<prompt> Human: I work as an environmental scientist for a consulting firm. I currently make 21.00hour and will be requesting a raise and it appears that I will get one. Does anybody have any advice on what sort of number I should shoot for? It would be nice to get up to 25.00hour, but I want to be realistic. Is 25 to high? to low?  <response>: Best bet is to look around online at what the average is for your field. For example, salary.com, if you are available environmental engineer in California, the average salary is around 63kyear which would be roughly 30 per hour. If youre in good standing, and you havent recently been given an increase, a conversation that details out the value youve added andor the work youve done, and the amount of money you find your position typically pays and a statement from you saying you like your job but feel youre worth more should net you more money. Theoretically you should stay away from saying a number, let them do that if possible. They may offer more than you expect. If they dont give you a satisfactory offer, dont be afraid to counter a little. Regardless of the outcome remember to act grateful. 