What Is a Good Raise Percentage in 2026? (With Real Survey Data)

"Average raise" hides a lot of variation depending on why you're getting one. Here's how the major categories compare:

A single benchmark number doesn't answer the question by itself — context matters more than the raw percentage:

Compare it to inflation first

A 3% raise sounds fine until you check it against the inflation rate for the same period. If prices rose 3% too, your real (purchasing-power) raise is close to zero — you're earning the same number of goods and services as before, just with a bigger paycheck number. A raise below inflation is a pay cut you won't notice until your budget tightens.

Compare it to your performance tier, not the company average

If your company gave a company-wide average of 3.5% but you were rated as a top performer, a raise anywhere near that average is below what similar high performers received elsewhere (typically 5%+). Conversely, if you're in a role the company is actively trying to retain — skilled trades and technical/AI-adjacent roles have shown above-average wage growth in 2026 — a below-average raise is a weaker signal than it looks.

Compare it to what a job change would pay

Raises from staying in place have consistently lagged the pay bump associated with changing employers. If your raise is well under 5% and you're several years into the role, it's worth benchmarking your market rate before assuming your current raise reflects it.

If your raise feels smaller than a few years ago, that's not just perception. Salary increase budgets spiked during 2021–2023 amid a historically tight labor market, then began a gradual pullback that has now stabilized. 2026 marks the third consecutive year of relatively flat budgets — most surveyed employers report 2026 merit and total budgets essentially matching 2025's actual spend, rather than growing.

The most-cited reasons employers give for holding budgets flat: general economic uncertainty, a labor market that has cooled from its post-pandemic tightness, and a shift toward targeted rather than across-the-board raises — directing more budget toward specific high-demand skills instead of spreading it evenly. Notably, most employers still say they distribute raises roughly equally despite stating that priority, which surveyors have flagged as a disconnect between stated strategy and actual practice.