Is there anyone who doesn't want a better salary? How do you go about securing a pay raise? Is there a best way to approach your boss? And-just as important-what is the most effective way to plead your case and what topics should be avoided?

The first step to making sure you make a good case for yourself is to have all the knowledge you can gather up. How much are other employees in your position making? Try to obtain this information discreetly—don't just ask your coworkers what their salary is. Be respectful that your coworker may not want to reveal the amount of money they make. Before your negotiations, be sure and double check that your information is accurate.

When trying to justify a pay raise be careful about using the salaries of coworkers as ammunition. You need to think about why you may be getting paid less. Is your performance weak in any way? Are you substantially newer at the company? Do you work fewer hours than others in your same position? Do you contribute less overall? These are all factors that may affect how much compensation you get for your work.

If you think your lower-than-desired salary may be attributable to a weak performance, the obvious answer is to step it up in terms of your workplace accomplishments. Make it obvious to all those around you that you deserve more money. Always arrive on time, stay late if possible, and don't goof off during work hours. Don't just do the bare minimum, but rather go above and beyond the call of duty at every opportunity you are presented with. The greatest rewards are typically given to the overachievers.

The best way to prove your solid work ethic is to arrive for negotiation armed with a list of your accomplishments. This is especially important if the employer is not someone you work with closely on a daily basis. You need to show him/her that your contributions are significant and valuable, as that is the key to making him/her want to reward you with a higher salary. It's especially beneficial to show how your work has increased revenue, decreased expenses, made the company more productive, created greater overall accuracy and minimized error, and so on.

And what if your employer still won't budge on the question of salary? There are other ways you can be compensated, so don't give up yet. Asking for additional benefits is one great way to make sure you are getting what you deserve. For example, an employer may be much more willing to give you an extra week of vacation or free night courses to enrich your skill set.