New survey from Moneypenny reveals getting a raise is the main career goal for Americans in 2023
- Moneypenny conducted a survey which found that 44% of Americans want a raise next year.
- Other popular goals amongst respondents included getting a promotion, but also feeling stable in their career and improving their work/life balance.
- The survey also revealed the different goals both men and women prioritize in the workplace.
Q3 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Find A Qualified Financial Advisor
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes.
Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.
If you're ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
For most of us, our careers form a huge part of our lives – so it’s not uncommon that work goals and progression is something we consider when thinking about our goals for the new year.
Moneypenny have surveyed 1,000 American workers across the country to find out what their main work goals are for 2023, and if they thought they reached their 2022 goals.
44% Of American's Want A Raise In 2023
| Reason | % |
| Get a raise | 44% |
| Get a promotion | 31% |
| Improve my work/life balance | 24% |
| Get a new job | 21% |
| Feeling stable in my career | 20% |
| Increase my productivity | 13% |
| Become more time efficient | 12% |
| Start my own business | 11% |
| Completely change careers | 11% |
| Earn a new qualification - e.g, certificate/degree | 9% |
| Speak at conferences/events | 2% |
| Other (please specify) | 1% |
Almost half of the respondents stated their primary goal in 2023 was the get a raise, followed by getting a promotion. Employee’s also want to prioritize improving their work/life balance, whilst just over 1/5 of respondents stated they wanted to get a new job.
Older Employees Prioritize Work/Life Balance
| Age | Most Popular Work Goal | % | 2nd Most Popular Goal | % | 3rd Most Popular Goal | % |
| 18-24 | Get a new job | 35% | Get a promotion | 34% | Get a raise | 33% |
| 25-34 | Get a raise | 47% | Get a promotion | 39% | Get a new job | 20% |
| 35-44 | Get a raise | 47% | Get a promotion | 31% | Improve my work/life balance | 26% |
| 45-54 | Get a raise | 53% | Improve my work/life balance | 25% | Get a promotion | 24% |
| 55-64 | Get a raise | 39% | Improve my work/life balance | 30% | Feeling stable in my career | 29% |
| 65+ | Get a raise | 38% | Improve my work/life balance | 29% | Feeling stable in my career | 25% |
Except for the 18-24 age bracket, getting a raise was the most popular goal across all ages – however, older respondents also prioritized improving their work/life balance, and feeling stable in their career.
Men Are More Focused on Promotions and Raises Than Women
| Reason | Male | Female |
| Get a raise | 45% | 43% |
| Get a promotion | 37% | 26% |
| Improve my work/life balance | 23% | 24% |
| Feeling stable in my career | 19% | 21% |
| Get a new job | 17% | 23% |
| Increase my productivity | 15% | 13% |
| Become more time efficient | 12% | 12% |
| Start my own business | 11% | 10% |
| Completely change careers | 10% | 11% |
| Earn a new qualification - e.g, certificate/degree | 8% | 10% |
| Speak at conferences/events | 3% | 1% |
| Other (please specify) | 0% | 1% |
Whilst getting a raise was still at the forefront of both men and women’s minds for 2023, women were prioritizing improving their work/life balance and feeling stable in their career more than men. On the other hand, men are prioritizing increasing their productivity and getting promotions more than women.
40% of American’s Say They Achieved Their 2022 Work Goals
| Answer | Male | Female |
| Yes, I achieved the career goals I set for myself in 2022 | 42% | 37% |
| Yes, but I still wish I had achieved even more | 29% | 23% |
| No, but I am still happy with what I did achieve | 18% | 27% |
| No, and I wish I would have worked harder towards those goals | 10% | 13% |
In total, 40% of respondents said they’d reached their work goals for 2022 – whilst 26% said that whilst they had, they also wished they’d achieved more.
More men than women believed that they’d reached their goals for 2022, whilst more women than men said that whilst they may not have reached their goals, they’re still happy with what they achieved this year.
Eric Schurke (CEO, North America) from Moneypenny said “The last few years have seen changes to the ways of working due to the pandemic, from WFH and hybrid work, to changes in benefits.
Whilst we know, and can understand why things like raises and promotions are at the forefront of employees minds when thinking about career goals, it’s interesting to see how goals such as feeling stable in your career and improving/work life balance are also priorities now”
About Moneypenny
Moneypenny is a leading provider of phone answering, live chat and customer contact solutions working with businesses of all shapes and sizes. Moneypenny offers a personalized service acting as part of your extended team exactly as they would if they were based in an office.
