Most employees over-estimate their value to their company and therefore expect too much of a raise. In 2012, the typical raise was between 1.9 – 2%. Highest performers seem to receive around 4%.

What does this mean? It means you should set realistic raise targets so you’re not disappointed when your boss gives you that raise letter. The best thing you can do is to continually touch base with your boss (over the year) to ensure your evaluation of your performance is in-line with your boss’ evaluation.