Pay raise calculator
Your new salary, the part of the raise that survives taxes, and whether it outruns inflation.
New salary
$72,800
+$2,800 (4.0%) gross
More per bi-weekly check
+$75.76
+$1,970 a year after tax · you keep 70%
Real raise after inflation
+1.1%
Buying power goes up
The raise you negotiate vs. the raise you feel
Every extra dollar of salary is taxed at your marginal rate, the rate on your top dollars, which is higher than the average rate on your whole paycheck. That’s why only about 70% of this raise reaches your account. When you negotiate, compare offers on take-home and on the whole package: an extra 401(k) match percentage point can be worth more than a bigger raise that gets taxed.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate a percentage raise?
Multiply your current salary by the raise percentage and add it on. A 4% raise on $70,000 is $2,800, for a new salary of $72,800. To find the percentage from two salaries: (new − old) ÷ old × 100.
How much of a raise will I actually see in my paycheck?
Less than the gross raise, because the extra dollars are taxed at your marginal rate: your top federal bracket plus 7.65% FICA plus any state tax. For a $2,800 raise in the 22% bracket in a no-tax state, about $2,000 reaches your account, or roughly $78 more per bi-weekly check.
Can a raise ever lower my take-home pay?
Not through federal income tax brackets, which only tax the new dollars at the higher rate. In rare cases, losing an income-tested benefit such as a subsidy or credit can offset a small raise, but ordinary payroll taxes never do.
What is a good raise?
A raise only increases your buying power if it beats inflation. The Consumer Price Index rose about 2.9% over the 12 months to mid-2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics), so anything under that is a real-terms pay cut. The inflation box shows your real raise.