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career

How to Write a Letter Requesting a Salary Increase

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A strong salary-increase letter makes a clear, supportable request and gives your manager a concise reason to discuss it. Name the amount or salary you are seeking, connect it to specific results and responsibilities, explain how you arrived at the figure, and ask for a conversation. Treat the letter as preparation and a record of your case—not as a guarantee of a raise.

What to include in a salary-increase letter

Keep the message focused: your request, the evidence behind it, and a practical next step. Indeed’s guidance recommends stating the raise you want, describing your contributions, researching comparable pay, and inviting a discussion (Indeed’s guide to asking for a raise in writing).

  • A specific request: Give a target salary or a clearly stated increase. If you are not ready to name a number, ask for a salary review and prepare a researched range for the conversation.
  • Evidence of impact: Select two or three relevant examples, such as increasing output, saving costs, improving results, or taking on work beyond your original role. Use metrics only when you can verify them.
  • Relevant compensation context: Explain briefly how your responsibilities and comparable roles inform the amount. Consider experience, industry, location, and any internal pay band you know.
  • A professional close: Thank your manager and ask for a time to discuss the request and next steps.

New York State’s Salary Negotiation Guide also advises researching realistic compensation ranges and considering changes in responsibilities and the full benefits package.

How to choose the amount to request

There is no universal raise percentage that fits every role. Base your request on comparable work and the value and scope of your own position, rather than treating a sample figure or a general rule of thumb as a benchmark. Indeed, the New York State Department of Labor, and the University of Virginia Career Center all emphasize research and a reasoned rationale.

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  • Compare roles with similar responsibilities, experience requirements, and seniority.
  • Use compensation information relevant to your location and industry.
  • Account for expanded duties or skills you have developed since your salary was set.
  • Factor in your employer’s pay structure or band if you have reliable information about it.

For a useful comparison, look beyond base salary: include bonus and benefits, role scope, review timing, and location. The University of Virginia Career Center’s negotiation guidance notes that an earlier performance and salary review or a bonus may be alternatives when an immediate salary change is constrained.

Adaptable salary-increase letter template

Replace the brackets with accurate details. Remove any claim you cannot support, and make the requested amount consistent with your compensation research.

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Subject: Request to discuss my salary

Dear [Manager],

I’m writing to request a review of my salary and to discuss an increase to [specific salary or amount]. Since [time period or last review], I have [specific result, with a substantiated measure if available] and taken on [additional responsibility]. These contributions have [briefly explain their value to the team or organization].

Based on my responsibilities and research into comparable [role] positions in [location or market], I believe [requested amount] is appropriate. I’d appreciate a chance to discuss this with you and understand the next steps. Thank you for considering my request and for your support.

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Sincerely,
[Name]

This format follows the recommendations in Indeed’s writing guide and its salary-increase request guidance: make a formal, evidence-backed case and use it to open a conversation.

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When and how to send the request

A review period or a point soon after a substantial achievement can be a sensible moment to raise compensation, but follow your employer’s process and consider its circumstances. If layoffs or a hiring freeze are underway, ask your manager about timing and the preferred way to make the request. Indeed recommends checking the process with a supervisor and using a written request either to prepare for a meeting or to document a prior conversation.

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  1. Check whether your workplace has a formal salary-review process or preferred timing.
  2. Send the letter to your manager, or send a shorter email asking for a meeting if your company prefers compensation discussions in person.
  3. Bring your evidence and compensation rationale to the meeting, and be ready to answer questions about the amount.

How to respond to an offer, a smaller increase, or a refusal

Your manager may approve the request, offer less than you asked for, or decline it. Keep the discussion professional and clarify what is possible rather than treating the first answer as the end of the conversation. Indeed’s salary-increase guidance recommends asking why a request cannot be approved and when it might be revisited.

  • If the answer is yes: Confirm the new compensation, when it takes effect, and any relevant changes to bonus or benefits.
  • If the offer is smaller: Ask how the figure was determined and whether there is room to negotiate. Consider the total package, not only base salary.
  • If the answer is no or not yet: Ask what results, responsibilities, or performance goals would support a future increase. Agree on a specific follow-up date rather than leaving the timing open-ended.
  • If salary cannot move now: Ask whether an earlier compensation review, a bonus, or another benefit is available. The New York State guide recommends weighing the full benefits package, while UVA identifies an earlier review or bonus as possible alternatives.

Do not suggest that you have another job offer unless you actually do. If you need help preparing, UVA suggests practicing the discussion and seeking counselor support; New York State’s guide points to advice from a trusted mentor or colleague.

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