Raise Percentage Calculator

Enter the old and new salary to find the raise percentage.

Result

7.50%
$4,500.00
$375.00

How it is calculated

Enter the old and the new salary, both as yearly amounts in the same currency. The tool finds the difference raise = new − old, then the percentage raise% = raise ÷ old × 100, so the percentage is always measured against the old salary. The yearly raise is that difference, and the monthly raise is raise ÷ 12. The old salary must be above zero. If the new salary is lower, all three results turn negative, which shows a pay cut instead of a raise. Figures are shown in dollars with two decimals and the percentage with two decimals. The tool compares the numbers you type; it does not know about tax, so the monthly raise is a gross amount, not extra take-home pay.

Worked example

Old salary 60,000, new salary 64,500. Raise: 64,500 − 60,000 = $4,500.00 a year. Percentage: 4,500 ÷ 60,000 × 100 = 7.50%. Monthly raise: 4,500 ÷ 12 = $375.00. With the new salary at 57,000 instead, the difference would be −3,000 and the result −5.00%, a cut.

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Common mistakes

  • Dividing by the new salary instead of the old one: 4,500 ÷ 64,500 gives 6.98%, not the 7.50% raise.
  • Mixing monthly and yearly amounts, such as old salary per month and new salary per year, which gives an absurd percentage.
  • Reading the monthly raise as extra take-home pay. It is before tax, so the net gain is smaller.
  • Comparing a gross old salary with a net new offer. Both figures must be gross or both net.
  • Confusing percent and percentage points when asked for a 7.5% raise on top of an earlier 5% raise; successive raises compound rather than add.

About this calculator

A raise percentage is simply the percentage increase between an old salary and a new one, calculated as (new - old) / old x 100 — the standard way HR departments, recruiters, and employees themselves express a pay increase regardless of the underlying salary level. It normalizes raises so a $2,000 bump on a $40,000 salary (5%) can be compared fairly to a $4,000 bump on a $100,000 salary (4%).

Put the old and new salary side by side to get the raise as a percentage and as extra money per year and per month, the relative jump and the cash it adds each pay period.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    Successive raises compound rather than add. Two 5% raises give 10.25%, not 10%, so enter your first salary and your latest salary to see the real total. To judge purchasing power, compare the percentage with inflation over the same period; a raise equal to inflation leaves you where you were. Is the raise you are checking a one-off or part of a series?

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