Raise Impact Calculator

How this calculator works

Step 1 — New annual salary

For a percentage raise, the new annual salary is: current salary × (1 + raise% ÷ 100). For a flat dollar raise, it is simply current salary + raise amount. The equivalent percentage is shown so you can compare both inputs on equal footing.

Step 2 — Per-paycheck gross

Each salary is divided by the number of pay periods per year using exact arithmetic — annual ÷ 26 for biweekly, ÷ 52 for weekly, ÷ 24 for semi-monthly, ÷ 12 for monthly. No intermediate rounding is applied before the FICA calculation.

Step 3 — FICA on the new gross

Social Security is 6.2% of FICA-taxable wages up to the 2026 annual wage base of $184,500 (source: SSA Contribution and Benefit Base). Medicare is 1.45% on all FICA-taxable wages with no ceiling, per IRS Publication 15 (Circular E).

Section 125 deductions (health, dental, vision, FSA, HSA) reduce FICA-taxable wages, so they lower both the before and after Social Security and Medicare amounts. Your benefits premium doesn’t change when you get a raise — entering it here lets the calculator compute FICA on the correct taxable base instead of the full gross.

401(k) pre-tax contributions reduce your federal taxable income but do not reduce FICA-taxable wages. Including them shifts the estimated net take-home down equally in both columns — so the change column still shows your true raise impact.

Step 4 — The "Change" column

Each row’s Change value is simply After minus Before. For gross pay and net take-home, a positive change is income you gain. For FICA rows, a negative change means more tax is withheld — a natural consequence of earning more, not a miscalculation.

What this calculator doesn’t cover

A raise also changes how much federal and state income tax is withheld each paycheck — potentially pushing you into a higher marginal bracket or adjusting your W-4 withholding. Those calculations depend on your filing status, exemptions, and state of residence, and are explicitly out of scope here. The net take-home numbers shown are estimates based on FICA alone.

If your total annual earnings approach the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the Social Security tax shown may overstate mid-year amounts once you’ve hit the cap. Use the Paycheck Take-Home Calculator (which accepts YTD wages) for a mid-year view.

Last reviewed: June 2026