I’ll be honest: for most of my career, I avoided talking about money. I thought if I worked hard, delivered value, and stayed a “team player,” compensation would just naturally catch up.

It didn’t.

Last year, I realized my pay had lagged far behind the market — nearly 20% below what peers in similar roles were earning. That was the moment I decided to do something I’d always found uncomfortable: negotiate.

In the end, I secured a 25% raise without switching jobs. Here’s exactly how it played out.

Step 1: I Got Honest with Myself

The first thing I did was gather hard data. I used Levels.fyi, Blind, and a couple of recruiter chats to confirm what I suspected: senior engineers in my area — with DevOps and platform experience — were making significantly more.

Once I had the numbers, I couldn’t ignore them anymore.

Step 2: I Collected Receipts

I knew I couldn’t just walk in and say, “I deserve more.” So I built a bullet-point list of what I’d delivered:

✅ Led the move to infrastructure-as-code, saving hundreds of hours of manual work
✅ Cut AWS costs by 30% through tagging and cleanup
✅ Mentored two junior engineers through promotions
✅ Spearheaded a platform migration that became a selling point for new clients

Writing this list out was eye-opening. Until then, I hadn’t really paused to see my own impact on the business.

Step 3: I Practiced the Conversation

I was nervous — no point pretending otherwise. So I wrote down my talking points and rehearsed them with a trusted friend, out loud.

My opening line sounded like this:

“I’ve been researching market rates for senior engineers, and my current package is about 20% below the median. Given the outcomes I’ve delivered, I’d like to have a conversation about aligning my compensation.”

It felt awkward at first. But by the third practice round, it came out calm and confident.

Step 4: I Picked the Right Moment

I timed the ask right after a big successful platform launch — while my work was top of mind for leadership. That turned out to be a smart move.

When I sat down with my manager, I framed it as:

✅ I like working here
✅ I see long-term potential
✅ I want to be fairly aligned with market

He didn’t push back right away but asked for a week to “run the numbers.”

Step 5: I Stayed Cool

During that week, I kept my expectations realistic. I had already decided a 15% bump was my walkaway minimum — and I was mentally prepared to interview elsewhere if needed.

That confidence, I think, changed my tone and made me less anxious.

The Outcome

A week later, they came back with a 25% raise, split between base and refreshed stock options.

That was better than I expected — and it showed me a critical truth:

No one will fight harder for your compensation than you.

What I Learned

✅ Don’t assume your boss knows your market value — show them
✅ Back your ask with numbers and your personal impact
✅ Practice until you can say it without choking
✅ Time it around a clear success
✅ Be ready to walk if you have to

Final Thoughts

Negotiating still feels uncomfortable, but what’s worse is watching your skills get undervalued year after year. I’m glad I pushed through the awkwardness.

If you’re in the same boat — wondering if you’re underpaid — go get the data, list your wins, and have the conversation. You might be surprised how willing people are to adjust once you shine a light on the numbers.