How to negotiate your pay for a promotion or internal move

A promotion or internal move is a moment when your employer already expects to talk about pay, which makes it a good time to ask for more. This guide is for private-sector employees in the US: it shows you how to find the pay range for the new role (in some states your employer has to give it to you), why internal raises often come in lower than outside offers, and what to say before you accept.

If you work for the federal government, your promotion pay follows OPM's pay rules, which this guide does not cover. State and local government jobs and unionized roles often set promotion pay through civil service rules or a contract, so check those first.

Quick reference: promotion and transfer pay rules by state

These are the state rules that touch internal moves most directly, based on each agency's own guidance. Coverage depends on employer size and where the work is done, so read the details further down before you rely on one.

Everywhere else, you may have no legal right to the range. You can still ask, and the scripts below are written to work either way.

Why promotion raises are often smaller than external offers

There is some official data behind the idea that leaving pays more. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Wage Growth Tracker put median wage growth for people who stayed in their jobs at 3.6 percent in February 2026, against 4.7 percent for people who changed jobs.

Read that carefully. "Median" means the middle person: half had more growth, half had less. The Atlanta Fed counts someone as a job switcher if they changed employer, occupation, industry or job duties, so some internal movers sit in the switcher group. The tracker does not publish a figure for promotions on their own, and no official source publishes a "typical promotion raise." Newer monthly numbers are on the tracker's main page.

Why internal raises tend to lag, in practice:

• Your current salary becomes the anchor. An outside employer prices the job. Your own employer often prices the raise, as a percentage on top of what you earn now. If you were underpaid before, a standard percentage carries that gap into the new role.
• Promotion budgets are set in advance. Many companies set a pool for merit and promotion increases each year. Your manager may be working from what is left in that pool, not from the market rate for the new job.
• Band placement rules. Some employers cap promotion increases or place promoted employees at or below the bottom of the new band, with a plan to "grow into it."
• No competing bidder. Your current employer assumes you will say yes.
• Internal equity. HR compares you to people already in the role. That can help you if they are paid well, and hold you back if they are not.

None of this stops you negotiating. You need the range, a clear case, and the right moment: before you say yes.

Finding the pay range for the new role

You want the minimum, midpoint and maximum for the new role, plus where people like you usually start. Look here, in order:

1. The internal posting. In the states in the table above, many postings have to show pay. If the role was posted, check it before you talk to anyone.
2. An external posting for the same title. Companies often post the same job publicly in a state with a disclosure law. A public posting from another office can show the band your employer uses, but remember ranges can differ by location.
3. HR or your manager. Ask for the salary grade or band of the new role. In Washington and Massachusetts you have a legal right to it in the situations described below. Elsewhere, ask anyway: many employers will share a band with someone they are promoting.
4. Market data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by occupation, state and metro area in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables. The newest set on that page is May 2025. Look at the 10th, 25th, median, 75th and 90th percentiles. The 25th percentile means a quarter of workers in that occupation earn less; the 90th means only a tenth earn more. If your internal band tops out below the market median for the job, that is a strong talking point. For role-specific figures, see our salaries by role coverage.

A word on wide ranges. New York's guidance says a range has to be one the employer believes in good faith it will pay, for a single opportunity and location, and an open-ended range is not acceptable. Very wide bands still exist, though. If the band is wide, ask what separates the bottom from the top: experience, scope, or performance.

States that require ranges for promotions and transfers

New York

New York's pay transparency law, Labor Law Section 194-b, took effect on September 17, 2023. According to the NY Department of Labor, it applies to businesses with four or more employees and covers job opportunities, promotions and transfers. The posted range is the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly rate the employer believes is accurate when it posts.

The details that matter for internal moves, from the department's FAQ:

• The rule covers roles performed at least partly in New York, and remote roles that report to a supervisor, office or work site in New York.
• It applies to advertisements, and an email sent to a group counts. It does not force your employer to advertise every promotion. If you are tapped for a role that was never posted, the law may not reach it.
• The range is base pay only. Bonuses, commissions, stock, overtime and benefits are left out, though employers may list them separately.
• Employers cannot retaliate against you for asking for this information. You can complain to the department's Division of Labor Standards. Roles in New York City may also fall under the city's own law.

Colorado

Of the states here, Colorado's rules reach furthest into internal hiring. Under Part 2 of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, as explained in the Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics' INFO #9A guidance (listed in our sources), any employer with at least one employee in Colorado must make reasonable efforts to tell its Colorado employees about each job opportunity on the same day and before it decides who to pick. The notice has to include pay, benefits and how and when to apply.

A promotion counts even when the employer is considering only one person. There are exceptions:

• "Career progression" moves that happen automatically on time in role or other objective metrics, without competition. Employees eligible for these must get a notice of each step's pay and requirements.
• "Career development" promotions that update your title or pay to reflect work you are already doing.
• Acting, interim or temporary positions, and a few other narrow cases.

After someone is selected, the people they will work with regularly must be told who got the role and how to show interest in similar jobs.

Washington

Washington's Department of Labor and Industries says in its Equal Pay and Opportunities Act Q&A that employers with 15 or more employees must give you the wage scale or salary range of the new position if you are offered an internal transfer or promotion and you ask. The right kicks in once the position is offered, so the order matters: get the offer, ask for the range, then negotiate. L&I says other internal moves, such as demotions, reallocations and in-training appointments, are likely covered too.

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Wage Transparency Act guidance says that from October 29, 2025, employers with 25 or more employees in the state must give employees the pay range on promotion or transfer, and when they apply for a position. You can also ask for the range for the job you hold now, which is useful if you suspect you start the promotion below where you should. Retaliation for asking is prohibited.

Illinois

Illinois works differently. The Illinois Department of Labor FAQ says employers with 15 or more employees that choose to post a specific job externally must tell current employees about promotion opportunities no later than 14 calendar days after posting. The rules apply to postings made or republished after January 1, 2025. Internal-only openings do not trigger the notice. If no posting was made available to you, you can ask for the pay scale and benefits before any offer or pay discussion.

Everywhere else

Several other states and cities have pay transparency laws for job postings, and the rules change often. Whether a law reaches internal moves varies, so check your state labor department's page for the current rules. If your employer will not follow a rule that applies, you can file a complaint with the state agency; for anything involving retaliation or a contract, talk to a union representative or an employment lawyer.

Building your case for where you should land in the range

Once you have the band, decide where in it you belong and why. Employers usually place people using some mix of experience, the size of the job, performance and internal equity. Build your case around the same factors.

Your evidence checklist:

• Time already doing the job. If you have been covering parts of the new role, list what and for how long. This is often your strongest point.
• Results with numbers your employer already tracks. Revenue, tickets closed, projects shipped, costs cut, people trained.
• Scope of the new role. Team size, budget, number of clients, on-call duty. Bigger scope supports a higher spot in the band.
• Market data. The BLS percentiles for the role in your metro area, and any public postings for comparable jobs.

Then do the math on the offer yourself. Work out your raise as a percentage: subtract your current base pay from the new base, divide by your current base, and multiply by 100. Then work out where the offer sits in the band: subtract the band minimum from the offer, and divide by the band's width (maximum minus minimum). A result near zero means you are at the bottom; near one means the top.

Example (hypothetical): Priya is offered a team lead role. The raise looks respectable as a percentage of her current pay, but when she places the offer in the band, it sits near the minimum. She has run the team's weekly schedule for a year. Her case is not "I want a bigger percentage." It is "my experience puts me past the entry point of this band."

Arguing about band position keeps the conversation on the job, not on your old salary.

Scripts for negotiating before you say yes

Your leverage is highest between the moment you are offered the role and the moment you accept. Thank them, show you are excited, and ask for time to review the details. Use these as templates and change the brackets to fit.

Asking for the range:

"I'm really glad to be considered for [role]. Before we finalize, could you share the salary range or grade for the position, and where in that range you're planning to place me?"

In Washington or Massachusetts, if you meet resistance:

"My understanding is that under [state] law, employees offered a promotion or transfer can get the pay range for the new position. Could you send that over so I can review the offer properly?"

When the offer is near the bottom of the band:

"Thank you, I'm excited about this. I noticed the offer is close to the minimum of the range. I've been [doing specific parts of the job] for [time], and I'd like to start closer to [target point in the band, for example the midpoint]. Is there room to get there?"

When you are told there is a standard promotion increase:

"I understand there's a standard increase. My concern is that it's based on my current salary rather than the role. Could we look at where the new salary sits against the range for the job instead?"

When the band is fixed but you have more to ask for:

"If the base can't move, could we look at [a sign-on or promotion bonus, a higher bonus target, extra equity, a title at the next level, or a review in six months with a defined increase]?"

When you need time:

"This is great news. Could I have until [day] to look over the full details? I want to make sure I understand the whole package."

Keep it to one clear ask and one reason. If they say no, ask what you would need to show to move up the band, and by when. More scripts are in our negotiation section.

When the raise is deferred to the next cycle

A common answer is: "We'll give you the title now and fix the pay at the next review." Sometimes that is a real budget limit. The risk is that the duties arrive and the pay slips by a year.

If you accept a deferred raise, pin it down:

• The date. A specific month, not "the next cycle."
• The amount or the target. A dollar figure or a target position in the band.
• What it depends on. If it depends on performance, ask what counts as meeting the bar.
• Back pay. Ask whether the increase will be backdated to when you started the new duties.

Script:

"I'm happy to start in the role now. So we're aligned, could we put in writing that my base will move to [amount or band position] effective [date], assuming [agreed criteria]? And could the increase be backdated to my start date in the role?"

Watch for acting or interim titles that last a long time. In Colorado, acting, interim and temporary positions are exempt from the job opportunity notice, according to the state's INFO #9A guidance. Anywhere, a long interim period without the pay is worth raising with your manager or HR, and with a union representative if you have one.

Getting the new pay in writing

Do not leave the meeting with only a verbal yes. Ask for an updated offer letter or a written confirmation that includes:

• New title and, if your employer uses them, job grade or level
• New base salary or hourly rate
• Effective date of the new pay
• Bonus target, commission plan or incentive changes
• Any equity grant and its vesting schedule
• Overtime status, if the move changes whether you are eligible for overtime
• Any deferred increase: amount, date, conditions
• Next review date

If HR is slow to send a letter, send your own summary by email:

"Thanks again for today. To confirm what we agreed: my title will be [title], my base salary will be [amount] effective [date], and [any other terms]. Please let me know if I've missed anything."

Then check your first paycheck after the effective date, while any payroll error is still easy to fix.

What to do next

1. Check whether your state is in the table above, and read the agency page for your situation.
2. Find the band: the posting, an external posting for the same title, HR, and the BLS tables for your area.
3. Write down three pieces of evidence for a higher spot in the band.
4. When the offer arrives, ask for the range and time to review before you accept.
5. Get every number, date and condition in writing.

For how pay rules and raises are shifting over time, see our pay trends coverage.