3.2%
Planned merit budget
Employer benchmark
Mercer's average planned US merit-increase budget for 2026, not a promised individual raise.
2026 raise benchmark
What Is a Good Raise Percentage?
A good raise depends on both the market and inflation. A 4% raise can exceed a typical employer budget and the current headline CPI before tax; 5% to 6% clears that benchmark more comfortably. Promotion, market-adjustment, and job-change outcomes vary too widely for one universal range. See how any raise compounds year after year with our raise calculator over time.
Quick answer
A 3% raise is close to common merit budgets but currently trails headline inflation. A 5% raise is generally good because it beats recent inflation. For a promotion, market adjustment, or job change, use the actual salary band or offer rather than assuming a standard percentage.
3.4%
Headline CPI-U
Purchasing-power benchmark
The BLS 12-month reading for July 2026; a lower raise trails this measure before tax.
Varies
Promotion or job change
Use actual offers
There is no universal range; compare the new role, market pay, and total compensation.
Benchmarks
How to judge a 2026 raise
Use inflation as the floor, then compare your raise against company budgets, market pay, and your individual performance.
Inflation floor: 3.4%
The BLS reported a 3.4% CPI-U increase for the 12 months ending July 2026. A raise below that can feel like a pay cut in real purchasing power — see the raise you need to beat inflation by state.
Employer budget context: about 3% to 4%
Mercer reported average planned 2026 merit-increase budgets of 3.2% and total salary-increase budgets of 3.5%. An individual raise can be above or below those employer-level averages for many reasons — see how much of a raise to ask for and the cost-of-living raise baseline. To model the take-home impact of any figure, use the pay increase calculator.
Sources: BLS Consumer Price Index and Mercer 2026 salary increase budget survey.
By employer
Why One Benchmark Does Not Fit Every Role
Merit budgets vary by employer, industry, location, job family, and company performance. Mercer's public 2026 release supports the overall US averages used here, but it does not provide sector-level comparisons. Use a role-matched salary survey or your employer's pay band for a more specific comparison. See our 2026 salary budgets and trends page for more detail.
Source: average 2026 US merit-increase budget 3.2% and total salary-increase budget 3.5% (Mercer).
Examples
See the full salary tableWhat common raises are worth
3% raise
$1,500/yr
On $50,000, that is about $57.69 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
5% raise
$2,500/yr
On $50,000, that is about $96.15 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
10% raise
$5,000/yr
On $50,000, that is about $192.31 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
| Raise | Salary | Annual increase | Biweekly increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $50,000 | $1,500 | $57.69 |
| 5% | $50,000 | $2,500 | $96.15 |
| 10% | $50,000 | $5,000 | $192.31 |
Common raise percentages at a glance
Use the calculator above for any exact percentage. These common levels are shown together so you can compare them without jumping between near-identical pages.
2%
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3%
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4%
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5%
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6%
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7%
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10%
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15%
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20%
raise
Looking specifically at a 3% raise? See the detailed 3% raise calculator.
Calculate your raise
Enter your salary and raise percentage to see the annual, monthly, biweekly, and after-tax impact.
Your Salary
$
%
Quick:
📈 Above Average · +5.00%✅ Beats inflation by 1.5%(CPI 3.4%)
Your Raise
$2,500.00
+5.00% increase
New Annual Salary
$52,500.00
from $50,000.00
Per Paycheck
+$96.15
bi-weekly increase
After-Tax Increase
+$2,008.75
estimated annual take-home
Hourly
+$1.20
Before
$24.04
After
$25.24
Weekly
+$48.08
Before
$961.54
After
$1,009.62
Bi-Weekly
+$96.15
Before
$1,923.08
After
$2,019.23
Monthly
+$208.33
Before
$4,166.67
After
$4,375.00
Annual
+$2,500.00
Before
$50,000.00
After
$52,500.00
| Period | Before | After | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $24.04 | $25.24 | +$1.20 |
| Weekly | $961.54 | $1,009.62 | +$48.08 |
| Bi-Weekly | $1,923.08 | $2,019.23 | +$96.15 |
| Monthly | $4,166.67 | $4,375.00 | +$208.33 |
| Annual | $50,000.00 | $52,500.00 | +$2,500.00 |
After-Tax Impact
$42,355.00 → $44,363.75 (+$2,008.75/yr)
Est. US federal income tax + FICA (single filer). Varies by state, filing status, and deductions.
Real Raise (Inflation-Adjusted)
Your raise: 5.0% — Inflation (CPI): 3.4% → Real purchasing power change: +1.5%
Estimates are for informational and planning purposes only. They do not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. See our disclaimer.
FAQ
Good Raise Percentage Questions
- Is a 3% raise good in 2026?
- A 3% raise is near common merit-increase budgets, but it is below the 3.4% CPI-U inflation rate for the 12 months ending July 2026. It does not protect purchasing power against that headline measure. Read the full 3% raise guide.
- Is a 4% raise good in 2026?
- A 4% raise is above Mercer's 3.2% average planned merit budget for 2026 and above the 3.4% CPI-U reading (BLS, July 2026) before tax. Those are comparison benchmarks, not a performance rating. On a $50,000 salary, 4% adds $2,000 per year, or about $76.92 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
- Is a 5% raise good?
- A 5% raise is generally a good raise because it is above recent inflation and above a basic cost-of-living adjustment. On a $50,000 salary, it adds $2,500 per year before taxes.
- Is a 6% raise good in 2026?
- A 6% raise in 2026 is above the 3.4% CPI-U inflation rate (BLS, July 2026) and above Mercer's 3.5% average employer total salary-increase budget for 2026. The reason for an individual 6% raise varies by employer. On a $50,000 salary, it adds $3,000 per year, or about $115.38 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
- What raise percentage should I ask for?
- Use inflation, role-matched market pay, measurable results, added responsibilities, and your employer's pay range as anchors. There is no universal request percentage; explain the evidence behind the number you choose.
- Is a 3.5% raise good in 2026?
- A 3.5% raise in 2026 is close to common employer salary-increase budgets and narrowly beats the 3.4% CPI-U inflation rate (BLS, July 2026) by about 0.1% in real terms before tax. Whether it is good also depends on your performance, market pay, and total compensation.
- Is a 4.7% raise good?
- A 4.7% raise exceeds both the 3.4% CPI-U reading and Mercer's 3.2% average planned merit budget for 2026. That comparison does not identify your performance rating; employer practices vary. On a $60,000 salary, 4.7% adds $2,820 per year or about $108 per biweekly paycheck before taxes.
- Is a 7% yearly raise good?
- A 7% annual raise is above Mercer's 3.2% average planned merit budget for 2026 and above recent CPI-U. At 7% compounded, a salary approximately doubles in about 10 years. The percentage alone does not reveal why an employer awarded it.
- What is a reasonable 1-year raise?
- In 2026, compare a raise with the 3.4% CPI-U reading and Mercer's 3.2% planned merit and 3.5% total salary-budget averages. These are comparison points, not performance-rating bands. What is reasonable depends on the role, market, employer, location, and total compensation.