8 reasons why you aren't earning enough

1.    You didn't negotiate well when you were hired. There's a lot of variation in whether and how people negotiate salary when they get a job offer. Some accept on the spot, others push for a little more money, and others push for a lot more--and some of them get it. (Unfortunately, asking for more after you're in the position probably won't close the gap; it's never as easy to negotiate after you've accepted the job.)

2.    You haven't made sure your accomplishments on the job are visible. You could be doing the best work in the company, but if your manager doesn't know about it, your salary probably won't reflect it. Don't be shy about sharing accomplishments with your manager, whether it's glowing feedback from a customer, a tricky problem that you solved before it blew up, or a cost-saving measure you implemented.

3.   You haven't pushed for a bigger raise. Many people just wait for their employer to reward them with a higher salary and simply accept what they're given, even when the amount disappoints them. Sometimes getting more money is as simple as asking for it--but you do need to ask.

4.   You think doing your job adequately is enough. Doing a merely adequate job isn't enough to merit a significant salary increase. Big raises go to people who go well beyond the minimum expected. Speaking of which?

5.   You haven't taken on enough responsibility. Big raises don't just get handed out because another year has gone by while you do the same work. A raise is recognition that you're now contributing at a significantly higher level than when your salary was last set. A raise says "your work is now worth more to us." So you need to make sure that's true before you make your pitch.

6.    You're difficult to deal with. If you're defensive, a prima donna, negative, a regular complainer, or if you're otherwise difficult to work with, you might not be frustrating enough to fire, but no one is going to go out of their way to keep you, either, and that includes increasing your compensation.

7.    Your skills aren't worth as much in today's market as you think they are. If you don't know what your experience and skills are bringing in today's job market, you might drastically overestimate what your skill set can command. Do some research on industry norms for your particular work in your geographic area and see where your salary falls relative to those markers.

8.   You're not as valued as you think you are. Many people overestimate their own performance and their own value to their company--assuming the company would fall apart if they left, when in fact the company would continue on just fine. Pretend that you're your own manager and ask what about your performance would really impress you, or what about you your manager should be upset to lose if you left. If you can't come up with much, assume that your manager can't either. Ultimately, if you don't like your salary, talk to your boss about what you would need to accomplish to earn a raise. That conversation could lead to valuable feedback, which might help you discover a solid path to the salary you want. And if your boss won't budge, you can always go out and see what other offers the world has for you. You might find one you like better--or you might decide that you'd rather stay put.

When to Ask for a Raise

1. When you haven’t been on the job for long. If you’ve only been on the job a few months, you already did your salary negotiation—when you were hired. In most cases, you want to have a solid year of work behind you before asking for a raise.

This rule includes a few exceptions, such as if the job dramatically changes or if your responsibilities increase far beyond what was envisioned when you were hired, or if you’re asked to take on new tasks that cause real hardship, such as constant travel or a horrible commute. In these cases, it might be reasonable to revisit the question of your compensation. But for the most part, you should wait a year before you ask for a raise.

2. When you haven’t been performing well. When you approach your boss about a raise, your request should be based on the great work you’ve done. If you’ve been struggling and not wowing anyone, this isn’t the time to ask for more money. Otherwise, your boss may think you’re completely out of touch with the job expectations and your own performance.

3. When the company is struggling financially. When employers are going through a rough financial time, they’re looking for places to cut costs, not add them. A lot of companies will freeze salaries during difficult financial times, and a smart employee will be sensitive to those constraints.

So when is the right time to ask for a raise?

1. When you have a sustained track record of accomplishment that you can point to. A raise is recognition of a job well done, acknowledgement that you’re now contributing at a significantly higher level than when your salary was last set (whether that was when you were hired or when you got your last raise). A raise says “your work is now worth more to us.” So you need to make sure that’s true before you make your pitch.

2. It doesn’t hurt to have just done a great job on something. Hopefully you’re doing a great job all the time, but ideally you’d ask at a time when your fantastic performance is particularly fresh in your boss’s mind because you just wrote an amazing report or saved the company significant money or wowed a client.

Asking for a raise is nerve-wracking, but remember, good managers want to keep good employees. If your request is reasonable and backed up by your value to your employer, a good manager will try to work with you to keep you happy. And even if your company can’t say yes right now, a good boss will explain what would need to happen for her to be able to say yes next time.

10 Tips for Negotiating a Raise

1. Pick your timing carefully: Check out these right and wrong times to ask for a raise.

2. Understand what your manager is likely going to be thinking: And what is in a manager’s head when a staff member asks for more money? Typically, it’s this: “Is this reasonable? Am I going to lose this employee if I say no? Where would this put her salary in the larger context of our overall salary structure? And most importantly, how valuable is this employee?” Managers are much more willing to go out of their way to accommodate someone fantastic who they don't want to lose—and much less likely when the request comes from someone they're lukewarm about.

3. Don’t talk about personal reasons for wanting a raise, like your expenses: Your request needs to be all about your value to the company, not about the fact that your rent is going up or that you have bills to pay. Employers don’t pay people based on each person’s own financial needs—after all, the company isn't expected to pay more money for the same work to someone supporting a family of four versus someone single and without kids. Stick to reasons that are about business and your value to the company.

4. Don’t compare your salary to your co-workers’: Sure, it's absolutely frustrating to see someone doing a worse job than you and getting more money, but for better or for worse, managers do not respond well when employees use a coworker's salary as the basis for a raise request. Base your salary requirements on the industry norm and what you'll be bringing to the company, nothing else.

5. Base your request on your value to the company: Build a case for why you’ve earned a raise, and for why your company is better off because of your work. Think back to any special achievements in the last year (and it’s good to keep running notes on these throughout the year so that you can remember them when you need to!). Think about the positive impact you have on the business. Pretend that you’re your own manager and ask what about your performance would really impress you, or what your manager should be upset to lose about you if you left.

6. Provide details to support your case: For instance, maybe you can show a file of compliments you’ve received from customers. Or maybe you can show that your idea increased revenue by X dollars, or that your productivity rate is twice the average rate. The idea here is that you want to show a case for your value to the business.

7. Don’t threaten to leave if you don’t get a raise: Even if it’s true, you don’t need to say this out loud. Managers understand that this is the implied subtext when someone asks for a raise; it’s definitely on their mind that they risk losing you if they can’t do what you’re asking. You don’t need to spell it out.

8. Don’t have an attitude of entitlement: You want to be confident and direct, but it won’t go over well if you feel entitled to a raise just because a year’s gone by, or because you’ve done the basic requirements of your job.

9. Rehearse what you’re going to say ahead of time: For instance, you might open with something like this: “This company has been wonderful about rewarding my performance with increased responsibilities and more challenging work, and I’m really appreciative of that. However, I’ve been performing at a high level for a while now, have consistently exceeded my sales targets, and have played a key role in mentoring new staff as well. I’d like to talk to you about adjusting my salary to reflect these contributions.”

10. Know what to do if your boss says no: If your boss turns you down, ask what you would need to accomplish in order to earn a raise in the future.

And if your boss says yes, congratulations! You just got a raise.