How to use the pay raise calculator
- Enter your current pay and choose the pay period it's in (hourly, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly or annual). Hourly pay also asks for your usual hours per week (default 40).
- Enter the raise: as a percent (3 for 3%), as a new amount in the same period, or as a dollar increase in the same period.
- Read your new pay, the raise amount and the percent increase -- and, going the other way, type an old and a new amount to get the percent.
- Optional: type your own inflation estimate to see the real, inflation-adjusted change in your pay.
- Scroll down for your new pay in every period and a table of common raises (2-10%) from your current pay.
How do I calculate a percentage raise?
New pay = current pay × (1 + percent ÷ 100).
- A 3% raise on $24.00/hour: $24.00 × 1.03 = $24.72/hour, a raise of $0.72/hour ($1,497.60/year for a full-time job).
- A 4% raise on a $50,000 salary: $50,000 × 1.04 = $52,000.00, a raise of $2,000.00.
Reverse (percent from two amounts): percent = (new − old) ÷ old × 100. Going from $50,000 to $51,500 is ($1,500 ÷ $50,000) × 100 = 3.0%. Use "As a new amount" and enter both the old pay (as your current pay) and the new pay (as the raise value) to have the calculator do this for you.
How much is a 3% raise?
On $24.00 an hour, a 3% raise is $24.72 an hour -- $0.72 more per hour, or $1,497.60 more a year at 40 hours a week. The percent is identical regardless of the period: a $50,000 salary with a 3% raise is $51,500, the same 3% as $24.00 to $24.72 an hour.
Entering the raise a different way
Prefer to type the number you were told rather than work out the percent yourself? Two more modes:
- New amount: $18.00/hour going to $19.00/hour at 35 hours/week is a +5.56% raise, worth $1,820.00 more a year.
- Dollar increase: an extra $60 on a $1,200 biweekly paycheck is a +5.00% raise.
Common raises from $24.00/hour
| Raise | New hourly rate | More per year (40 h/week) |
|---|---|---|
| 2% | $24.48 | $998.40 |
| 3% | $24.72 | $1,497.60 |
| 4% | $24.96 | $1,996.80 |
| 5% | $25.20 | $2,496.00 |
| 6% | $25.44 | $2,995.20 |
| 7% | $25.68 | $3,494.40 |
| 8% | $25.92 | $3,993.60 |
| 9% | $26.16 | $4,492.80 |
| 10% | $26.40 | $4,992.00 |
Pay raise after taxes: why take-home pay rises by less
This calculator only computes gross pay -- the amount before anything is withheld. Your take-home pay typically increases by less than the raise itself, for two reasons that have nothing to do with the raise being unfair:
- Marginal tax rates. In the US and most countries, income is taxed in bands ("brackets"). A raise almost never pushes your whole paycheck into a higher bracket -- only the extra income above a threshold is taxed at the higher rate, so the rest of your pay keeps its old tax rate.
- Payroll taxes. In the US, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) are withheld on the new, higher amount too, and pre-tax deductions (401(k), health insurance) may also scale up.
Because tax brackets, filing status, state and local rules, and benefit elections vary so much, we deliberately don't estimate taxes here -- that would mean guessing at numbers that are specific to you. For an exact figure, check your pay stub after the raise takes effect, or use your employer's or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Comparing your raise to inflation
A raise that's smaller than inflation is a real pay cut, even though the dollar amount went up. Enter your own inflation estimate (we don't hard-code a live figure, since it changes monthly and varies by what you actually buy) to see the real, inflation-adjusted change in your pay: real % = (1 + raise%) ÷ (1 + inflation%) − 1. A 3% raise against 3.4% inflation works out to about -0.39% in real terms -- slightly behind, not ahead.
Pay raise calculator, salary to hourly, or discount calculator?
- This pay raise calculator: how a raise, in percent or dollars, changes your pay in every period.
- Salary to hourly calculator: convert an annual salary to an hourly rate (or back), with hours/week, weeks/year and paid time off.
- Discount calculator: the same percent maths, applied to a sale price instead of a paycheck, with stacked discounts and tax.
- Tracking hours worked toward a raise review or timesheet? See the time card calculator or hours calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a 3% raise?
A 3% raise means multiplying your current pay by 1.03. On $24.00 an hour that's $24.72 an hour, or $1,497.60 more a year for someone working full time. The percent is the same no matter which period you use to check it: $50,000 a year with a 3% raise is $51,500, exactly like $24 to $24.72 an hour.
How do I calculate a percentage raise?
New pay = current pay × (1 + percent ÷ 100). A 4% raise on a $50,000 salary is $50,000 × 1.04 = $52,000.00, a raise of $2,000.00. To go the other way and find the percent from two pay amounts: percent = (new − old) ÷ old × 100. Going from $50,000 to $51,500 is ($1,500.00 ÷ $50,000) × 100 = 3.0%.
How do I calculate an hourly raise or a raise to a specific new rate?
Switch to "As a new amount" and type the new hourly rate. Going from $18.00 to $19.00 an hour at 35 hours a week is a +5.56% raise, worth $1,820.00 more a year. You can also enter a plain dollar increase, such as an extra $60 every two weeks on a $1,200 biweekly paycheck, which is a +5.00% raise.
What counts as a good raise in 2026?
There is no single "good" number: it depends on your industry, performance and how your current pay compares to the market. A cost-of-living adjustment is usually a few percent, meant to keep pace with prices rather than reward performance; a merit or promotion raise is often larger. Compare your raise to your own inflation estimate below to see whether your buying power is going up or down.
Does a raise mean my take-home pay goes up by the same amount? (after taxes)
No, and this calculator only computes gross (pre-tax) pay. Your take-home pay usually rises by less than the raise itself, for two main reasons: the extra income is taxed at your marginal rate (the rate on your last dollar earned, not your whole paycheck), and in the US, Social Security and Medicare (FICA) are withheld on the new amount too. A raise almost never pushes your whole paycheck into a higher bracket -- only the portion above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate. We don't estimate taxes here because they depend on your state, filing status, deductions and benefits; use your pay stub or a payroll calculator from your employer or the IRS for an exact number.
How do I compare my raise to inflation?
Type your own inflation estimate into "Compare to inflation" -- we never hard-code a live inflation figure, since it changes and varies by region and personal spending. A 3% raise against 3.4% inflation gives a real change of about -0.39%, meaning your buying power fell slightly even though your pay went up. The real (inflation-adjusted) change is (1 + raise%) ÷ (1 + inflation%) − 1, not a simple subtraction, though subtracting is a close approximation for small percentages.
Can I use this for a salary, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly or monthly pay period?
Yes. Choose the period your pay is quoted in and enter the raise in the same period (a new weekly amount, for example, not a new annual one). The calculator converts to every other period using a standard 52-week, 24-semimonthly-period, 12-month year, so you can see your raise as an hourly, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly and annual figure all at once.
What if I enter a pay cut instead of a raise?
That works too: enter a negative percent (like -5) or a new amount lower than your current pay, and the calculator shows it as a cut rather than a raise, with the percent shown as a negative number.
Does this work outside the US, or in a different currency?
The maths is currency-independent -- percentages and period conversions work the same everywhere. Amounts are shown formatted as US dollars, but you can treat every number as being in your own currency.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
Your entries are saved only in your own browser so they are there next time. Nothing is sent to our servers.