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Paycheck Inflation Adjustment Calculator

See what your salary is really worth after inflation, and the raise you need just to keep the same buying power.

Current salary

Annual inflation rate

Years

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How it works

Real value = salary ÷ (1 + inflation)^years

Inflation erodes what each dollar buys. If your pay stays flat, its real value falls every year. The "salary needed" figure is what you would have to earn just to stand still against rising prices.

Worked example

At 3.5% inflation, $60,000 has the buying power of about $54,100 after 3 years.

Frequently asked questions

Is a raise below inflation a pay cut?

In real terms, yes. If prices rise 4% and your raise is 2%, your buying power drops about 2%.

What inflation rate should I use?

Use your country’s recent CPI as a starting point, or a long-run average of around 2–4% for planning.

Related calculators

Inflation Calculator

See what inflation does to purchasing power: project an amount at a fixed rate, convert dollars between any two years from 1913 to 2025 with US CPI data, or find the average inflation rate between two prices.

Salary Raise Percentage Calculator

Work out your raise as a percentage, or your new pay from a raise percentage or amount, with hourly, weekly, biweekly, monthly and annual figures, the real raise after inflation, the after-tax gain and a multi-year salary projection.

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Calculator

Apply a cost-of-living adjustment to a salary, pension or Social Security benefit: the new amount, the raise per month and per year, several years of COLAs, the COLA from two CPI values, net pay after Medicare Part B and the real change against inflation. Includes the 2027 Social Security COLA of 3.6%.

This is an educational estimate, not financial advice. Confirm exact figures with your lender, employer or a licensed advisor.