Salaries for jobs in the medical field in general are on the rise. It is predicted that due to the population getting older and generally less healthy, that this trend is one that is sure to continue. As you can see in this medical billing and coding salary guide, medical coder salary is one that is still at or slightly below the national average in most areas of the country.
This is an overworked an under-appreciated position. Health professionals would not be able to function without medical billers and coders. Without someone to discreetly bill the insurance companies or to follow up with patients who self pay, they would never get paid! It is my belief that their average salaries should reflect their efforts!
One of the things you could possibly take to help out your situation would be asking for a raise. There are certain steps you can take to help increase your chances of success. I will outline tips on how to properly ask for a raise here:
Be Honest About Yourself
Have you earned a raise? How? Have you been there long enough to warrant one? Are you a top performer? Do you have a good track record? Are you able to offer more ongoing in the future?
These are considerations your management team is going to take into account when they are making the decision as to how they will proceed. So be honest with yourself BEFORE you approach them about a raise. If you do not meet these criteria, I would suggest reconsidering asking for the raise.
At this point, you should take stock of yourself and if you answered “No” to most of those questions, you should do everything in your power to turn them into a “YES!”. Being deserving of it is one of the best approaches in how to ask for a raise.
Set Up An “Interview”
Crashing into the boss’s office is not an ideal way approach when you seek a raise. Oddly enough, this is the approach that most people take. It makes sense on the surface; you spend more time with him/her than you do at home in a lot of case. They are right across the office.
Scheduling a time to discuss it does a couple of things. First of all, the manager responsible will be planning on the discussion. You will not catch him/her at a “bad time”. There is nothing worse than working up the courage to go in and ask for more money and then be put off until later!
It will also make you look more professional and respectful of your boss’s time. It will help you to stand out a bit from the crowd.
And most importantly, it will give you some time to prepare. You should first decide specifically on the amount of the raise you are going to ask for. Generally, you should keep the number specific, reasonable, and allow yourself a bit of wiggle room for negotiation.
Preparation Is The Key To Success
Your boss may think that you deserve a raise more than anyone else in the world, but sometimes budget or fiscal concerns make it difficult to obtain. There are many reasons 
that you may be turned down. You should be ready with some counterpoints if this is the case.
Planning what to say ahead of time can pay dividends! There is a fine line here though. You need to be prepared and ready with counterpoints, but do not want to come off as sounding scripted. This will destroy your credibility.
Things To Avoid
We have covered what should be said. Let’s take a moment to go over a few things you should never do when asking for a raise:
- Don’t make comparisons between yourself and other employees. Salaries are generally confidential. You will not only make yourself look terrible, but you will be throwing that person under the bus too.
- Don’t threaten to quit! This demonstrates a lack of commitment to/willingness to abandon the company. This will never work.
- Don’t act entitled. One of the things that we hate to hear is that we are replaceable. We are. Entitlement is an undesirable quality and there are plenty of talented people out there in desperate need of a job.
- Don’t say why you need money. Everyone needs money. This is a personal reason. Business decisions are made on professional qualifications. Add to the bottom line and you are likely to get what you desire.
- Leave gracefully if declined. Throwing a fit or starting a fight will have a negative effect. I can guarantee it. You should instead ask about what you can do to improve/deserve the raise and set a meeting in 6 months or so if possible.
Taking the time to plan ahead and being able to determine the correct timing are crucial when you plan out how to ask for a raise at work. Above all else, be sure you are deserving of the pay increase and that you are prepared to defend yourself against denial, if necessary.
How to ask for a raise will be a question of the past if you follow my advice here! Good luck!!
Leave a Reply