How can I request a pay raise for additional responsibilities?

It is completely reasonable to want fair pay if your role is about to grow. Taking on more responsibility without a clear conversation about compensation can leave people feeling undervalued, so planning the discussion before the extra work becomes permanent is a smart move.

Start by writing down what is changing. List the new duties, how they differ from your current job description, and the results you already deliver or will be accountable for—scope of decisions, people you support, systems you own, revenue or risk impact, and any measurable outcomes. Pair that with market context. Federal wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program publishes national, state, and metro pay estimates for hundreds of occupations, including means and percentiles, which can help you frame a realistic range for the work you will actually perform. Treat those figures as context for a conversation, not as a guaranteed number your employer must match. There is no general federal rule that requires a set percentage raise when duties expand; the size of any increase usually depends on your employer’s pay policy, the local market, internal equity, and how the role is classified.

Then ask for a structured conversation rather than a vague “can I get more money?” request. Schedule time with your manager, share your responsibility summary in writing, and connect the expanded role to a specific ask—an adjusted salary, a title change with a clear promotion path, or a written timeline for review after a defined period if an immediate raise is not possible. Many U.S. organizations still base raises partly on merit or performance, and private surveys in recent years have put planned overall base-pay increases in a modest single-digit range, but that is an industry snapshot, not a promise for your situation. Keep the tone collaborative: you want the business to succeed with the new responsibilities and you want the compensation structure to match the accountability.

If you need a sense-check on fairness, you are generally allowed to discuss pay with coworkers in many private-sector settings under federal labor rules protecting certain wage conversations, and equal-pay laws look at the substance of the job—skill, effort, and responsibility—not just the title. Avoid ultimatums early; focus on facts, market context, and a concrete proposal. If the company confirms the expanded role but cannot adjust pay now, leave with a written plan for when the decision will be revisited and what success looks like in the meantime.