You deserve a pay raise and think your boss knows it, but nothing happens and you’re becoming more and more frustrated. Before you start looking for a new job, consider to discuss this topic with your boss. It’s a delicate question and you need to be very careful and professional. The best way to do it is to write a letter to your boss or supervisor, letting them know you would like to request a meeting to discuss about a possible pay raise. Let’s see in detail how to create the most effective pay raise letter.
Structuring your pay raise letter
In order to write an effective pay raise letter you can follow this schema:
- At the beginning of the first paragraph, you should include your job title and duration of employment, stating that you enjoy working for the company.
- Then say that you would like to have a meeting in order to talk about a pay raise. Explain briefly why you are making the request. It can be because you haven’t received one in a very long time, you had a promotion or you have now more responsibilities and tasks.
- In another paragraph you should give clear and detailed reasons for asking a pay raise. You can make a list of your accomplishments, but keep it short or it might be boring to read (you’ll have time to discuss it during the meeting).
- In the next paragraph you can write a specific request about your pay raise and state that you are willing to negotiate – maybe the company can’t afford to pay you that much, but will increase your salary.
Pay raise letter template
You can find a pay increase letter template below, in case you need inspiration:
Dear (Name),
I really enjoy working as a (Job Title, such as account manager) in this company (or Company Name). I appreciate what I do and aim to provide an ever better performance every day. I am grateful for the opportunities I am offered, but I think that my salary doesn’t meet my expectations. This is why I would like to have a meeting with you to discuss a possible pay raise. I am asking you to consider it because (you can write your own motivation, such as a long time since your last pay raise – I actually suggest you to write when your last pay raise happened).
Indeed, I have recently worked harder and reached a few goals: (list of accomplishments over the past months)
- Increase the revenue of 10%
- Constantly overachieved my goals
- Developed a new and more efficient reporting system
I proved to have a good understanding of what this company needs and I am willing to take on new assignments to improve my qualifications.
I believe that an increase of 5% of my annual salary will be more similar to the national average for my job title and experience. I am more than willing to negotiate it according to what you believe it’s best for the company.
Thank you in advance,
(Your Name)
I hope this pay raise letter will be helpful and make you get the desired paycheck. Make sure you address it to the right person.
