Long story short (as possible) I have worked the same office job for 7 years. I have the most knowledge and seniority in my department, everyone comes to me for answers. I was hired when the company was started and I am the only original employee left. I work for a very small company (6 employees total) so we are all close.

I make $15/hr and the industry standard for what I do is $20+/hr for new hires, its in the upper $20s for someone with experience. I recently applied for a city job doing exactly what I do now and its pay rate was $25.53/hr, and they wanted someone with only 6 months to 1 year of experience. I was picked for an interview, and sadly due to government budget cuts the position was terminated before a hire was made.

I have only had 2 jobs my whole life as I am 26 now. My first job, I demanded what I wanted because I had no financial responsibility and lived with my family. I actually made more money at my first job, but left it for a "career" which I expected good things from.

My question is how do I demand a raise without getting told to take a hike? I am worried about sounding to demanding and giving away my idea of if I dont get a raise I am going to focus all my spare time and energy on finding a new job and I dont care if I wasted all that money on college, I will change my career path if needed and will go where the money is at now. Whatever it takes to make decent money, my wife and I want to start a family and we dont have much to spare every month.. If I was making say $20/hr it would be very easy for us because that would be an extra $500-$600 or so take home every month, but a $5/hr raise equates to costing my boss and extra $10,400 a year, which when business is slow might be pushing it??

My job is not exactly in demand due to the economy, so a career change would probably be a must if I was to leave.

 

To me, You said it all right there...Never hurts to ask for a raise, but a 33% raise would be huge. Talk to the boss and let him/her know how you feel, Maybe an agreement can be reached. Be prepared for the answer to be no or not at this time. Definetly don't demand an increase unless you have somewhere else to go. Good Luck!!

 

I think I would keep looking, like you already did. When you find something, like you already did, you could give the boss an option to keep you for the same pay and benefits of the new job. If he declines then he was just using you for the cheap. As I see it, you can't "dis" a man for wanting to better himself. And if it's the boss doing it, then he's really just holding you back for his own benefit. Good luck.

 

When's the last time you got a raise? Is there a legitimate reason that your boss isn't paying you a wage similar to other employers? Like they're not making as much money? Or is your boss just being a cheapskate? I would take that into consideration before discussing this with him.

It is more polite to discuss these things with your boss. You can let him know of your plans to start a family and the financial obligations this will incur. Rather than comparing what people are paid in similar roles elsewhere, ask him about your future in your current position.

If he's just a cheapskate, and would just as soon replace you with someone else glad to do the job at $15 then you're better keep these things to yourself. Maybe ask for a raise to test the water and see how much he gives you. But don't bring up that you've been looking at other jobs, because in this economy, all the ***** are in his court..

If you are going to ask for a raise, do make sure you know how much you want. Don't just ask, and wait to see what he comes up with because it won't be enough.

You need to have your numbers. There's the high 25/hour you'd be making if you did the same job somewhere else. And there's the other number. That's a combination of what you think you can get out of him, and what you can afford to settle for considering your long term plans.

 

Just some free advice ( and maybe it's not worth that much).

You want to have a few facts ready when you approach your boss. Probably the best thing is to see if he will set aside a little time to talk about it.

Tell him that you like your job and the company ( I'm assuming that you do)

Review how you contribute to the bottom line, and how effective you are at your job. Not 'everybody asks me questions', but ' I provide technical leadership ' ( or whatever you provide) that keeps things moving faster and smoother. Note that you do that while meeting your own goals. Things like that. Businesses are all about money, and you want to demonstrate that you're providing value.

You also do want to show that you're a team player -- if you have good skills, but nobody can stand you, that's a bad thing.

It's probably OK to review industry standard salaries as well. But you really want to sell the fact that you're a valuable resource, and that you've developed considerable skills to match your time there. ( Anybody can be senior -- you just have to keep from getting fired for the longest time )

It is a sales pitch, and you don't want to get into it if you think that your boss is a cheapskate. If that's the case, he'll be looking to replace you before you walk out on him. If he is a reasonable guy, he will be glad to talk about this stuff and tell you his side.

Don't assume that your boss knows what you are accomplishing.

You don't have to mention that if you don't get a raise you'll be looking around -- he will know that because you're talking about it.

Apparently you don't have annual performance reviews, which is somewhat of a bad sign -- it means that they don't go with the idea of annual raises. Performance reviews are the time to bring this stuff up.

Good luck -- and don't forget that this is FREE advice

hj

 

I would suggest that you forget the "DEMAND" part of your request. In a tight economy...$15 per hour for a steady job is pretty good. Sounds to me that you're in a good place right now...the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence!!!

 

All the above plus be open to the possiblity of 10% per year increases over 3 years to bring you in line with the market. Even better if you can research and share what the industry pays for similar roles and experience. And keep looking for new opportunities.

 

How long since your last pay increase?

What kind of bennies is your boss covering right now? Any bonus potential or any way to develop a compensation package rather than just hourly pay?

If you decide to go forth and state your case, you must have your fact straight.

You must sell yourself as a leader and a "go to" guy. There is a possibility that your boss is unaware of your earning potential elsewhere. Perhaps he does not realize that $15 hr is the low end of the scale for your proven skill set.

Do not demand nor should you be timid, be confident but not arrogant.

Good luck!

 

Anytime we start comparing pay wages with other folks doing the same thing there will always be hard feelings being that we work harder, know more than the next guy . Just be careful not to back yourself or your employer into a corner. Better to know the devil you have than the one you don't.

On a side note if the industry standard is $5 more and you can't find a job elsewhere, is the industry standard that much more?

 

Good point Scraprat....

 

In this economy, and working for a private company, be very careful how you come across, or you might talk yourself out of a job................

 

Yes, the economy sucks and it's an employers market. But consider this if you will:

I heard a USPS HR person say one day that of all the applicants to get a postal job, One in Ten are qualified for employment.

I believe this to be a very typical scenario in the job market depending on qualifications required.

Employers are steadily seeking the best people as well as potential job seekers looking for the most compensation/stability.

One thing I failed to ask the OP in my first post was:

How is your attendance record at work? Do you use a lot of personal days, sick days, call outs? Are you willing and do you typically work the number of hours needed to accomplish the task? These are big things that can help/hurt one's chances for advancement, pay increases and stability.