Offered a Promotion Without a Raise? Here’s What to Do

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A promotion without a raise may not be very pleasing. Here’s how to navigate this situation.

Key points

• Getting promoted might help your career, but also make your job harder.
• If your promotion doesn’t come with a raise, ask both short-term and long-term questions before accepting it.

Early in my career, I was thrilled to get a promotion which would undoubtedly make my CV much more impressive. There was just one problem: the promotion didn’t come with a raise, at least not immediately. And even though my dreams of having more money to fill my savings account and cover my bills were dashed very harshly, in the end, accepting that the promotion was the right thing to do.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are offered a higher-ranking position but without a salary increase, you may be wondering if you should accept that offer or decline it. Here are some steps to follow that will help you navigate your decision.

1. Ask why there is no raise involved

Promotions and raises often go hand in hand. If that’s not the scenario presented to you, then you have every right to ask why a raise isn’t on the table. Your employer may not have the budget for a raise right now, but you will be in line for once things open up financially. It’s a compromise you might be willing to accept.

However, if your employer doesn’t feel obligated to give you a raise alongside a promotion, or doesn’t provide a reasonable explanation as to why no raise is being offered, consider this a red flag. In this case, you may want to stick with your current job and possibly work on finding a new one at another company.

2. Determine how much extra work – and pressure – the job will entail

Getting a promotion doesn’t always mean taking on more work. Sometimes that just means doing a different job.

Before deciding whether or not to accept this offer, do some research to see what your new role is likely to entail. If it’s comparable hours and a manageable workload, you might want to move on. But if you’re being asked to put in the extra time and take on the extra stress for nothing in return, you’d be more than justified in saying no.

3. Think long term

A promotion without a raise may not do you much right away. But over time, it could help your career and earn you more money in the future.

Accepting a promotion could put you in a position to apply to another company in a year or two that offers much higher pay and better opportunities. And so it may be worth tackling harder work that doesn’t come with higher pay.

In an ideal world, promotions would always come with raises. But that’s not always how business works. If you’re offered a promotion but not a raise, consider what you stand to gain and lose before deciding whether to accept the new position or retire gracefully. Remember that there is no rule that requires you to accept a promotion when offered to you. And saying no could send the message to your employer that asking people to take on more work without extra pay just isn’t the right thing to do.