Where are you located? $40k is low for the US, but maybe it's good where you are. So I can't advise you on the specific numbers, but I can give you general advi

Where are you located? $40k is low for the US, but maybe it's good where you are. So I can't advise you on the specific numbers, but I can give you general advice. I don't know how they would react if I asked for too much You won't know unless you ask. You have to get over your confidence issues and just ask for what you're worth. If you make $40k and market is $80k, then ask for at least $80k. You should actually ask for more since you are doing the work of 2-3 people. I am not going to be able to move up from here If career advancement is important to you, then you should probably look for a job at a big company where you can move up the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, you can't let that big company know your current salary because they will start you there, and you'll be locked into 5% a year, and you'll never get ahead. I think looks terrible if I ask for a raise and leave anyway This is business. If the tables were turned, they would have no problem asking you to take a pay cut and then lay you off right afterward. You may actually need to ask for the raise, stay for a little while, and then find a new job using your new salary history. I personally never reveal salary history when applying for jobs, so you may not have to go through this part.