Asking for a payrise...

A question about : Asking for a payrise...

I have been working there for 2.5 years.

I currently manage the IT in the office (1st line support). I also design and develop their websites.

And I manage their online web app for clients.

My salary atm is Ј18,500. I am really not happy with it at all. I've been feeling this way for a long time.

I've had a look online at average salaries and even 1st line support is at Ј24,000.

Web design and develop are around Ј26k, and IT manager is up near Ј45k.

I do a bit of everything. All I want is to be paid more fairly for my industry.

Just looking for some thoughts and opinions on what I'm asking for. Is it too much? How do I approach it properly?

Best answers:

• Do you have annual appraisals? I usually find this can be the best time to bring the subject of pay rises up. You are discussing what you have done in the past year, any acheivements, any additional projects or workloads taken on, and how all of this would warrant a payrise.
  If not, ask your line manager for a sit down to discuss your salary. If you have done the research and can confirm that similar roles in your area (geographical), that you would be qualified to do are paying substantially more and show proof of this, it may encourage them to agree to a rise. Point out the achievements as mentioned above. Be prepared to justify why you think you are worth Јx more per year. Your boss may be unable to give an answer there and then, may need to discuss it with higher ups etc. But don't take a strop if they refuse, or don't award as much of a rise as you requested. There may be business/budget reasons for refusal.
  If no rise is forthcoming, and you are as unhappy as you say, then apply for these other jobs that pay more.
• Time to polish off that CV and go for a new job.
  If your current company do not pay market rates then go to where they are being paid - much easier than trying to convince your current company to pay you more.
• I'll let them know my concerns and how I feel and see how they respond. if they don't give me somewhere closer to average then I'll have to look for a new job.
  Sad, but necessary - I like working there other than this
• 1st line support at Ј24k. Really !
  I wouldn't pay more than Ј14.5-Ј16k & consider anyone happy to be doing it after 12mths max to be not very serious about a career with computers. I consider a good candidate for 1st line support as either a college leaver looking to build a CV or a power user (amateur) with strong customer service skills.
  Is e-commerce involved in your work with the website?
  Anyone can design & build a website, fewer can safely incorporate e-commerce . . . & the ones who can successfully drive sales through that function are worth their weight in gold.
  Anyone coming to me asking for a payrise soon learns that they need to come with a good reason why I should be giving them one. Come to me with a project you want to do that would make or save the business Јmoney & I might give it some thought.
  Hear this. Come to me saying you think you're worth more than I'm paying, or start whinging that Acme Engineering down the road pays more . . . !
• Time to jump ship I reckon, if you haven't received a payrise benchmarked to the sector within two years its time.
• What training can you get out of them?
  I would go with a list of projects you have been key for and say how they helped the company e.g. saves this much time/money, made this amount of money, increased service availability.
• Away with you.
  All these Quals' & you earning SFA !
  Prolly what you're worth.
  Stick with the cushty no'. It's a very cruel & very harsh environment in the real world.
• I was in a very similar situation to you a year ago after four years with one company, despite consistently achieving the highest rating in performance reviews, doing free overtime, stepping up to roles two pay grades above what I was and line managing a team of fifteen.
  My advice would be apply for the other jobs and should you be offered one, hand in your notice. If your current employer values you they will try and retain you by matching or exceeding any offer.
  Since taking the leap, I've recently moved on again (within the same company) and increased what my salary significantly.
• What are you aiming to do in your career?
  At the moment you look like being jack of all trades master of none, and thats ok for this role but if you want to move on you need to be more focused.
  Have you done any ITIL training, BCS qualifications (Business Analysis, Agile), PRINCE2 or Lean six sigma? these are all things that are in demand if you want to move away from the technical side.
  If you want to stay on the technical side look at Visual Studio, MS SQL, C++, Java as well as ASP, PHP etc
• Ask for a salary taking into account your benefits to the company and the industry standard.
  If you don't get it, apply elsewhere but ensure you do your research on that company. A payrise isn't worth it if the company are terrible.
  My company are a nightmare for pay increases. Noone has been awarded one in the last four years unless they have been promoted or handed in their notice and have been particularly good and the company have tried to keep them.
  There is a lot of bad feeling because new staff come in on higher salaries.
  I was a top performer and my requests for an increase were ignored for 3 years. I then got promoted and had a 3k increase. I've been in my role for 2 years on the same pay and know I'll only increase with another promotion. It's rubbish but I enjoy my job and working for my company so wouldn't risk that by leaving for more money. If I wasn't bothered about my company, I would though.
• I am lucky in my current role I outsource so much easier.
  In my last job I had a dept of 13 falling to 8 because of cuts. When I had guys asking for pay rises it was very difficult for me to get these unless it was in October when budgets were agreed and they all knew that. I went out on a limb once because a guy could not wait got him a rise in June and he left in September.
  When I was recruiting for 1/2 line I would pay Ј26/Ј28k but This is central London but out of London this is halved and I wanted people with at least 3 years experience. Do you have MCSE or A plus, ITIL etc this make a huge difference with many employers.
  Sadly there are many firms where people get rises because of people liking them or not and you should never use what someone else has been given as a reason to justify what you feel you should be given.
  Also it is worth remembering money is not everything I am earning half what my role is worth and even this week been approached by two companies offering me far more but I am happy where I am and that has a huge value.
  My biggest tip is that if you feel you have to raise in now explain that you are happy to wait for the increase until July as long a s it's aheed now in writing Thais will improve your chances of success good luck.