is straight from the NLRB's guidance on your rights. But that right to talk with coworkers is different from naming them, by name, in your meeting with your boss. Keep the case about your own job and your own numbers.

If something looks off

If your pay looks like it is below the Florida minimum wage, or you have unpaid overtime, that is a different conversation than a raise ask — check the overtime and paystub information and the DOL first.

If you are in a union, your contract's wage scale governs, and your steward is the first call. Building the case can still help you push for a reclassification or a step review.

Free help with career counseling and wage information is also available at your county's CareerSource Florida center.

What to do next

This is coaching and public wage information — 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. A free tool reads your own job title, metro area, pay, tenure, and what you've done, and gives you back the BLS range to check, a realistic number, an email to request the meeting, and the script for the conversation — in English or Spanish, with nothing saved. There is also an optional one-time $9 "Meeting pack" if you want a packaged version of your case, and a $49-per-month plan built for unions, worker centers, and jobs ministries.

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.