Methodology & Data Sources

Our accuracy standard

A pay-raise tool is only as useful as the tax and inflation numbers behind it. Every figure used in our calculators — federal brackets, the FICA wage base, each state's income-tax schedule, and the CPI inflation rate — is cross-checked against two independent authoritative sources before it ships: the primary issuer (IRS, SSA, BLS, or a state revenue department) and one independent reference (such as the Tax Foundation). We record the source, the verification reference, and the date for each value, and we re-verify when the underlying law changes. The provenance table below is generated directly from the data the calculators actually use — not a separate copy that can drift.

Federal income tax

We apply the 2026 federal income-tax brackets to taxable income after the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly). The brackets are marginal: only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate — a raise never lowers your take-home pay. Because brackets are progressive, a raise is taxed at your marginal rate on the new dollars, not your whole salary.

FICA — Social Security & Medicare

FICA is withheld at 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 (nothing above it), plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages with no cap, and an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on earnings above $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (married).

State income tax

We cover all 51 US jurisdictions (50 states + DC): 9 with no tax on wage income and 42 with a verified 2026 schedule. Each taxing jurisdiction's brackets and standard deduction were verified against its revenue department or enacting legislation, cross-checked against the Tax Foundation's 2026 state tables. Where a state had not yet published a final 2026 schedule (e.g. California, New York), we use the latest published schedule and label it as such in the calculator. State estimates are computed before state-specific credits, phase-outs, and local/city taxes — see the limitations below.

Inflation & the “real” raise

To show whether a raise actually grows your purchasing power, we compare it to CPI-U inflation of 3.3% (12 months ending March 2026). The real raise uses the multiplicative formula (1 + raise) / (1 + inflation) − 1, not simple subtraction — so a 5% raise against 3.3% inflation is about a +1.6% real gain, not +1.7%. We deliberately use a stable annual CPI figure rather than a volatile single-month headline; the inflation rate is editable in the calculator.

Sources & last verified

State-by-state sources and verification dates are recorded per jurisdiction in our tax data and shown in the calculator's state notes.

What the estimate does not include

• Pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, health premiums) that lower taxable income.
• State-specific tax credits, exemptions, and phase-outs.
• Local or city income taxes (e.g. NYC, some Ohio and Pennsylvania municipalities).
• Filing statuses beyond single and married-filing-jointly.
• Dependents, itemized deductions, and other return-specific adjustments.

Results are estimates for planning and comparison, not tax, legal, or financial advice. For filing decisions, confirm with the IRS, your state revenue department, or a qualified professional.

Privacy

Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your salary and raise numbers are never sent to a server, stored, or shared.

Update log

• 2026-06-13 — State income tax live for all 51 jurisdictions (9 no-tax + 42 taxing).
• 2026-06-12 — Per-state 2026 legislative changes verified against state DOR / enacted bills.
• 2026-06-11 — 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and FICA wage base verified.

Questions about our methodology? Email [email protected]. See also our about page and disclaimer.