Pay Raise Calculator
See your new salary, per-paycheck increase, take-home pay and real raise after inflation.
How to use this pay raise calculator
- Enter your current pay and pick the period it is paid in — hourly, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or annually. If you are paid hourly, add your usual hours per week.
- Choose how your raise is described. Use Percentage for "you're getting 3%", Flat amount for "an extra $2,000", or New pay when you only know the new number and want the percentage.
- Read the result. The headline shows your new pay and the table breaks it down across every pay period. Open Show take-home impact to subtract federal tax and FICA, and Compare with inflation to see what the raise is really worth.
Nothing is sent anywhere — the whole calculation runs in your browser, and the "Share link" button gives you a URL that reloads exactly the numbers you entered.
Pay raise formula
The formula for a percentage raise is:
New pay = current pay × (1 + raise ÷ 100)
A 3% raise on $60,000 is 60,000 × 1.03 = $61,800, an increase of $1,800 a year. Spread across 26 bi-weekly paychecks that is $69.23 more per paycheck before tax.
To go the other way — you know both salaries and want the percentage — use the inverse:
Raise % = (new pay − old pay) ÷ old pay × 100
From $60,000 to $63,000: (63,000 − 60,000) ÷ 60,000 × 100 = 5%. For hourly pay the same formula works on the hourly rate; to annualise it, multiply by your hours per week and then by 52.
Pay raise examples
New annual salary, with the extra amount per bi-weekly paycheck in brackets:
| Current salary | 3% raise | 4% raise | 5% raise | 10% raise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $41,200 (+$46.15/check) | $41,600 (+$61.54/check) | $42,000 (+$76.92/check) | $44,000 (+$153.85/check) |
| $60,000 | $61,800 (+$69.23/check) | $62,400 (+$92.31/check) | $63,000 (+$115.38/check) | $66,000 (+$230.77/check) |
| $80,000 | $82,400 (+$92.31/check) | $83,200 (+$123.08/check) | $84,000 (+$153.85/check) | $88,000 (+$307.69/check) |
| $100,000 | $103,000 (+$115.38/check) | $104,000 (+$153.85/check) | $105,000 (+$192.31/check) | $110,000.00 (+$384.62/check) |
- 1% raise
- 2% raise
- 2.5% raise
- 3% raise
- 3.5% raise
- 4% raise
- 5% raise
- 6% raise
- 7% raise
- 8% raise
- 10% raise
- 15% raise
- 20% raise
How much of your raise do you actually keep?
Less than the headline number, but more than most people fear. A raise is taxed at your marginal rate, not your average rate: only the new dollars are taxed at the higher bracket, and the rest of your salary is unaffected. On top of income tax, every dollar of wages carries 7.65% in FICA — 6.2% Social Security (up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500) and 1.45% Medicare.
Take a single filer on $60,000 getting a $1,800 raise. After the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100, the raise falls entirely inside the 12% federal bracket, so it costs $216 in income tax and $137.70 in FICA. That leaves about $1,446 — roughly 80% of the raise, or $55.63 per bi-weekly paycheck. Add a state income tax and the share you keep drops by that state's rate.
The one thing a raise cannot do is make you worse off. Crossing a bracket only affects the income above the threshold. For the full breakdown with filing status, state and 401(k) deductions, use the raise after taxes calculator.
Is a 3% raise good in 2026?
It is average, and slightly behind prices. US employers budgeted about 3.5% for total salary increases in 2026 according to Mercer and WorldatWork surveys, with merit-only increases nearer 3.3% and other forecasters clustering between 3.4% and 3.6%. So a 3% raise is a normal raise.
Whether it is a good raise depends on inflation. The CPI-U rose 3.4% over the 12 months ending July 2026 (BLS). Against that, a 3% raise is a small real pay cut — your paycheck grows, but it buys marginally less than a year ago. To hold your ground you would need 3.4%; to gain, more. Read is a 3% raise good and average raise percentage in 2026 for the full picture.
Hourly vs salaried raises
The maths is identical; only the units change. A salaried raise is usually quoted as a percentage of annual pay, while an hourly raise is quoted in dollars per hour — "a dollar more an hour". To compare them, annualise the hourly figure: hourly rate × hours per week × 52. A $1/hour raise at 40 hours is $2,080 a year, which on a $41,600 salary is exactly 5%.
The catch for hourly workers is that the raise only pays out on hours actually worked. Cut back to 32 hours a week and the same $1 raise is worth $1,664. If your hours vary, run the hourly raise calculator at both your typical and your minimum week.
Pay raise FAQ
Is a 3% raise really a raise?
Only if it beats inflation. Prices rose 3.4% over the 12 months ending July 2026, so a 3% raise works out at -0.39% in real purchasing power — slightly less than you had before. In nominal terms your paycheck is bigger; in what it buys, you are close to flat.
Is a 3% raise in 2026 good?
It is close to average but below inflation. US employers budgeted around 3.5–3.6% for total salary increases in 2026, with merit increases nearer 3.3%. A 3% raise therefore sits just under the typical budget, and under the 3.4% CPI. It is a normal raise, not a strong one.
If I get a 5% raise, how much will I earn?
Multiply your current pay by 1.05. On $60,000 that is $63,000 — an extra $3,000 a year, or $115.38 per bi-weekly paycheck before tax. Enter your own numbers above to see every pay period at once.
Is 4% a good pay raise?
In 2026, yes — modestly. 4% is above the typical 3.5% salary budget and above the 3.4% CPI, so it is a small real gain rather than a real cut. Promotions and market adjustments usually run well above 4%; annual merit increases rarely do.
How do I calculate my raise percentage?
Divide the increase by your old pay and multiply by 100: (new pay − old pay) ÷ old pay × 100. Going from $60,000 to $63,000 is (3,000 ÷ 60,000) × 100 = 5%. Use the "New pay" mode above and the calculator does it for you.
How much is a $1 raise per year?
At 40 hours a week, $1 an hour is $2,080 a year (1 × 40 × 52). At 30 hours a week it is $1,560. Use the hourly raise calculator to check your own hours.
Does a raise change my tax bracket?
It can, but brackets are marginal: only the dollars above the threshold are taxed at the higher rate. Crossing into the 22% bracket does not mean your whole salary is taxed at 22%, and a raise never leaves you with less take-home pay than before.
How much of a raise do you keep after taxes?
Typically 70–80%. On a $60,000 salary a $1,800 raise loses about 12% to federal income tax and 7.65% to Social Security and Medicare, leaving roughly $1,446. State income tax reduces it further. Open "Show take-home impact" above for your own figure.
Related calculators
- Hourly Raise CalculatorTurn a $/hour raise into weekly, monthly and annual pay.
- Raise After TaxesHow much of your raise you actually keep.
- Cost of Living Raise CalculatorCompare your raise with inflation and find the break-even.
- Salary Increase Over TimeCompound annual raises over 5, 10 or 20 years.
- How much is a 3% raise?Guide
- Is a 3% raise good?Guide
- Average raise percentage in 2026Guide
- How to ask for a raiseGuide
- Raise vs. inflationGuide
Sources: federal brackets and standard deduction from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; Social Security wage base from the SSA; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (12 months ending July 2026). Last updated 2026-09-02.
Estimates are for planning only. This is not tax, legal or financial advice.