Quick answer: Asking for a higher salary is easiest when you come prepared — with concrete results and a clear view of your market value. If your pay has not risen over the past year by at least 6.3%, the average increase in salaries in Slovakia (Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, 2025), you have in real terms gone backwards. Below you will find 7 steps for asking for a raise. europa

When is the right time to ask for a higher salary?

The best time is after a concrete achievement, at a performance review, or when you have taken on more responsibility. Another strong moment is when you find out you are below market level.

Avoid periods when the company is making redundancies or cutting costs — timing matters as much as your arguments.

How do I find out my market value?

Compare your position, region and experience with current job ads — the advantage is that the salary or its range must now be stated there. The overview of the average salary by industry will also help, as will a comparison with salaries for working from home.

Once you know what your work actually pays, you have the strongest argument in hand.

How to ask for a higher salary (7 steps)

1. Pick the right moment — after an achievement or at a review, not hurriedly in the corridor.
2. Find out your market value — from job ads and average salaries in your field.
3. Prepare your evidence — concrete results, ideally with numbers and their impact on the company.
4. Set your target amount — and a floor you will not go below.
5. Ask in person and directly — arrange a meeting, do not slip it into an email in passing.
6. Argue from value to the company — not from personal expenses, but from what you bring.
7. If not now, agree on a date — and clear conditions under which the raise will come.

What to say to your manager (example)

Keep to a short, factual opening focused on results:

"Over the past year I have [concrete result] and I have also taken on [responsibility].

Based on what this work pays on the market, I would like to open

the subject of adjusting my salary to [amount]. How do you see it?"

Then stay quiet and leave room for a reply — whoever first starts filling the silence weakens their position.

What to do if they say no?

Ask what specifically you would have to achieve for the raise to come, and arrange a date for a follow-up meeting. If the answer is a permanent "no" and you know you are below market, it is time to consider better-paid work.

A faster route to a higher salary

Sometimes the fastest route to a higher salary is better-paid work, not negotiation. Prepare as well for the question of how much to ask for at the interview, and take a look at how to find a job that fits.

Try Surikado: over WhatsApp we will show you the best-paid positions you are a fit for — you will see straight away whether your current company pays you fairly. Or Surikado Interview AI can interview you for the position directly over a call. No CV and no registration.

Related articles:

• Average salary 2026 in Slovakia by industry
• 20 interview questions and how to answer them (2026)
• Net salary 2026: what is left from your gross pay