I'll give you some real world numbers: * 2006 entered the job market as a new CS grad in Boston area. 39k salary. * 2007 was given a 7% raise * 2008 I asked

I'll give you some real world numbers: * 2006 entered the job market as a new CS grad in Boston area. 39k salary. * 2007 was given a 7% raise * 2008 I asked for and got a raise to 50k (roughly 19% increase) * 2009 I quit and travelled * 2010 Moved to DC and found a job at 65k (roughly 30% increase) * 2011 I asked for and got a raise to 85k (roughly 30% increase) * 2012-first half I switched jobs in DC to 100k (roughly 17% increase) * 2012-second half I left that job to travel and start my own thing * 2013 Hopefully I won't be talking about salaries. Two things: * I definitely dug a hole for myself a few times, but I can say every job was a great place to work and I was surrounded by people I learned from every day. * I never negotiated. Anytime I asked for a raise I was honest with them and I told them up front I wasn't negotiating. I gave them a number and told them that's what it'd take to make me happy. Both times they came back with a counter offer and both times I repeated I wasn't negotiating and thanked them for taking the time to see what they could do. In both cases I ended up getting what I asked for.