Average Raise Percentage in 2026

The most reliable measure of the average US raise is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index, which put wages and salaries for private industry workers up 3.1% over the 12 months ending June 2026. Over a broadly comparable period, consumer prices rose 3.5%. After adjusting for inflation, BLS reported that private-sector wages and salaries fell 0.4% — so the average raise actually lost ground in real terms.

The current numbers

The wage figures and the inflation figures cover slightly different periods, because the two releases run on different schedules — the ECI is quarterly, the CPI is monthly. That is why the honest real-wage number to quote is BLS’s own inflation-adjusted series (−0.4%) rather than subtracting one headline from the other yourself.

“Average raise” means three different things

Most of the conflicting figures you will find come down to people quoting different measures as though they were the same one. There are three, and they answer different questions.

1. Actual wage growth across the economy. This is the Employment Cost Index. It tracks what employers actually pay for the same mix of jobs, so it is not distorted by hiring shifting toward higher- or lower-paid roles. It is the closest thing to a true national average, and it is the 3.1% figure above.

2. Planned salary-increase budgets. Consultancies such as Mercer, WTW, and organisations like SHRM survey employers each year on what they intend to set aside for raises. These are forecasts of budget, not measurements of pay, and they usually separate a smaller merit pool from a larger total increase pool that also covers promotions and market adjustments. They are useful for knowing what your employer is likely working with, but they are projections, and they are typically published behind a registration wall.

3. What an individual actually received. This is the number you care about, and no national average captures it. Your raise depends on your industry, your employer’s budget, your performance rating, whether you changed jobs, and where you live.

Average raise vs inflation: the number that matters

A raise only makes you better off if it outpaces prices. On the most recent BLS figures, it did not: inflation-adjusted wages and salaries for private industry workers fell 0.4% over the year to June 2026.

That is the reason a 3% raise can feel like a pay cut. If prices rose 3.5% and your pay rose 3%, your purchasing power fell by roughly half a percent even though the number on your payslip went up.

The correct way to compare them is as a ratio, not a subtraction:

Real raise = (1 + raise %) ÷ (1 + inflation %) − 1

On a 3% raise against 3.5% inflation, that gives roughly −0.48% — a small real-terms loss. Subtracting the two would have told you −0.5%, which is close enough at these levels but drifts noticeably once either number gets large.

Is your raise above or below average?

Enter your own pay and raise below. The calculator shows the new salary, the change per paycheck, and — if you enter the current inflation rate from the CPI figure above — whether the raise leaves you ahead in real terms.

Why your raise may look nothing like the average

Changing jobs. Moving employer has historically produced larger increases than staying put, because an external offer is priced against the current market rather than against your existing salary.

Promotions. A promotion is usually budgeted separately from the annual review pool, which is why promotion increases routinely run well above the merit figure.

Industry and occupation. The national average blends every sector. BLS publishes ECI breakdowns by occupational group and industry, so you can find a figure closer to your own work rather than relying on the headline.

Union and public-sector agreements. Collective agreements often set increases years in advance, so they can lag or lead the private-sector average depending on when the contract was signed.

Cost-of-living adjustments. A COLA is designed to hold your purchasing power flat, not to increase it. If your entire raise is a COLA, matching inflation is the intended outcome rather than a disappointment.

How to check the current figure yourself

Both series are published free by BLS, and they are the primary sources every article on this topic is ultimately quoting.

• Employment Cost Index summary — quarterly. Released in late January, April, July, and October.
• Consumer Price Index summary — monthly, usually mid-month.

In the ECI release, the figure most people mean by “the average raise” is the 12-month, not-seasonally-adjusted change in wages and salaries for private industry workers. In the CPI release, it is the 12-month change in the all-items index before seasonal adjustment.

Common questions

What is a good raise percentage?

Against the current figures, anything clearly above 3.1% puts you ahead of the national average for wage growth, and anything above roughly 3.5% keeps your purchasing power intact. Below that, your pay is rising while your buying power slips.

Is a 3% raise good?

It is close to the current average but, on the most recent inflation reading, slightly behind it in real terms. It is the standard shape of an annual cost-of-living or merit increase rather than a reward for exceptional performance. See exactly what a 3% raise is worth on your salary.

What is the average raise when changing jobs?

Larger than the average for staying, because an offer is benchmarked against the external market. The size varies widely by role and by how tight the labour market is, so treat any single national figure for this with caution.

Why does my raise feel smaller than the percentage suggests?

Two reasons. The raise is added to gross pay and then taxed at your marginal rate, so the visible increase on your payslip is a smaller percentage than the raise itself. And it is spread across every paycheck in the year, so a meaningful annual sum can look modest fortnightly.

Do these figures apply outside the United States?

No. The ECI and CPI are US series. Other countries publish their own equivalents, and the calculators on this site assume US pay periods and conventions.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index — June 2026 (USDL-26-1270), released 31 July 2026. bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index — June 2026 (USDL-26-1191), released 14 July 2026. bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm

Figures last checked 1 August 2026. The next Employment Cost Index release (September 2026 data) is scheduled for 30 October 2026, and the next Consumer Price Index release (July 2026 data) for 12 August 2026 — this page should be updated when each lands.

Related

• Work out the raise you need to keep up with inflation
• Calculate the percentage between two salaries
• How much is a 3% raise?
• How much is a 5% raise?