Raise Calculator

Turn a percentage raise or a new salary into real money: extra pay per year, per month and per paycheck.

Current annual salary

Raise percentage

Or new salary directly

Pay frequency

Type a percentage or the new salary — whichever you fill in last is the one used.

Your raise, in real money

extra gross pay per year

Illustration of rising steps with a coin growing larger on each step and an upward arrow — a pay raise increasing salary step by step — A percentage sounds small; converted into dollars per check, a raise is much easier to judge.

About the Raise Calculator

What it calculates. A raise translated from a percentage — a number designed to sound small — into the money units a budget actually runs on: extra pay per year, per month and per paycheck, alongside your new salary and new per-check gross.

How the calculation works

New salary = current salary × (1 + raise %). The extra per paycheck is the annual increase divided by your number of pay periods (26 biweekly, 52 weekly, 24 semi-monthly, 12 monthly). Entered the other way — a new salary typed directly — the tool works backwards to the percentage, which is the honest way to evaluate an offer letter: a "$3,000 raise" on $55,000 is 5.45%, while the same $3,000 on $90,000 is 3.33%.

Worked example: $55,000 with a 4% raise → new salary $57,200. The increase is $2,200 a year = $183.33 a month = $84.62 extra per biweekly paycheck (gross), lifting each check from $2,115.38 to exactly $2,200.00.

Limitations & common mistakes

Gross, before the tax bite. Your raise is taxed at your marginal rate, and percentage-based deductions (like a 5% 401(k)) grow with it — run the new salary through the Paycheck Calculator for the take-home version.
Comparing percentages across bases. A 5% raise on a low base can be less money than 3% on a high one. Always convert to dollars per year before judging an offer.
Forgetting the timing. A raise that starts in July is worth half its annual figure in year one. Prorate before planning annual spending around it.

Raise FAQ

What is a typical annual raise?: US employers commonly budget around 3–4% for annual merit increases in recent years, with promotions and job changes usually worth considerably more. Treat any single figure as context, not a rule.
Does a raise change my tax bracket?: Only the dollars above a bracket threshold are taxed at the higher rate — a raise can never make your total take-home pay go down through federal brackets alone.
Should I raise my 401(k) when I get a raise?: A common strategy is to add at least 1 percentage point of salary to retirement contributions at each raise, so saving grows without your lifestyle noticing the difference.

Disclaimer: results are estimates for education only and are not tax, financial or legal advice. Verify figures that matter with your employer or a qualified professional.