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Simply as the question asks. I have been working at the same company for just over a year and I made a request for a salary increase, this is because my pay isn't covering my bills any more. It was denied. Would it be unprofessional or unreasonable to now start looking for work elsewhere?

To clarify, yes I am extremely passive, yes I know this. I just don't want to give an impression to present, or future employers that I float between jobs on a regular basis.

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If you asked for a pay raise citing the reason that your bills had gone up, that may be part of why it was denied. You ask for a pay increase by showing your value to the business not by saying you need more money. – HLGEM Jan 25 at 14:49
If you look for a new job, you may not want to say that this is the reason ... it can open you up to questions like "Why did they turn down your request, weren't you doing a good job?" – GreenMatt Jan 25 at 18:01
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A professional is always looking for a better job. That's how you get ahead. – DA. Jan 25 at 20:34

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up vote 13 down vote accepted

There is no specific timing that is unprofessional - you can always look for other work.

Yes, it may be awkward to look for new work just after accepting a new job/salary increase/promotion/whatever, but in this case, having been denied a salary increase, there is nothing that should stop you.

The fact is, dissatisfaction in a job is the primary reason for leaving it - having been denied a salary increase is definitely grounds for dissatisfaction and frankly, if you do leave for a better paying job soon, they should have seen it coming.

Now, in terms of how future prospective employers will see this - that entirely depends on the rest of your CV/Resume. A single job like this will not, by itself, raise any alarm bells. The whole document would tell the story - if you have many such jobs, then there could be an impact. It also depends on your industry and what is considered usual - 10 years ago, programmers could jump jobs every year without any negative impact, for example. Things are somewhat different in this industry these days (recessions do that), but many people will move jobs every two-three years.

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Thanks for the advice. Has been marked as answer. – DisappointedProgrammer Jan 25 at 14:19
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You're supposed to start looking for your next job as soon as you start your current one (as I have been told by and read in numerous sources over the past decade). There is nothing unprofessional about looking to advance your career and salary. You have no loyalty except to yourself and improving your life.

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'Supposed' ? Says who? Most of this answer is giving advice on the 'What' but nothing on the 'Why'. It could be improved by explaining why you think these things – RhysW Jan 25 at 15:23
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@RhyW - taking the position you only have loyalty to yourself pretty much sums it up. – JeffO Jan 25 at 16:16
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Based on the comments, I think you're trying to say that you should always be looking to advance your career. However, it comes across (at least to me) as saying you should always be in job hunting mode, which can easily become job hopping, which at least some people consider unprofessional. Please consider an edit to revise/expand the answer. – GreenMatt Jan 25 at 18:07
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@RhysW: I'm not sure what edit you're suggesting. "You're supposedly to start looking ..." looks awkward to me, if not ungrammatical. – Keith Thompson Jan 25 at 18:24
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@DA.: I'd say there is some level of "job hopping" that's going to look bad, varying depending on whether you're doing freelance contracts or full-time "permanent" jobs. (Don't ask me just what that level is.) – Keith Thompson Jan 25 at 22:25
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up vote -2 down vote

It is not unprofessional to be looking for a new job at any time.

What is unprofessional is making it obvious around the office that you are looking, and that the reason is your denied pay increase.

In the meantime, examine why your salary is no longer paying your bills, and adjust your expenses if possible.

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That second paragraph seems to be reading waaaay too much between the lines. – Oded♦ Jan 25 at 14:01
I'm sorry, but I need to correct you. Any browsing I have done of open positions elsewhere, I have done on my own time. At home, not while at work. Also, reducing outgoings isn't really an option as it's a rent and council tax increase that has caused my bills to shoot up. – DisappointedProgrammer Jan 25 at 14:07
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I didn't say that you were looking for new work while on the clock - just making a distinction between what would and wouldn't be professional. As for your expenses, rent increases are always negotiable (too many people don't realize this), and if just these 2 items were enough to push you over the edge, they were either exorbitant increases or you've probably got other expenses which could be reduced to make space. To be clear: it's not up to the company to make sure your salary can keep up with your life. – alroc Jan 25 at 14:12
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-1 Good life advice, but irrelevant to the question. The only useful paragraph to the actual question is number 1, but even then its not explained why you think this – RhysW Jan 25 at 15:24
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@alroc - Rent increases are not always negotiable. The person setting the rent holds all the power. Most of the time it costs costs money to move to another location, there is a pretty big time expense in having to change ALL your payment/mailing information with everyone you do business with, and plus the time factor of having to packup and actually move. – Ramhound Jan 25 at 15:34
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