US · 2026
Pay raise calculator
Short answer
To work out a raise, multiply current pay by the raise percentage and add it: a 3% raise on $52,000 is $1,560, for a new salary of $53,560. Paid every two weeks, that is $60.00 more gross per paycheck and, in 2026 for a single filer with federal tax only, $48.21 more take-home.
| Figure | Now | After the raise |
|---|---|---|
| Annual pay | $52,000.00 | $53,560.00 |
| Gross per paycheck | $2,000.00 | $2,060.00 |
| Take-home per paycheck | $1,690.85 | $1,739.06 |
| Raise | 3.00% |
|---|---|
| More gross pay a year | $1,560.00 |
| More gross pay per paycheck | $60.00 |
| More take-home per paycheck | $48.21 |
| More take-home a year | $1,253.46 |
Worked example: a 3% raise on $52,000
An employee paid $52,000 a year every two weeks gets a 3% raise. They file as single and the example counts federal tax only.
| Line | Now | After the raise |
|---|---|---|
| Annual salary | $52,000.00 | $53,560.00 |
| Gross per paycheck | $2,000.00 | $2,060.00 |
| Federal income tax | $156.15 | $163.35 |
| Social security | $124.00 | $127.72 |
| Medicare | $29.00 | $29.87 |
| Take-home per paycheck | $1,690.85 | $1,739.06 |
The raise adds $60.00 gross and $48.21 take-home to each paycheck: $1,560.00 gross and $1,253.46 take-home over the year. About 80% of the raise reaches the employee's pocket here, because each extra dollar is taxed at 12% federal plus 7.65% for social security and Medicare.
An hourly raise
An hourly worker on $20.00 an hour, 40 hours a week, paid weekly, gets $1.50 more an hour. That is a 7.50% raise: $41,600 a year becomes $44,720, and each weekly paycheck goes from $800.00 to $860.00 gross.
For a single filer with federal tax only, weekly take-home goes from $684.72 to $732.93, $48.21 more a week or $2,506.92 a year. Overtime hours rise too, at time and a half of the new rate.
Can a raise push you into a higher tax bracket and lower your take-home?
No. Only the pay above a bracket line is withheld at the higher rate, so take-home always goes up with a raise. Publication 15-T's tables work this way: each row is a fixed amount plus a percentage of the wages over that row's start.
Take a single filer on $65,000 paid every two weeks who gets 5%. The new $68,250 crosses the 2026 single table's 22% row, which starts at $57,900 of adjusted annual wages. Only the $1,750 above that line is withheld at 22%. Gross goes up $125.00 a paycheck and take-home goes up $93.71, from $2,092.60 to $2,186.31.
General information, not tax advice. Withholding is an estimate of the year's tax; the employee's return settles it. Rates from IRS Publications 15 and 15-T (2026), read 8 October 2026.
The official method, step by step
- For a percentage raise, multiply the current hourly rate or salary by the percentage and add the result: $20.00 × 1.05 = $21.00. An hourly rate is rounded to the cent.
- For a raise given in dollars, add it to the current pay. To find the percentage, divide the raise by the old pay and multiply by 100: ($58,000 − $55,000) ÷ $55,000 = 5.45%.
- Turn hourly pay into a year at rate × hours a week × 52, and a year into a paycheck by dividing by the pay periods: 52 weekly, 26 every two weeks, 24 twice a month or 12 monthly.
- Work out one paycheck's take-home before and after, the way payroll does: federal income tax by IRS Publication 15-T's percentage method for the filing status, social security at 6.2% (up to $184,500 of wages in 2026) and Medicare at 1.45%, plus the work state's own lines.
- The difference between the two take-home figures is what the raise adds to each paycheck; multiply by the pay periods for a year.
What this leaves out
- Pre-tax deductions such as a 401(k) or health insurance, and after-tax ones such as garnishments
- Form W-4 Step 2, 3 and 4 entries (the paycheck calculators and the pay stub generator take them)
- Local income taxes, and the social security cap for someone already near $184,500 of wages this year
- Overtime, bonuses or a raise that starts partway through a pay period
- Back pay for a raise that took effect before payroll applied it (see retro pay)
Sources: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the percentage method tables used for take-home (read October 8, 2026); IRS Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E) Employer's Tax Guide: social security 6.2% up to $184,500 of wages in 2026, Medicare 1.45% (read October 8, 2026).
Pay raise calculator: common questions
How do I calculate a pay raise percentage?
Subtract the old pay from the new pay, divide by the old pay and multiply by 100. Going from $55,000 to $58,000 is $3,000 ÷ $55,000 × 100 = 5.45%. For an hourly rate, use the two hourly rates.
How much is a 3% raise?
3% of current pay. On $52,000 a year that is $1,560, or $60.00 more per paycheck when paid every two weeks. On $20.00 an hour it is $0.60, making $20.60.
How much of a raise will I take home?
Less than the gross raise, because tax comes off the extra pay. In the 12% federal bracket, about 80% of it, before state tax: a $60.00 raise per paycheck added $48.21 take-home in the example above.
Will a raise lower my take-home pay?
No. A higher bracket applies only to the pay above the bracket line, so take-home always rises with a raise. It rises by less than the raise itself because of tax on the extra pay.
How do I convert an hourly raise to an annual raise?
Multiply the extra per hour by the hours a week and by 52. $1.50 more an hour at 40 hours a week is $3,120 more a year.
What is a good raise?
There is no legal standard: raises are set by employers, contracts and the market. This calculator shows what a given raise means for pay and take-home, so you can compare offers on the same basis.
Can I make a pay stub at the new pay?
Yes. “Make the pay stub at the new pay” opens the pay stub generator with the new gross pay per paycheck and the same tax lines filled in. Add any other deductions there.
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