A majority of full-time workers, 66%, got a raise in the last year whether they asked for one or not, according to an October survey of 2,049 people from LendingTree.
But making a specific ask could boost your chances of more money: 82% of full-time workers who asked for a raise in the last year got one, and they were more likely to secure a boost of $5,000 or more than those who didn't ask.
Overall, most people got their raises with their current employer, like through a promotion (47%) or cost-of-living increase (45%). Some 11% of people got more money by getting a competing offer from a different company and having their employer match it.
Just 13% of people who earned more money this year did so by getting a job with a new company.
Raises for the year have been fairly modest: 51% of people who got a raise in the last year got a pay bump of less than $5,000, while 24% saw their paychecks increase between $5,000 to $9,999.
And not everyone is asking for a raise at equal rates: Just 35% of women discussed getting a raise, compared with 49% of men, according to LendingTree data.
By age range, Gen Z and millennial workers (ages 18 to 43) are most comfortable negotiating for a pay increase.
Money Report
On the flip side, 1 in 4 people saw a pay cut this year, the most common reason being the result of a layoff or firing. However, the second most-common reason people took a pay cut, at 17%, was in order to take another job with less stress.
Roughly one-third of people who experienced a pay cut in the last year saw their salary drop by less than $5,000.
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Workers expect pay raises in 2025
A majority of people, 65%, are optimistic that they'll get a raise in the next year.
Workers say having excellent performance (37%) and clinching a promotion (22%) are the two best ways to secure more money, slightly above the share of people who say moving to a new company (20%) is the best route to a bigger paycheck.
Workers may be picking up on the fact that companies seem to be investing more in employee retention while they struggle with hiring challenges.
"A shrinking labor supply is driving businesses to focus on retaining their current workforce, leading to sustained salary increases and higher real wage growth as inflation moderates," said Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, in a September release.
As for how much more money people will get, the average employer is planning a salary increase budget of 3.9% in the next year, according to The Conference Board, which is a good proxy for the average raise a worker can expect.
Some people might expect that raise to come if their employer pushes for a five-day return to offices.
A majority, 57%, of remote and hybrid workers say they'd only return to a full-time in-office schedule if they got a raise, with 36% of people saying they'd need between $5,000 to $9,999 more in order to make the switch.
However, just 7% of remote or hybrid workers say they'd quit their job altogether if they were required to go into the office five times a week, regardless of whether they were offered more money.
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