Pay against the cost of living: is your raise keeping up?
Is this you?
Your pay rose less than your bills, or you have not had a raise in a year. Your free Market Reality Assessment shows what the market pays for your role and how to ask for it.
By Justin KullaLast updated
Signs this is you
- Your last raise was smaller than the rise in rent, groceries or insurance.
- You have been in your role a year or more without a pay conversation.
- You suspect you are paid below the market but have no number to take into the room.
In the news
No stories on this yet. New ones appear here as they are published; the news page has everything so far.
The numbers
+3.0%
Average hourly earnings, last 12 months
All private-sector employees
+3.7%
Consumer prices, last 12 months
CPI-U, all items
−0.7 pts
Prices are ahead of pay
Pay change minus price change
Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026, seasonally adjusted. These are national averages for all workers, not white-collar roles or your city.
In your favor
A market number changes the conversation
A raise request that names what comparable roles pay, in your area and at your level, is harder to wave off than one based on effort or tenure.
Moving is often the biggest raise
Pay set at hiring tends to reflect today’s market, while raises inside a company follow a budget. Knowing your outside value shows which path pays more.
Watch for
Averages hide your situation
The national figures are across all workers. Your field, your city and your level can run well above or below them, so use them as context, not as your number.
Housing and insurance can outrun the index
The overall price index blends many things. If your biggest bills are rent and premiums, check those categories rather than the headline.
Go deeper
Other journeys: Your rights at work and on the way out, Benefits that matter, Side hustles and second incomes