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Salary vs. Inflation

A nominal raise feels good — but did it outpace inflation? Enter your salaries and metro area to see whether your real purchasing power went up, stayed flat, or quietly declined.

Data: BLS CPI-U | Metro inflation: 2025 annual average (M13) | Last updated: September 2026

Enter Your Salaries

Last Year's Salary

$

This Year's Salary

$

Your Metro Area

Inflation by Metro during Last Year (2025)

The following inflation rates are based on 2025 average inflation from BLS CPI-U.

🇺🇸 National+2.6%

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell+1.7%

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson+3.1%

Boston-Cambridge-Newton+3.1%

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin+3.1%

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington+1.3%

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood+2.3%

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn+1.7%

East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)+2.9%

East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)+2.9%

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land+1.3%

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim+3.2%

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach+2.6%

Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)+3.1%

Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington+2.3%

Mountain (NV, NM, UT, WY, AZ, CO, ID, MT)+2%

New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)+3.2%

New York-Newark-Jersey City+3.4%

Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)+3%

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington+3.2%

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale+1.2%

San Diego-Carlsbad+3.8%

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward+2.2%

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue+2.4%

South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)+2.4%

St. Louis+2.4%

Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater+2.7%

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria+2.2%

West North Central (NE, ND, SD, IA, KS, MN, MO)+2.5%

West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)+1.7%

What Is a "Real" Raise?

A nominal raise is the percentage increase in your paycheck. A real raise adjusts for inflation — it tells you whether your actual purchasing power increased. If your salary went up 3% but local inflation ran at 4%, your real raise was -1%. You took home more dollars but could buy less. Metro inflation is based on the BLS CPI-U annual average for 2025.

Salary Analysis by Amount

See a detailed inflation breakdown for specific salary levels.

$40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $75,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $200,000

Salary Analysis by City

See how a specific salary holds up against local inflation and rent costs in major U.S. cities.