<prompt> Human: I am a contractor working for a private company on a contract with the US government. Right now we are on a bridge contract before our new 5 year contract starts in October. I recently found out from one of my co-workers who works for a different contractor company, but on the same contract, how much they make. They has the same title, seniority, and experience as me but that they makes 68,000 a year compared to my 52,500. Having talked to other co-workers it seems like everyone at my level is getting paid around that much. I also know that the re-bid for the contract netted a large increase and my company should be able to afford to pay better. Rumors amongst the other contractors I work with indicate that most employees on the contract can expect a 5-20 raise. x200B;My question is, how do I negotiate not only the raise that everyone is going to be getting but also one that brings me on par with my peers? Especially if I am a relatively recent hire?  <response>: If youre a recent hire, youre most likely going to have a hard time getting them to give you a raise to put you on par. On top of that, youre comparing your pay to someone from another company. This is a very uphill climb youve got. Your best bet is to find another job elsewhere if youre that worried about your pay. 