Asking for a pay raise in the same company – practical steps that really work
Requesting a salary increase in Germany is completely normal and legitimate – but your success depends heavily on smart preparation and choosing the right moment. Here are practical steps and proven tips to reach your goal while staying in the same company:
Collect evidence of your achievements:
Successful projects, cost savings, positive feedback from customers or management, new skills you have acquired, increased responsibilities or expanded tasks.
Know the market salary level for your role:
Research average salaries for your position using platforms such as Glassdoor, StepStone and similar salary portals.
Define the raise you want to ask for:
Be realistic. As a rule of thumb, depending on your performance and the company’s economic situation, a range of about 5% to 20% is common.
Good moments include for example:
after successfully completing a major project,
during your annual performance review or appraisal,
when your responsibilities and tasks have clearly increased,
when your workload has noticeably grown.
Unfavourable times include:
financial difficulties in the company,
short-time work, restructuring, layoffs, or general crisis situations.
Do not ask for a raise spontaneously in a hallway conversation or in a random, short email.
Instead, schedule a formal meeting (Mitarbeitergespräch) and state that you would like to talk about your career development and your compensation.
Stay positive, professional and confident.
Emphasise that you want to stay in the company and help it grow.
Present your arguments in a structured way:
concrete examples of your contributions,
how you helped your team or department succeed,
where you took on additional responsibility.
Avoid comparing yourself to colleagues (“X earns more than I do”) and do not complain. Focus on facts, added value and solutions.
Your manager may offer you alternatives, such as:
a pay raise at a later date,
a one-off bonus,
additional benefits, such as more remote work options, training opportunities or extra vacation days.
If a raise is not possible right now:
Ask clearly,
which criteria you need to meet,
by when a raise could be realistic,
which goals you should achieve until then.
Once a raise has been agreed:
ask for a written confirmation,
or an amendment to your employment contract so that the new salary is officially recorded.
Subject: Meeting about my professional development
Sehr geehrte/r [Name des Chefs],
ich möchte gerne ein Gespräch über meine berufliche Entwicklung und meine Vergütung führen.
Wann hätten Sie in den kommenden Tagen Zeit für ein persönliches Gespräch?
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Ihr Name]
(Keeping the email in German is usually appropriate if your working language with your manager is German.)
Prepare your achievements and numbers carefully.
Choose the best possible timing.
Speak with confidence, without threatening or complaining.
Stay flexible and focus on solutions, not problems.
Always put the agreement in writing.
Our team of writers and editors strives to provide accurate information based on intensive research and multiple sources. However, errors may occur or some information may be incomplete or not definitively confirmed. Therefore, please consider the information in our articles as an initial point of reference and always contact the relevant authorities or professional bodies for binding and official information.
