How the calculation works
In plain text
S_new = S × (1 + p) Per paycheck = (S_new - S) ÷ (n)
What a raise really adds
A raise is a percentage added to your salary. It looks simple, but the cash difference can feel smaller than the percentage suggests, because your taxes and deductions also rise with the bigger pay.
Seeing the raise in dollars for each paycheck makes it easier to plan around it.
How to use it
Current salary. Enter your yearly pay before tax, as it appears in your contract or offer.
Raise percentage. Enter the increase as a percentage of your current salary.
Paychecks per year. Enter how many paychecks you receive in a year. Biweekly pay is the most common schedule.
How the calculation works
The new salary is your current salary plus the raise percentage of that salary. The yearly increase is the difference between the new and current salary. Each paycheck gets its share of the increase, which is the yearly increase divided by the number of paychecks.
Reading the result
The numbers are before tax. A higher salary can move you into a higher tax bracket, so the take-home increase is usually smaller than the gross increase. A take home calculator can show the after-tax effect.
Questions to ask about a raise
Ask whether the raise starts right away or on a later date, and whether it applies to your base pay or to a bonus. Some raises are paid as a lump sum rather than spread over the year, and that changes how the money arrives.