Salary Inflation Calculator

Is my salary keeping up with inflation? Nominal pay has risen for many workers, but cumulative inflation since 2020 has eaten a lot of those gains. The only way to know where you stand is to compare your pay across years in real terms — what your past salary would be worth in today’s dollars, and whether your raises have matched or beaten inflation. Our article Wages vs. Prices: Where the Squeeze Is Real breaks down who’s ahead, who’s behind, and why the middle class is squeezed.

How much of a raise do I need in 2026? Use the calculator below. Enter your current (or past) salary and the two years you care about. We’ll show the inflation-adjusted equivalent and the raise you’d need to keep the same purchasing power. Then you can take that number into your review — or use it to see how far behind (or ahead) you’ve fallen.