How often should you expect a raise, and how you should ask for one?

For early-career professionals, the question of “when should I expect a raise?” can feel awkward — but it’s essential. Entry-level roles are where work habits are formed, confidence is built, and financial norms are often misunderstood. While most companies have formal review timelines, candidates can’t afford to wait in silence. Knowing what’s reasonable — and how to advocate professionally — sets the tone for a lifetime of career empowerment.

Typically, candidates in their first full-time job can expect a raise within 12-18 months, often tied to performance reviews or company-wide compensation cycles. However, the timing depends on multiple factors: industry standards, company size, job function, and the original compensation package offered. Some employers build in automatic raises; others expect you to initiate the conversation.

If a raise doesn’t happen within that window — and there’s been no communication around it — that’s your cue to speak up. The key is not to demand, but to demonstrate: show the value you’ve added, the responsibilities you’ve taken on beyond your job description, and how your contributions align with team or company goals. Approach the conversation with curiosity and preparation, not confrontation.

One of our new grads, a data analyst hired into a startup, found herself managing dashboard development, presenting to clients, and training interns — all within 14 months of joining. Yet her salary remained the same. We coached her to request a check-in with her manager, where she shared her impact with concrete results and asked, “What would a path to a salary adjustment look like based on the responsibilities I’ve taken on?” Her manager appreciated the clarity and initiative — within a month, she had both a raise and a revised title.

LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index (2023) found that 64% of early-career workers who asked for a raise received one — but only 37% actually asked. The fear of “seeming ungrateful” often holds young professionals back. Yet when framed around growth, not entitlement, these conversations boost not just pay — but professional maturity and visibility.

Raises aren’t just rewards — they’re reflections of growth. If you’re early in your career and feel overlooked, don’t wait for permission. Ask with evidence, align with timing, and be open to feedback. The conversation might feel nerve-wracking, but the ability to advocate for your worth is a skill that will pay off far beyond your first job.

In most industries, early-career professionals can reasonably expect their first raise after 12 to 18 months, provided they’ve met clear performance goals and shown measurable growth. The first year is usually about learning, alignment, and proving consistency; salary adjustments follow once value becomes visible to the team or client base.

If the raise doesn’t happen automatically, the best approach is to prepare evidence, not emotion. Candidates should document tangible contributions like improved workflows, client feedback, measurable outputs, or cost savings. Candidates should request a short, structured discussion with their manager to understand their career growth.

The key is to frame it as a conversation about career progression, not just pay.

A professional way to phrase it might be: “I’d like to discuss how my role has evolved and the impact I’ve been able to make over the past year. Could we review whether my compensation still aligns with that growth?”

Managers respond better to data-driven requests than demands. Even if the raise isn’t immediate, it often opens the door to a career development plan or future review date, which is equally valuable early in one’s career.

Early in your career, it is okay to expect a raise that is in line with inflation. Every employer understands that living costs are increasing and that employees, particularly those with early tenure, are not sitting on a pile of cash to fund incremental changes in cost of living.

That said, if you are a great performer on the team and your job directly impacts the growth and profitability of the business, then it is absolutely fine to expect either a raise in your base salary and/or a performance bonus that allows you to share in the company’s success.

In terms of asking for it — putting on my employee hat, I say if you don’t ask, you won’t get. But putting on my employer hat, I would say, don’t assume you will get a raise but instead if you believe you should, approach your boss with a thoughtful case for why you deserve one. This case should take into account the work you are doing, the value you are creating for the team and the business, the impact you/your work is having on the company’s financials, and the vision you have for what more you can do for the company. A good employer and manager should welcome this discussion and even if they may not be able to give you a raise right away, you will have planted some incredible seeds for the next time you want to have such a discussion.

I’ve coached dozens of tech professionals through career transitions, and here’s what I’ve learned: forget the timeline and focus on the conversation. In tech, if you’re delivering real value, you should be having a raise discussion around 12-18 months — but the key is you need to start that conversation, not wait for it.

One client I worked with was a software engineer who waited two years for his manager to “notice” his contributions. When we finally mapped his actual impact — he’d reduced deployment time by 40% and mentored three junior devs — he realized he’d been invisible because he never articulated his value. He asked for a meeting, presented his impact in terms his boss cared about (time saved, team efficiency), and had a 15% raise within a month.

If you’re past the one-year mark with no raise discussion, here’s what works: document three specific ways you’ve made your team’s life easier or the product better. Then schedule a meeting with your manager and say: “I’d like to discuss my compensation based on the value I’ve been adding.” Don’t apologize, don’t hedge — just present the evidence and ask directly.

The painful truth from my 30 years in tech leadership: most managers aren’t tracking your contributions as closely as you think. If you don’t advocate for yourself, you’re teaching them that you’re fine being overlooked.

When you land your first job, you can usually expect a pay bump every 12 to 18 months — although this can vary wildly depending on the industry and the company you work for. Many places have an annual review routine where pay rises are discussed, and that’s usually around 3 to 5% for someone who’s performing well.

But if you’ve been in the same role for 18 months or more without getting a raise or an actual review, then you’re probably due for a chat about it. Here’s how you can go about it:

Before having the chat:

• Take some time to keep a record of all the things you’ve achieved and all the extra responsibilities you’ve taken on since you started

• Do some research to figure out what the going rate is for your job and your level of experience — websites like Seek, Glassdoor, or industry surveys should give you a fair idea

• Think about the timing of your request – try to avoid the busy periods or right after the company has just had to cut back on the budget

How to bring up the topic: Arrange a meeting with your manager rather than springing it on them. Frame it in a professional way — something like: “I was hoping we could have a chat about my salary and career development. I’ve been here for [timeframe] now and have taken on [specific responsibilities]. Based on what I’ve done and what I’ve found out about the market rate for my job, I think a review of my salary is overdue.”

Be sure to be specific about what you’ve actually delivered — projects you’ve finished, skills you’ve picked up, problems you’ve solved. If they say no, ask what they think is missing and what you need to do in order to get a raise in the next 3 to 6 months. And get that in writing.

Time to get real: If you’re pretty sure you’re getting underpaid and they won’t budge even after 2 years, then that tells you a lot about how the company values its employees. Sometimes the best pay rises come from just moving to a different company, especially if you’re just starting out in your career.

It can feel bold, and even risky, but I highly recommend candidates establish clarity around raises before they sign the offer. Asking questions like: “What is the expected raise schedule for this role?” or, “What goals would I need to hit to earn a performance-based increase?” shouldn’t raise red flags for any solid employer. In fact, in my experience, these questions signal commitment, ambition, and accountability, showing that you plan to grow with the organization and build on every success.

Knowing the benchmarks for advancement saves you energy down the line; if a raise doesn’t materialize when expected, you have a clean, professional basis to reopen the conversation. It’s a respectful, data-driven approach.

New-hire candidates can usually expect a raise after their first full year, when they’ve demonstrated measurable impact and growth. If a raise is not offered, the conversation is better to have with facts, not emotion — offering tangible examples of increased performance, increased responsibility, or value-added contributions. Framing the discussion as continuing improvement and company goal alignment frames the request as more positive and more likely to lead to a positive outcome.

Every 6-12 months is very normal and should be expected, and the best jobs are the ones that also give unprompted ad hoc raises based on performance. Before you join a company, make sure you understand when during the year to expect performance reviews and raises, and what those raises typically look like (i.e., how much of a percentage increase in your salary). You can also ask about typical promotion timeframe (e.g., 2 years) and what the next level of salary is for employees who excel in your role on a high trajectory.