How to use the calculator
- Enter your salary then and the year you earned it.
- Enter your salary now. Leave the year on Now to use the latest prices, or pick a past year.
- Read the real change: above zero means your pay buys more than it did, below zero means less.
How it is calculated
salary needed now = salary then × CPI(now) / CPI(then)
real change = salary now / salary needed − 1
raise needed = CPI(now) / CPI(then) − 1The calculator uses the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with yearly averages for past years and the latest month for “Now”. Use the same kind of figure for both salaries: both before tax, or both after tax.
Example: $50,000 salaries in today’s money
| $50,000 in | Same buying power in Sep 2026 | Raise needed |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | $83,570 | +67.1% |
| 2016 | $70,194 | +40.4% |
| 2021 | $62,173 | +24.3% |
So someone who earned $50,000 in 2016 and earns $65,000 now has had a 30% raise but a real pay cut of about 7.4%: their pay buys less than it did. The 2021–2023 price surge means many raises that felt generous did not keep up.
Using the result
- In a pay review: the raise needed to keep up is the number to beat for a real raise.
- Comparing job offers across years: put both salaries in the same year’s money first.
- Other prices: the historical inflation calculator converts any amount between two months since 1913.
Why your own inflation may differ
The CPI measures the average price change of a basket of goods and services bought by urban households. Your own costs can rise faster or slower:
- Housing: renters who moved, or homeowners with a new mortgage, often saw costs rise faster than the index. A fixed-rate mortgage keeps one of your largest costs flat.
- Where you live: prices rise at different speeds in different cities and regions.
- What you buy: healthcare, childcare and education have often risen faster than the overall index, while electronics have become cheaper.
So use the result as a benchmark, and compare it with how your own spending has changed.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my raise beat inflation?
Compare your raise with the rise in consumer prices over the same period. If prices rose 40% and your salary rose 30%, your real pay fell by about 7%: 1.30 ÷ 1.40 − 1.
What is a real raise?
The change in your pay after inflation: how much more, or less, your salary can buy than before. The calculator shows it in total, in dollars a year and per year.
How much do I need to earn now to match an old salary?
Multiply the old salary by CPI now ÷ CPI then. For example, $50,000 in 2016 needs about $70,200 in September 2026 prices.
Which inflation data does the calculator use?
The US CPI-U for all items from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: yearly averages for past years and the latest published month for Now.
Should I use gross or net salary?
Either, as long as both salaries are the same kind. Gross salary is easier to compare because tax rules change over time.
Can I put this calculator on my website?
Yes. It is free for any site. Use the embed code generator at the bottom of this page, copy the code and paste it into your page. Please keep the credit line with the two links under the calculator.
Related calculators
- Historical Inflation CalculatorWhat an amount from any year or month since 1913 is worth in another, from official US CPI data.
- Inflation CalculatorWhat things will cost in the future and how much of its value your money loses.
- Cash vs Inflation CalculatorHow cash in a money market fund or earning nothing did against inflation, month by month since 1954.
- Millionaire CalculatorThe month your savings reach $1 million, and what $1 million will be worth by then.
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Add this calculator to your website
The calculator is free to embed on any website, personal or commercial, and works on WordPress, Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Ghost and plain HTML. Choose the options, copy the code and paste it into your page.
Preview: this is how the calculator and the credit line will look on your page
Free for personal and commercial websites. Please keep the “by Quotelinks” credit line under the calculator visible and unchanged, and don’t modify the calculator or present it as your own. The <script> line is optional: it sizes the frame to fit the calculator; if your platform removes scripts, the calculator still works at the fixed height. Based on the US CPI-U, yearly averages. Your own costs may rise faster or slower than the index. For illustration only, not financial or career advice.