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Salary Growth Projection Calculator
Where will your salary be in 5, 10 or 20 years? Enter today's pay, your typical yearly raise, planned promotions and expected inflation to see your future salary, what it is worth in today's money and how much you will earn along the way.
Last updated:
Salary today
$/ yr
years
1 to 50
%
Merit / cost-of-living raise each year
% / yr
Used for salary in today's money
Promotions
Promotions
years
%
On top of the normal raise that year
Leave empty for no limit
One per line, e.g. 3: 12 means a 12% promotion in year 3
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Salary Growth Projection Calculator
- Enter your current salary and how many years to project.
- Enter your average yearly raise and the inflation rate you expect.
- Add promotions every few years, or list the years and raise sizes yourself.
- Press Project salary to see your future salary, real salary and total earnings.
- Download the table as CSV to plan further.
Salary growth formulas
- Future salary = salary × (1 + raise)years × (1 + promotion 1) × (1 + promotion 2) …
- In today's money = future salary ÷ (1 + inflation)years
- Effective growth rate = (final salary ÷ starting salary)1 ÷ years − 1
- Real growth rate ≈ (1 + effective growth) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1
- Years to double = ln 2 ÷ ln(1 + growth rate), roughly 72 ÷ growth % (the rule of 72)
How $60,000 grows at different raise rates
| Yearly raise | After 5 years | After 10 years | After 20 years | Doubles in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2% | $66,245 | $73,140 | $89,157 | 35.0 years |
| 3% | $69,556 | $80,635 | $108,367 | 23.4 years |
| 4% | $72,999 | $88,815 | $131,467 | 17.7 years |
| 5% | $76,577 | $97,734 | $159,198 | 14.2 years |
"After n years" means n raises have been applied: $60,000 × (1 + r)n.
Tips for faster salary growth
- Track your real raise: compare each raise with inflation for the same year.
- Negotiate at every move: a higher base at a promotion or new job compounds through every later raise.
- Build skills that are in demand: certifications and new responsibilities make a promotion case easier.
- Check the market every year or two; staying far below market pay is a common reason people switch jobs.
Frequently asked questions
How do I project my salary in the future?
Multiply your salary by (1 + raise) once for each year: future salary = salary × (1 + r)^years. With $60,000 and 3% yearly raises, year 20 pays $60,000 × 1.03^19 ≈ $105,200. Promotions multiply in an extra (1 + promotion %) in the years they happen.
What is salary in today's money?
It is the future salary divided by the growth in prices: real salary = future salary ÷ (1 + inflation)^years. If your raises only match inflation, your real salary stays flat even though the number on your paycheck grows.
What is a typical yearly raise?
Average merit budgets at U.S. employers have often been in the 3% to 4% range in recent years, while promotions commonly bring larger jumps of around 10% or more. Your own history is the best guide; enter the rate you actually expect.
Why include promotions separately?
Promotions and job changes usually drive most long-term salary growth. Modeling them separately shows how much of your career earnings come from moving up rather than from annual raises.
How is the effective growth rate calculated?
It is the compound annual growth rate from today's salary to the final one: (final ÷ start)^(1 ÷ years) − 1, which includes both raises and promotions. Real growth uses the inflation-adjusted final salary.
Is this before or after tax?
Before tax. Gross salary growth does not translate one-for-one into take-home pay, because higher income may fall into higher tax brackets and payroll taxes and benefit costs also change.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
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