$50,000 salary in 2000 has the buying power of $97,833.91 today

How do I tell if my raise beat inflation?

Enter your current pay above and compare it with the pay needed to keep up. If you earn more than that, your pay buys more than it used to; if you earn less, it buys less. A raise tells you how much your paycheck grew; to see whether it beat inflation, adjust it for how much prices rose:

Pay growth after inflation = ((new pay ÷ starting pay) ÷ (ending CPI ÷ starting CPI) − 1) × 100.

Can a raise still leave me worse off?

Yes. For example, a 4% raise from $50,000 to $52,000 during a hypothetical 5% rise in prices falls short of the $52,500 needed. Pay growth after inflation is (1.04 ÷ 1.05 − 1) × 100 = −0.95%, and you're $500 a year short. Simply subtracting 4% − 5% = −1% gets you close, but isn't exact.

Does this work for hourly wages?

Yes. Enter hourly rates instead of annual salaries, such as $20 and $22; the same inflation adjustment applies. Keep working hours in mind: more hours can raise total income even when the hourly rate loses purchasing power.

What if my spending is different from the average household's?

This calculator uses the official CPI, which is based on an average household's spending. If you spend more on things like rent, gas, or childcare, your prices may have risen faster or slower. The personal inflation calculator estimates your own inflation rate from your budget.

Does this compare salaries between cities or after taxes?

No. This uses national inflation over time, not differences in local living costs. It compares gross pay before taxes, and does not account for benefits, bonuses, or changes in hours. Use comparable gross pay figures for both years. Comparisons use yearly CPI averages, so the latest year's figure is provisional and updates as new CPI data arrives.