What Is Your Salary Worth Adjusted for Inflation?
Check if your raise kept up with inflation. Compare purchasing power of your salary over time.
Is Your Raise a Real Raise?
A 5% raise sounds great — but if inflation was 4%, your real raise was only about 1%. With 2021-2023 inflation running 5-9%, many workers who received "normal" 3% raises actually took a pay cut in real terms. This calculator adjusts your salary for inflation so you can see whether your purchasing power actually increased, decreased, or stayed flat.
How to Negotiate Using Inflation Data
When negotiating raises, frame your ask in real terms: "My salary was $65,000 three years ago. Adjusted for 4% annual inflation, that is equivalent to $73,100 today. My current salary of $70,000 represents a real pay cut of $3,100. I am requesting an adjustment to $75,000 to restore my purchasing power and provide a modest real increase." This data-driven approach is more persuasive than a vague "I deserve more."
The median US worker received cumulative raises of about 15-18% from 2020-2025, while cumulative inflation was 25-30%. This means the typical American worker has lost 7-15% of their purchasing power in 5 years — even while receiving annual raises. Always negotiate raises using real (inflation-adjusted) numbers, not nominal ones.
