How to Ask for a Raise (and What It’s Really Worth After Tax)

Knowing how to ask for a raise starts with a simple rule: the best raise requests are specific, backed by evidence and well timed. Before you ask, it also helps to know what a raise is really worth: on a $60,000 salary, a 5% raise adds $3,000 before tax but about $2,411 after tax in Texas.

1. Pick the right moment

• A few weeks before annual reviews or budget planning.
• Right after a visible success: a finished project, a new client, a cost saving.
• When your role has grown beyond your job description.

2. Build your case

• List concrete results with numbers: revenue, time saved, customers helped.
• Research the market rate for your role and location.
• Decide on a precise figure and a minimum you would accept.

3. Have the conversation

Ask for a meeting dedicated to your pay. Open with your contributions, state your number clearly, then stop talking and listen. If the answer is “not now”, ask what you would need to achieve and agree on a date to revisit it.

4. What a raise adds to your paycheck

Raise on $60,000	Extra per year (Texas)	Extra per month (Texas)	Extra per year (California)
3% ($1,800)	$1,446	$121	$1,315
5% ($3,000)	$2,411	$201	$2,192
10% ($6,000)	$4,821	$402	$4,328

Single filer, 2026. Part of every raise goes to federal tax, FICA and, in most states, state tax.

5. Negotiate more than salary

• A higher 401(k) match is worth more than the same amount in salary, because it is not taxed now.
• Extra paid time off, remote work or a training budget can be easier to obtain than cash.

What to say: a simple script

“Over the past year I have taken on [new responsibilities] and delivered [specific results]. Based on that and on market rates for this role, I would like to discuss increasing my salary to [amount]. What would you need to see to make that happen?”

If the answer is no

• Ask for clear goals and a date to revisit the conversation.
• Negotiate non-salary items: title, training, flexible hours or extra paid time off.
• Keep a record of your achievements for the next review.

Using an outside offer

A written offer from another employer is strong evidence of your market value. Only use it if you would genuinely accept it, and compare offers by take-home pay and benefits, not just salary, especially if the jobs are in different states.

Timing a raise for taxes

A raise is always worth taking: moving into a higher bracket only affects the extra dollars. Some people use part of a raise to increase their 401(k) contribution, which softens the drop in take-home pay while boosting savings.

Test any offer before you accept it with the salary after tax calculator.

How to ask for a raise: a preparation checklist

Use these steps as a guide to how to ask for a raise in almost any workplace:

1. Write down three to five results from the past year, each with a number attached.
2. Look up the pay range for your job title and area.
3. Choose a target figure and the minimum you would accept.
4. Translate both figures into take-home pay so you know what the raise really changes.
5. Prepare an answer for “not now”: the goals and date you want to agree on.

A worked example: what you actually keep

Say you earn $60,000 in Texas and ask for a 5% raise. Before tax, that is $3,000 a year. After federal tax and FICA, you keep about $2,411, or around $201 a month, which is roughly 80% of the raise. In California the same raise leaves about $2,192 because state tax takes a share too. If you ask for 10%, you keep about $4,821 in Texas and $4,328 in California.

These figures help in two ways. They show whether a raise meets a real goal, such as covering a rent increase, and they let you compare a raise with benefits. A larger 401(k) match, for example, is not taxed now, so part of your request could go there instead of salary. Knowing how to ask for a raise also means knowing which number matters to you.

How to ask for a raise without common mistakes

• Asking without a number: a vague request is easy to postpone.
• Talking about personal expenses: focus on your results and the market rate for your role.
• Accepting a “maybe” without a date: always agree on when you will discuss it again.
• Fearing a higher bracket: only the extra dollars are taxed at the higher rate, so a raise always increases take-home pay.

Whatever your field, learning how to ask for a raise is easier with solid data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median pay by occupation in its Occupational Outlook Handbook, a useful starting point for your market research.

Frequently asked questions

Estimates for information only, not tax advice.