Where are you located? $40k is low for the US, but maybe it's good where you are. So I can't advise you on the specific numbers, but I can give you general advice.

I don't know how they would react if I asked for too much You won't know unless you ask. You have to get over your confidence issues and just ask for what you're worth. If you make $40k and market is $80k, then ask for at least $80k. You should actually ask for more since you are doing the work of 2-3 people.

I am not going to be able to move up from here If career advancement is important to you, then you should probably look for a job at a big company where you can move up the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, you can't let that big company know your current salary because they will start you there, and you'll be locked into 5% a year, and you'll never get ahead.

I think looks terrible if I ask for a raise and leave anyway This is business. If the tables were turned, they would have no problem asking you to take a pay cut and then lay you off right afterward. You may actually need to ask for the raise, stay for a little while, and then find a new job using your new salary history. I personally never reveal salary history when applying for jobs, so you may not have to go through this part.

1. sure ask for a raise or equity every 12 months its common. as a programmer you should make at least what the other employees or the last employee hired makes

2. this actually plays to your advantage when u ask for more money. "im going to need more money since there is no carreer growth here"

3. imho - name recognition of employees matter. also try to highlight the successes of your employers that you helped achieved (made 500,000$ site or brought on $600,000 client or whatever). also would stay current on tech (nodejs go c# clojure etc - pick 1) or specialize really strongly in one thing (fortran expert etc)

An alternative idea is to try to reduce the amount of work. Tell them to hire another programmer or 2, expecting you to do all the work is unrealistic. then try to automate and delegate and outsource(?) your actual work until you just have to come in and collect your check.

I would definitely push for more programmers, and advise you to make sure u get at least as much $ as the new guys they've hire(d). source: I've been in this spot 2x, quit one and stayed on at one, both companies folded shortly after!

I asked for a raise once just at a student job then when I didn't get it I left for another student job. My boss didn't care too much, he was really nice about it all but I still felt kind of stupid. Anyway, I'd say if there are as many factors as you stated that are prohibiting you from loving this job, I might just bank on getting a new one. Money can only appease you for so long even if you did get the exact raise you are looking for.

I have several friends who work for recruiting/staffing companies. They're all dying for IT, especially developers.

Give a few staffing firms a call and leave them your resume. Don't take anything until you get at least $80k.

Future employers won't know how little you're being paid. They'll see that you took on increased responsibility and assume you were making a lot more.

I didn't know there was a character limit and some of this was trimmed before but as there were a few questions I can answer them as well.

I'm in WI, and from what I've read the average salary for my position should probably be closer to 2 times what I am at now. I have 5 years but only between 2 small employers. That's part of the reason for the confidence issues. I just don't know how other places work.

They are interviewing and looking. We had someone training the week before but he just walked in and resigned (after a week). So that might be a bad sign or maybe like he said a better offer did come up.

I know the company won't be able to align with my biggest goals because the biggest is to move from the US to the UK. That's narrowed my search when applying but I don't think it's impossible.

Thank you to the people who have answered. I'll continue to check on this but tomorrow I plan on getting that meeting together.

There are way more jobs in your industry here, partially because the US is so much bigger than the UK.

If you can't find a job in the UK, don't rule out staying until you can become more confident and desirable.

From what I can make out, there is no reason why you shouldn't get paid more money. You don't owe this company anything.. If they are left with nobody, it is because they didn't keep their one developer happy. It doesn't look terrible. People leave their companies for better places to work all the time.

Ask for a big raise. Do your research and figure out your market value, and bring that number to the negotiations. If this doesn't work, start looking for another job, and leave till you find one.

If you think its unlikely that they will give you a raise (and you don't sound happy with your job anyway), just start looking for another job.

I try not to ask for raises without some evidence of my worth/other-options. The easiest way to do that is follow the path you're already on and just line up another job. Get a firm offer, tell the new firm you need to a few weeks to think about it. Take the offer to your current employer and be blunt: This is what I'm worth and I'm leaving unless you feel the same way. Allow them to think about it and make a counter-offer. If they say "we can't afford...blah blah blah..." then walk away and into your new life.

You don't owe them anything...but it's courteous to give them the opportunity to counter-offer.

Always be looking for a new job. How hard you're looking should depend - in part - on how happy you are, but looking for work is a skill you need to keep up. That should also help you have a sense of how much they should be paying you.