Free tool

Pay Rise Request Email Template

How to make a pay rise email actually land

Lead with timing, not with the ask. A clear reason for the conversation now (anniversary, milestone, market shift) sets the frame.
Quantify achievements. “Delivered Q1 campaign 12% under budget” lands harder than “worked hard on Q1 campaign”.
One market data point (SEEK / Glassdoor / industry survey) turns “I'd like more” into “I'm below market”.
Ask for the meeting, not the answer. You want a conversation, not a yes-or-no over email.
Keep it short. Three to five lines of body, three to five achievement bullets. Anything longer dilutes the ask.

You and the manager

Your nameYour role titleManager full nameManager first name (used in greeting)If blank, falls back to "Dear [full name],".Date you started in the roleDate of your last salary review

The numbers

Not sure what to ask for? Use the Pay Rise Calculator first to anchor your number, then come back here.

Current base salaryExcluding superannuation.Target base salaryUse if you're asking for a specific figure.OR target % increaseUse if you're asking for a specific %.

The ask

Specific dollar figure

Strongest position when you have market data. Pair with the Pay Rise Calculator output.

Specific percentage

Useful when you want to anchor against your current salary (e.g. 'a 6% increase').

Open review (no figure)

Lower pressure — invites the conversation without anchoring a number. Good first move if you're unsure.

Tone

Formal

Closer to a written proposal. Right for senior roles, formal review cycles, or where written records matter.

Conversational

Warmer and shorter. Right for tight teams or where you already have a strong rapport with your manager.

Why now (timing)

Achievements (the strongest part of any pay rise email)

Concrete, recent, measurable. One per row. Three to five is the sweet spot — more than that and the email loses its punch.

Market benchmark (optional)

One sentence pointing to a recent SEEK/Glassdoor/industry survey data point. This is what turns “I'd like more” into “I'm below market”.

Meeting (optional)

Propose a 30-minute meeting to discussRecommended — pay rise conversations work better in person than over email.Your preferred slot (optional)E.g. "Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon next week".