Asking for a Pay Rise Letter: Advice and Sample Letters

The truth is simple: If you don’t ask for a pay rise, you may not get one and if you do, it could fall short of what you deserve. Why? Because you haven’t made the case for your true value. You have real, industry-based salary insights at your fingertips in the LHH Salary Guide. Arm yourself with data to approach the conversation with confidence and read on for expert advice on crafting your pay rise request letter.

Once you’ve decided you’re going to ask for a pay rise, then the question becomes whether you should put your request in writing or ask face-to-face.

Asking for a pay rise in writing versus face-to-face

When you decide to write an “asking for a pay rise” letter, then you can better organise your thoughts, crafting facts that bolster your case such as “I cut inefficiencies by 25 percent last year” or “I designed and launched a campaign to boost customer service, resulting in dozens of new subscription-service customers.” Such a pay-raise letter also gives your boss time to read and consider the facts, without feeling pressured to respond right away (and perhaps deny you without fully considering all your contributions).

On the other hand, asking for a pay rise in person has the advantage of having your boss’s full attention (emails and letters can be ignored) and of showing the boss how serious you are about the request. A face-to-face conversation also allows you to gauge your boss’s reaction and alter your conversation accordingly.

How to write a letter asking for a raise

Still, many people are so nervous about asking for a pay rise that they find it easier to write a letter instead. If you’re in that mindset, then here is how to write a letter asking for a pay rise:

1. Discuss your achievements

You can’t write a letter stating that you need a pay rise because your rent is going up or you want to take a trip to Europe. Pay rises are given to employees based on doing work above and beyond their job description, such as boosting sales, taking on new responsibilities, or working on abilities that help improve your performance at work; improving specific supply chain skills for example.

2. Be specific

Check out websites such as Glassdoor so that you’ll know whether you earn a salary in line with others who have your experience, are in the same position and live in your area. This will help you determine the pay rise percentage that will be fair for you and for the employer.

3. Express appreciation

Sometimes employees forget that they do owe their organisations or their boss some appreciation, for opportunities, training, increased knowledge and a paycheque. Expressing your gratitude can set a positive tone as your request is considered.

Sample letter asking for a pay rise

Once you decide to put your request in writing, consider this pay rise letter sample:

I am grateful for the opportunity to work for you as Development Coordinator for XYZ Nonprofit. Over the past two years, my responsibilities at XYZ have grown significantly, and I not only consistently complete all of these responsibilities, but I do so with an exceptional quality of work. I would, therefore, like to respectfully request a meeting to review my salary.

As you know, my salary has remained the same since I was hired in 20XX. Since then, I have happily added some duties to my workload that have allowed me to contribute even more to the company. For example, I volunteered to develop a quarterly newsletter, and am currently in charge of the writing, formatting, and printing of the publication. As you know, I also recently completed a postgraduate certificate programme in bid writing.

I believe that my increasing contributions to the company and my new qualifications justify a pay raise.

Another example of a raise request letter:

Thank you so much for the opportunities you’ve provided me during my time as a sales executive for ABC Company. Over the past two years, I’ve grown significantly as a professional, deepened my understanding of the industry, improved my skill set and taken on many new responsibilities. For these reasons, I would like to request an adjustment to my salary. As you are aware, my salary has remained the same since January 2017. Since then, I have accomplished the following:

I’ve consistently met my monthly targets and exceeded my goals for the past three quarters.

I’ve increased personal sales by nearly 20% year over year, adding £500,000 in revenue.

I’ve completed all senior sales certifications, including those not required for my job level.

I’ve successfully trained and mentored six new junior sales representatives.

I would like to request a base salary increase of 5%, which is in-line with the average salary for a sales executive with my level of experience in our geographic region.