The jobs with the biggest raises and the ones where paycheques are shrinking

It’s hard to get a raise if you don’t know your worth, and even harder if you don’t ask for one.

A new report found that only 18 per cent of Canadians surveyed know how much they should be paid, but more than a quarter (28 per cent) want a raise. Yet, only about 6 per cent will ask for one, while 12 per cent would say they would switch jobs to get more money.

“If you want a pay raise, the only thing stopping you is you. There are so many ways to improve yourself and your ability to be more valuable to an employer. And if they won’t come to the table, it might be time to consider finding a better job that will pay you what you’re worth,” said Fred Schebesta, Finder’s co-founder, in the report.

Whether your mind is made up and you’re headed for the door, or you want to know how big of a raise you should be asking for, Finder put together a list of the jobs with the biggest salary increases.

Positions with lower base wages dominated the list, making up eight of the top ten. Some of the biggest bumps went to those in sales support roles (8.75 per cent), service support occupations (6.68 per cent), and to harvesting/landscaping labourers (4.51 per cent).

That being said, senior managers topped the list despite earning already high wages. They enjoyed average salary increases of 10 per cent, while earning the highest average salary at $113,526.

Some workers didn’t get a raise at all, and some paycheques even shrank. Nurses' salaries fell 0.33 per cent. Arts and culture professionals suffered the worse fate, with a 4.5 per cent pay cut.

While sitting down with your boss and asking for what you want is important, there are other things you can do to get your employer's attention.

“My contention to you is to reflect on yourself, work on your soft skills and improve your emotional intelligence, which will ultimately prepare you as a leader and team player. And look at what other skills you can learn, think about what you’re passionate about, your strengths, and focus on achieving your goals right now,” said Schebesta.

Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains

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