The Canadian Raise Guide
How to Win Raises, Land Promotions and Get Paid What You're Worth
Most of this book is about the people and processes that decide your pay, and how to move them: how raise budgets are set and approved, what raises your odds of a yes, what to say when you ask and when you hear pushback, how to win a promotion or a better offer, and how to build skills and credentials that pay. Tax gets one short chapter at the end.
Price at launch: $29 CAD. Not on sale yet.
By Andrew
- Pages
- 153
- Chapters
- 23
- Format
- Figures
- Rules and rates current to October 2026
Who it’s for
- Salaried and hourly employees who want a bigger raise from their current employer
- Unionized workers navigating pay scales, overtime, shift and premium pay
- Anyone weighing an outside offer, a job switch or a move to another province
- Employees with bonuses, commission, shares or a severance package to understand
Who it’s not for
- Freelancers and business owners (see The Canadian Self-Employed Guide)
What’s inside
- Where raise money comes from, who controls it, and when asking can still change the answer
- Your market value, pay transparency rules and your total compensation
- "Say it like this" boxes with words to adapt for a conversation about pay
- Negotiating an offer, stay-or-go math, and earning US pay from Canada
- Skills, credentials, the skilled trades, changing careers and moving for money
- Bonuses, commission, equity, severance and layoffs
The examples you’ll follow
Three illustrative households carry the examples, built from real 2026 tax rates, pay scales and rules. They are illustrations, not real people.
Arjun Mehta
34, Mississauga QA analyst at $78,400: asking, pushback, a partial yes, an outside offer, stay or go
Chantal Boudreau
41, Moncton unionized registered nurse: pay scales, premium pay, a nurse practitioner switch, a possible move to Alberta
Derek Olsen
52, Calgary operations manager at $131,500 plus bonus and shares: his package, a restructuring and severance
Full contents
23 chapters across 153 pages.
Part 1: Know Your Worth
- 1How Pay Is Decided
- 2Your Market Value
- 3Pay Transparency
- 4Total Compensation
Part 2: Get Paid More Where You Are
- 5Raising Your Odds
- 6Building Your Case
- 7Asking for a Raise
- 8Handling Pushback
- 9Getting Promoted
- 10When the Answer Is No
- 11Overtime, Shifts and Premium Pay
Part 3: Get Paid More Elsewhere
- 12Job Hunting When Hiring Is Slow
- 13Negotiating an Offer
- 14Stay or Go
- 15Earning US Pay From Canada
Part 4: Grow Your Earning Power
- 16Skills That Pay
- 17Credentials Worth the Money
- 18The Skilled Trades
- 19Changing Careers
- 20Moving for Money
Part 5: Pay Beyond Salary
- 21Bonuses, Commission and Equity
- 22Severance and Layoffs
- 23Keeping More of What You Earn
At the back
- Quick reference
- Glossary
- Your one-page plan
What’s free on the site, and what the book adds
Free on Canadian Optimizer
Our articles explain one topic at a time and stay free. Start with Employee.
In the book
The whole subject in order, in one 153-page file: the same examples carried from chapter to chapter, end-of-chapter tasks and checklists, and quick-reference pages at the back.
- Instant downloadSecure checkout through Stripe, then straight to your download page.
- 30-day refundNot useful? Email contact@canadianoptimizer.com within 30 days for a full refund.
- Free 2027 updateBuyers of the 2026 edition receive one free update in the new year, covering Federal Budget 2026 and the 2027 figures.
By Andrew
Andrew is a personal finance expert, DIY investor and life optimizer based in Toronto, Canada. With over 19 years of corporate experience at a leading Canadian company, Andrew combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for technology to help others navigate personal finance and streamline their daily lives.
Questions
What format is it?
PDF, 153 pages. It reads on a phone, tablet or computer, and you can print pages for your own use.
How do I get it after I pay?
This book is not on sale yet. When it is, checkout will be handled by Stripe and you will be sent to a download page with your files right after you pay.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If it is not useful to you, email contact@canadianoptimizer.com within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
Is this financial advice?
For education only. This book is general information, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice, and it does not know your situation. Rules and amounts change; check the official source before you act, and consider a qualified professional for decisions that are hard to undo.
Who wrote it?
Andrew, who runs Canadian Optimizer. Andrew is a personal finance expert, DIY investor and life optimizer based in Toronto, Canada. With over 19 years of corporate experience at a leading Canadian company, Andrew combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for technology to help others navigate personal finance and streamline their daily lives.
The Canadian Raise Guide
153 pages · 23 chapters · PDF
$29 CAD
Coming soon · $29 CADPart of the Earn More series. Get all three in the The Earn More Bundle.
For education only. This book is general information, not financial, tax, legal or insurance advice, and it does not know your situation. Rules and amounts change; check the official source before you act, and consider a qualified professional for decisions that are hard to undo.
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