Pay & compensation
Pay raise calculator
See how a pay raise or salary increase changes your gross pay across hourly, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, and annual schedules. Enter what you earn today, then apply a percentage raise (try the 2%, 3%, 5%, or 10% presets), a fixed-dollar bump, or a target new salary. The before-and-after table updates as you type—export CSV or PDF if you want to save or share the numbers.
How this pay raise calculator works
A pay raise calculator shows your new gross wages after a percent change, dollar bump, or target salary. Ours starts from what you earn today, converts it to an annual baseline using hours per week (default 40), then maps results across US pay periods: 52 weeks, 26 biweekly checks, and 24 semi-monthly pays.
Choose raise by percentage for merit or COLA letters, raise by amount when the offer is “+$2/hour” or “+$200/month,” or target new pay when you only know the new salary and need the salary increase percentage (e.g. $50,000 → $52,500 = 5%). Presets 2%, 3%, 5%, and 10% match common review wording; advanced settings adjust weeks per year if you are not on a 52-week schedule.
The table updates live as you edit. Figures are gross only—use the paycheck calculator when you need estimated take-home pay.
Pay raise formulas
Core formulas (gross pay)
Percentage raise
New pay = Current pay × (1 + Raise % ÷ 100)
Fixed-dollar raise (same pay period you enter)
New pay = Current pay + Raise amount
Raise % from old and new pay
Raise % = (New pay − Current pay) ÷ Current pay × 100
Percentage raise
Best when your employer states “3% merit” or “5% COLA.” The dollar increase scales with your current pay — higher bases get larger absolute bumps.
Example: 4% on $60,000 → $62,400 (+$2,400/year).
Fixed amount or target pay
Use fixed amount when the offer is +$2/hour or +$200/month. Use target new pay when you only know the new salary (e.g. $52,500 from $50,000) and need the raise %.
Compare gross offers with target new pay for each scenario, then model taxes and benefits separately.
Example: 5% raise on a $50,000 salary
If your current annual salary is $50,000 and you receive a 5% raise, the increase is $2,500 per year. Your new annual gross pay is $52,500, or about $4,375 per month before taxes. At 40 hours per week, hourly gross pay moves from about $24.04 to $25.24.
Tap the 5% preset or enter 5 under raise by percentage—the live table should match these figures for 40 hours and a 52-week year. For monthly salary increment planning, use the monthly row or enter pay as per month with that period selected.
| Pay period | Before raise | After 5% raise | Gross increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly (40 h/wk) | $24.04 | $25.24 | $1.20 |
| Weekly | $961.54 | $1,009.62 | $48.08 |
| Biweekly | $1,923.08 | $2,019.23 | $96.15 |
| Semi-monthly | $2,083.33 | $2,187.50 | $104.17 |
| Monthly | $4,166.67 | $4,375.00 | $208.33 |
| Annual | $50,000.00 | $52,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
Example: 3% raise on $20 per hour
At $20 per hour, a 3% raise adds $0.60 per hour, for a new rate of $20.60. With a 40-hour week, that is an extra $24 per week ($48 per biweekly paycheck) in gross pay before withholding. Annual gross pay rises from $41,600 to $42,848.
A 2% raise on the same $20 rate adds $0.40/hour ($20.40) — about $16 per week or $32 per biweekly check. Use the hourly pay period when your offer is stated per hour.
| Pay period | Before raise | After 3% raise | Gross increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $20.00 | $20.60 | $0.60 |
| Weekly (40 h) | $800.00 | $824.00 | $24.00 |
| Biweekly | $1,600.00 | $1,648.00 | $48.00 |
| Semi-monthly | $1,733.33 | $1,785.33 | $52.00 |
| Monthly | $3,466.67 | $3,570.67 | $104.00 |
| Annual | $41,600.00 | $42,848.00 | $1,248.00 |
Weekly and biweekly pay raise calculator
If you are paid every week or every two weeks, enter your current paycheck amount and matching pay period. A 5% raise on $800 per week adds $40 per week ($2,080 per year on a 52-week basis). On $1,600 biweekly, the same 5% adds $80 per check ($2,080/year).
Hourly workers can enter per hour and let the table show weekly and biweekly gross — useful when your offer is “+$0.50/hour” rather than a percent. A 3% raise on $25/hour is $0.75/hour ($26.25 new rate), or $30 more per weekly paycheck at 40 hours.
Semi-monthly employees (24 pays per year) should pick the semi-monthly period so monthly and annual rows align with your employer’s schedule — do not enter a biweekly amount unless you are actually paid every two weeks. For monthly salary increment planning, the monthly row shows how much gross pay rises per calendar month when annualized from your inputs.
Annualization uses a 52-week year and 26 biweekly periods (not a 260-workday shortcut), aligned with our hourly wage calculator and annual income calculator.
What is a typical pay raise percentage?
There is no single “right” number—ranges vary by employer, role, and year. Many companies use 2–3% for COLA-style increases, 3–5% for merit, and 10–20%+ for promotions or market catch-ups. A 3% raise adds real gross dollars but may not outpace inflation, which is why people ask if it is really a raise in purchasing power.
Start with the dollar change in this calculator, then use public benchmarks for context: BLS CPI for inflation and BLS occupation wages for pay levels—not personalized career or financial advice.
COLA-style raise (about 2–3%)
Often tracks cost of living or company-wide budgets. On $50,000, 3% adds $1,500 gross per year; 2% adds $1,000.
If CPI runs near 3%, a 3% raise may only preserve purchasing power — not increase it. Use the calculator’s after column to see whether the dollar bump covers your expenses.
Merit or market raise (about 4–10%+)
Reflects performance, promotion, or catching up to market pay. On $50,000, 5% adds $2,500 gross per year; 10% adds $5,000.
Compare your new gross rate to BLS occupation wages for your role and region — not personalized career advice.
Gross pay vs take-home after a raise
This page is a pay raise calculator, not a pay raise calculator with taxes. Every number in the table is gross pay—before federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and other deductions. Your bank deposit after a raise will be smaller than the gross increase shown here.
A higher marginal tax bracket can also make the net bump feel smaller than the gross percent, even though brackets apply to portions of income, not your whole salary. Pre-tax benefits (401(k), health premiums) change take-home too.
For estimated net pay by state and pay frequency, use our paycheck calculator. After a raise, consider the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to review W-4 settings (not tax advice).
Raises over several years
This calculator models a single raise event. If you receive the same 3% raise every year for three years on a $50,000 starting salary (and each raise applies to the new base), gross pay compounds to about $54,567 — not $54,500 (which would be three flat $1,500 bumps). That difference matters for long-range budgeting and for questions like “salary increase over 10 years.”
To explore multi-year growth quickly, use our compound interest calculator with your raise percent as the rate and salary as the principal — or rerun this tool each year using the prior after column as current pay.
Long-term planning should still account for inflation (see inflation calculator) and tax bracket changes — not financial advice.
| Year | Salary after 3% raise (compounding) | Raise $ vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $50,000.00 | — |
| Year 1 | $51,500.00 | +$1,500.00 |
| Year 2 | $53,045.00 | +$1,545.00 |
| Year 3 | $54,636.35 | +$1,591.35 |
How to use this pay raise calculator
Follow the four steps for a before / increase / after view on every pay period. You can enter a percentage, fixed amount, or target new pay—the same three ways many employers phrase an offer.
Shortcut: Enter your current salary and tap 3% (or another preset) to see “how much is a 3% raise on my salary?” in annual and per-paycheck columns without doing the math by hand.
Enter current pay
Type your hourly wage or salary and select the matching pay period (hourly, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or annual). Part-time? Lower hours per week in step 3.
Choose how the raise is stated
Pick raise by percentage (use presets or custom %), by fixed amount in the same period you entered, or target new pay to back-solve the salary increase percentage.
Confirm hours and weeks
Keep 40 hours for full-time or adjust for your schedule. Open advanced settings if your employer uses fewer than 52 paid weeks per year.
Review the breakdown and export
Compare current, increase, and after columns for every pay period. Export CSV or PDF to document the scenario for reviews or offer comparisons.
What this calculator does not include
This calculator does not include withholding or take-home pay, benefits (health, 401(k), HSA), bonuses or commission, equity, overtime premiums, or employer payroll taxes. Mixed offers that blend base pay with variable comp need separate modeling.
Nothing here is legal, tax, or HR advice. Open the sections below for negotiation tips, tax pointers, employer cost context, and limits when hours vary.
Negotiating a higher raise (employee)
Research typical pay for your role with BLS occupation data, document results you delivered, and ask for a specific gross number. Use target new pay to show the annual and per-paycheck gap between an offer and your goal — not legal or HR advice.
More context: salary negotiation glossary.
Taxes and take-home pay
All results here are gross. Federal and state withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and benefits can shrink the raise you feel in your bank account.
Estimate net pay with our paycheck calculator or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (not tax advice).
Employer budget and payroll taxes
A gross raise increases employer payroll taxes and benefits costs beyond the employee’s paycheck.
After you know new gross wages, use the employee cost calculator for a fuller cost picture.
Overtime and variable hours
This tool uses a steady hours per week assumption. Overtime, commission, or seasonal hours are not modeled automatically.
For overtime pay scenarios, see our overtime calculator alongside gross raise planning.
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Frequently asked questions about pay raises
How do I calculate my pay raise?
Multiply your current gross pay by (1 + raise % ÷ 100) for a percentage raise, or add the dollar amount in the same pay period you entered (hourly, weekly, monthly, or annual).
If you only have the new salary from an offer, use target new pay to find the raise percentage. This calculator lines up hourly through annual amounts using your hours per week—all gross, before taxes.
How do I calculate a 2% salary increase?
Multiply current pay by 1.02. On $60,000 per year, that is $61,200 (+$1,200 gross). At $20 per hour, a 2% raise adds $0.40/hour (new rate $20.40)—about $32 more per biweekly paycheck at 40 hours.
Is a 2% raise good? It is a common COLA-style bump at annual reviews, but it may not outpace inflation every year. Tap the 2% preset to see each pay period for your exact pay.
How do I calculate my salary increase percentage?
Salary increase % = (New pay − Old pay) ÷ Old pay × 100. Example: $52,500 from $50,000 is 5%. Hourly: $30/hour from $25/hour is 20%.
Use target new pay in this calculator, or our percentage calculator for other percent problems.
Is a 3% raise good in 2026?
3% is a typical merit or COLA-style increase at many US employers. It is a real raise in gross dollars, but it may not beat inflation—so some people ask whether a 3% raise is really a raise in what you can afford day to day.
Run your salary through the 3% preset and check the after column. For context (not personal advice), compare trends with the BLS Consumer Price Index and wages for your occupation via BLS wage data.
Is a 4% pay raise good?
4% is above many standard annual reviews and often signals strong performance or a market catch-up.
How do you calculate a 4% pay increase? Multiply current pay by 1.04. On $50,000, that is $52,000 (+$2,000 gross per year). Enter 4 under raise by percentage to see weekly and biweekly impact.
How do I calculate a 5% pay raise?
Multiply current pay by 1.05 (or add 5% of current pay). Example: $50,000 × 1.05 = $52,500, a $2,500 gross annual increase. Select the 5% preset or enter 5 under raise by percentage—the table shows hourly through annual amounts.
How much is a 3% raise on my salary?
Multiply annual salary by 0.03. On $50,000, a 3% raise is $1,500 per year—about $125/month or $58 per biweekly paycheck gross before taxes (when annualized over 26 pays).
Enter your exact salary above and tap 3% to match your hours and pay period.
Does this pay raise calculator include taxes?
No—this is not a pay raise calculator with taxes. Every result is gross pay before withholding. For estimated take-home after federal, state, and FICA, use our paycheck calculator.
After a raise, review W-4 settings with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (not tax advice).
Can I calculate an hourly pay raise?
Yes—use this as an hourly pay raise calculator. Select per hour as your pay period, or enter a fixed raise per hour. The table shows updated hourly, weekly, biweekly, and annual gross pay.
Example: a 3% raise on $20/hour adds $0.60/hour ($20.60 new rate). See the worked example on this page for all pay periods.
What is the difference between a percentage raise and a fixed-dollar raise?
A percentage raise scales with pay: 5% on $40,000 adds $2,000; on $80,000 it adds $4,000. Employers often use percents for merit or COLA budgets.
A fixed-dollar raise adds the same amount each period (+$1/hour, +$250/month)—common for hourly roles or union steps. The implied percent is larger for lower bases and smaller for higher bases.
Use raise by percentage, raise by amount, or target new pay in the tool to match how your employer stated the offer.
How often do employees get a raise?
Many US employers review base pay once a year, often aligned with performance reviews or the fiscal calendar. Promotions, retention offers, or market adjustments can happen at other times.
Union and public-sector schedules may spell out step increases or COLA clauses. Hourly workers may see changes when site rates or minimum wage shift.
When you have a specific offer, model it here in gross dollars—not HR or legal advice.
What raise percentage equals one extra month of pay?
About 8.33% (one-twelfth of a year). That adds roughly one month of your previous annual salary to your yearly gross over the next 12 months.
Enter 8.33 under raise by percentage, or use the closest preset and fine-tune, to see the per-paycheck effect.
How do I compare two job offers after a raise?
Start from your current gross pay, then use target new pay for each offer’s salary or hourly rate. Compare raise % and annual increase side by side.
Match pay frequency and hours per week so part-time and biweekly vs semi-monthly offers are apples-to-apples once annualized.
Benefits, bonus, equity, PTO, and taxes are not included—use the paycheck calculator for take-home and weigh non-cash pay separately.
How do I negotiate a higher pay raise?
Research typical pay for your role with BLS occupation data, tie your request to outcomes you delivered, and name a specific gross target.
Use target new pay to show the gap between their offer and your goal in annual and per-paycheck dollars—helpful prep for a review conversation, not legal or HR advice. More context: salary negotiation.