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Ask HN: How often do you expect a raise in salary?

11 points by lentil_soup ↗ HN
I know it's tied to your performance, company, etc, but in general terms, if you're doing a normal decent job as a programmer in a software company. How often do you ask for a raise? how much of a raise do you expect?.

13 comments

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aethant
In my company, we're guaranteed a raise every 6 months for two years, which is still tied to a set performance goal for that six month period. After the two years, we swing into a yearly performance review that's tied to a salary increase dependent on role and performance for the previous year. Also, at that point, our profit sharing kicks in as well.

I think that that is fairly generous and keeps me from having to ask for a raise, at least for a few years. The raise I'm guaranteed for the 6 months over two years is 6%. After that, again, it's TBD, but even if it was 3% with profit sharing it's still a good raise.

A yearly raise is pretty standard, I'd say. This is the first time I've ever had anything but a yearly review/raise arrangement.

brd
When I started programming FT (roughly 8 years ago) I was in a company that, like most, does an annual review/raise process. I'd always push for a second review and raise somewhere in between because the standard process made it difficult to get more than a ~6% raise annually. My goal was (and still is) to get a double digit increase every year. My mid year pushes were non-standard thus HR policies weren't adhered to as strictly and I was able to get what I asked for, assuming my manager was willing to play ball.

This goal of double digit annual increases quickly pushes you into the mindset that you fight for raises or leave. The inevitable job hopping will lead you, as it did me, into consulting. So unless you want to consult or change jobs often, shooting for 6-8% increase annually is probably as good as it will get.

marketingadvice
I've gotten used to 3 or 6 month raises/performance evaluations.

Small but frequent raises are great for some, but it really depends on the person.

When I ran marketing teams, if they were too big I adjusted raises to be every 3 month along with a 3 month one to one chat, but if the team was small I went for 6 month raises and did team building lunches bi-weekly.

That being said it all depends on the person and company. If it's a startup that makes money and gives equity, profit sharing is a great way to substitute for continuous raises.

ipfaffy
I would say a yearly raise keeping up with cost of living/inflation would be expected. That's about 3-4% per year. I've grown quite a bit in my current gig, so I asked for a 10% raise this year and got it. I would say that is fair.
marssaxman
Never? If I want a better salary I go find a better job. If the company I work for feels like giving me more money they are certainly welcome to do so, but I'm never going to expect that or waste time trying to make it happen.
Redoubts
How often do you change jobs?
TheCoelacanth
That's the easiest way to get big raises, but you should expect at least a few percent raise every year without switching jobs. Otherwise you are taking an effective pay cut after inflation.
marssaxman
Sure, but if you're going to work the kind of job that has a regular cycle of performance reviews and raises, you're going to be wasting a few percent of your working year dealing with the bureaucracy involved in the review process. You're probably also going to be biasing the choices you make about your everyday work toward whatever it is the review process measures, instead of just doing whatever needs to be done to build & ship your product.

I'd rather accept inflation as a fact of life and waste no time thinking about performance reviews. Whatever trivial regular raises I might get through such a process will be inconsequential compared to whatever I can expect by finding a new job on a bigger project somewhere else.

scioto
I think that's true if you want a non-trivial raise. That's how I usually have gotten mine when not tied to a promotion. Unfortunately I have trouble asking for a raise, so I figure if they don't give me a raise, it's time to leave.
Jeremy1026
That has been my approach over the past 4 years. I've doubled my salary from 2011 to 2014. I'm now pretty set with where I am so will be sticking around for a while now once I get into a position that I enjoy.
_random_
Every year, inflation + your value increase. Otherwise it's a strong implicit signal that they think you should go elsewhere.
[dead] bob917
I expect a raise everytime I threaten my employer.
dont_be_mean
I don't ask for a raise and I don't expect one.

If anything, I expect my salary to be decreasing.

The lower the salary, the higher the equity. Ideally I want my salary to be low enough that I'm self-funded. The mindset of wanting a high salary goes against the mindset of doing the kind of work you want to be doing.