Change jobs. This is the best way to boost your earnings, as you have the most leverage at the moment that a company wants you but isn’t sure whether it can get you. Use that to your advantage in negotiations. Another benefit of getting a bump up when you switch jobs is that the percentage boost will be baked into all your future raises, elevating your lifetime earnings. Here’s how to negotiate your salary. Request a raise. Getting a raise is an excellent move because it doesn’t require you to trade more time for more money. You are putting in the same amount of time, but pulling a bigger paycheck. But, it’s always a bit tricky to ask for a raise when your company already has you at your current salary. You’ve got to make a strong argument you deserve the increase. Here are the top 10 mistakes to avoid when asking for a raise. Freelance. Freelancing is the next best thing to being paid more for your full-time work, because professional work always pays more than