If you have been working for your employer for several years and are given additional responsibilities without additional pay, you can ask for a salary-equity increase. A salary-equity increase may actually bring your pay higher than the increase a promotion would have given you, writes the University of California, Davis Campus, Human Resources website. A promotion with a pay increase is not the same as a salary-equity increase. An equity increase is used to bring your pay to a level competitive to similar positions inside and outside your employer’s company, while a promotional increase simply increases your annual pay by a specific percentage.

Visit your company's human resources department and ask the manager for copies of your original job description and your new job description if you have been given additional responsibilities.

Write a letter or email to your immediate supervisor, requesting a salary-equity meeting. State that you are happy to take on the added responsibilities you have been given, then outline your reasons for your meeting: the discussion of professional development goals, job objectives and ways you can help the company. Allow your supervisor to set the date and time for your meeting.

Speak assertively in your meeting with your supervisor. Keep your recent research in mind as you discuss your current rate of compensation and your request for a salary-equity increase. Keep in mind that, if you leave, your employer must hire and train your replacement, and this could cost more than the equity increase you are requesting.

Bring documentation of your past work performance. This includes past and current job descriptions and performance evaluations dating back one year.

Establish a salary-equity increase limit. Instead of asking for a general increase, have a figure ready to use as a starting point for negotiation. Start with a figure twice as high as you believe you might receive. This gives you and your employer room to negotiate down. In addition, give your employer a time limit for a decision.