She should expect 2-3% and here's why. Even smart people don't want to give away money. Now picture the typical manager and their simplistic, child-like "what

She should expect 2-3% and here's why. Even smart people don't want to give away money. Now picture the typical manager and their simplistic, child-like "whatever is best for me is the truth" rationale: "why should I pay MORE when I'm getting the same thing." So it's definitely a career change thing. 13-18% will probably be possible with a 3 month job search. If the group's budget increased 5% it is only so that more direct reports can be hired by whoever controls the budget.