Pay Raise Calculator
Calculate Your New Salary & Percent Increase
Last updated: August 2026
Enter your current pay, choose whether it's hourly or annual, and add your raise as a percentage or a flat dollar amount — this calculator instantly fills in whichever piece you didn't enter. Free, with no signup required.
How to Use This Pay Raise Calculator
- Enter your Current Pay and select whether it's Per Year or Per Hour.
- Enter your Raise Amount, choosing either % (Percent) or $ (Flat Amount).
- Read your results — Dollar Increase, Percentage Increase, and New Pay all appear instantly.
How to Calculate a Pay Raise (Percentage Formula)
New Pay = Current Pay × (1 + Raise Percentage ÷ 100)
Worked example: Say your current salary is $50,000 and you receive a 5% raise.
- Multiplier: 1 + (5 ÷ 100) = 1.05
- New salary: 50,000 × 1.05 = $52,500
- Dollar increase: 52,500 − 50,000 = $2,500
Percentage Raise vs. Flat Dollar Raise
A raise can be given as a percentage of your current pay, or as a flat dollar amount — and the two behave very differently depending on your starting salary.
A 5% raise scales with what you already earn: on a $40,000 salary, that's $2,000. On an $80,000 salary, the same 5% is $4,000 — double the dollar amount. A flat raise doesn't scale at all: a $2,000 raise is $2,000 whether you earn $40,000 or $80,000.
What's a Good Raise? (Typical Benchmarks)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Cost Index, private-sector wages and salaries rose 3.4% over the 12 months ending March 2026. Typical ranges include:
- Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA): roughly 2–4%, intended to keep pace with inflation.
- Standard merit raise: roughly 3–5%, the most common raise type for solid performance.
- Promotion or market-adjustment raise: roughly 10–20%, reflecting a change in role.
Common Raise Percentages at Different Salaries
| Current Salary | 3% Raise | 5% Raise | 10% Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | +$1,200 | +$2,000 | +$4,000 |
| $50,000 | +$1,500 | +$2,500 | +$5,000 |
| $60,000 | +$1,800 | +$3,000 | +$6,000 |
| $75,000 | +$2,250 | +$3,750 | +$7,500 |
| $100,000 | +$3,000 | +$5,000 | +$10,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate a raise percentage?
If you know your old and new pay, subtract the old amount from the new amount, divide by the old amount, then multiply by 100. Going from $50,000 to $52,500: (52,500 − 50,000) ÷ 50,000 × 100 = 5%.
How much is a 3% raise?
It depends on your current pay — 3% scales with your salary. Use the calculator above to enter your exact numbers.
Does this calculator account for taxes?
No — it calculates your gross (pre-tax) pay increase only. Your actual take-home increase will be smaller after taxes. For an estimate of your after-tax pay, use our Take-Home Pay Calculator.
Is my data saved anywhere?
No. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere — all calculations run locally in your browser and disappear when you refresh or close the page.
All financial calculations are based on standard compensation formulas.