Headline vignette: 5% raise on $100,000, single filer, tax year 2026.
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📈2026 · 5% raise · 3.5% CPI-U
Real raise by state 2026
A 5% raise on $100,000 is only about +0.9% real in Alaska after tax and inflation — and thinner in high-tax states like California. Ranked for all 50 states.
By Sammy S. · Founder · Author
+0.9%
Best · Alaska
+0.6%
Lowest · California
3.5%
CPI-U (BLS)
50
States ranked
Key finding
A 5% raise is only a fraction after tax + inflation
A 5% raise on $100,000 keeps about 0.9% of real purchasing power in Texas vs 0.6% in California after tax and 3.5% CPI-U (2026). 9 no-wage-tax states tie for best at ~+0.9%; thinnest: California (#50).
Updated 2026-08-07 · BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026) · single filer vignette
Key takeaways
BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026) — same CPI for every state so rankings isolate the state tax wedge.
9 no-wage-tax states tie for best real raise at about +0.9% (after-tax ~+4.4%).
Thinnest real raise: California at about +0.6% (tax drag ~0.9%).
Texas vs California: ~+0.9% real vs ~+0.6% real on the same 5% / $100k offer.
A typical 3% COLA is a real pay cut everywhere on this model at $100k — after-tax growth stays below 3.5% CPI-U.
Break-even for real growth (engine scan): about 4% nominal in Texas vs 4.3% in California at $100k.
BLS ECI private wages rose 3.1% over the year ending June 2026 — and fell 0.4% in constant dollars.
Take-home uses federal income tax + state income tax + employee FICA — not sales tax, property tax, or metro COL.
Raise-season snapshot
Best real raise
+0.9%
Alaska
Thinnest real raise
+0.6%
California
CPI-U used
3.5%
Core 2.6% · BLS Jun 2026
ECI private wages
+3.1%
Constant $ -0.4%
Texas vs California: +0.9% real vs +0.6% real on the same 5% / $100k offer. 9 no-wage-tax states tie at the top (~+0.9%).
Highest real raise
- #1Alaska+0.9%
- #2Florida+0.9%
- #3Nevada+0.9%
- #4New Hampshire+0.9%
- #5South Dakota+0.9%
Lowest real raise
- #50California+0.6%
- #49Vermont+0.7%
- #48New Jersey+0.7%
- #47Maine+0.8%
- #46South Carolina+0.8%
All 50 states — real raise ranking 2026
5% raise on $100,000 · ranked by real raise after tax + 3.5% CPI-U
| # | State | After-tax raise | Real raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alaska (AK) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 2 |  Florida (FL) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 3 |  Nevada (NV) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 4 |  New Hampshire (NH) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 5 |  South Dakota (SD) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 6 |  Tennessee (TN) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 7 |  Texas (TX) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 8 |  Washington (WA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 9 |  Wyoming (WY) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 10 |  Arizona (AZ) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 11 |  Indiana (IN) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 12 |  Kentucky (KY) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 13 |  Louisiana (LA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 14 |  Pennsylvania (PA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 15 |  Arkansas (AR) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 16 |  Colorado (CO) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 17 |  Illinois (IL) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 18 |  Iowa (IA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 19 |  Michigan (MI) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 20 |  North Carolina (NC) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 21 |  Utah (UT) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 22 |  Georgia (GA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 23 |  Idaho (ID) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 24 |  Massachusetts (MA) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 25 |  Alabama (AL) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 26 |  Mississippi (MS) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 27 |  Kansas (KS) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 28 |  Ohio (OH) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 29 |  Oklahoma (OK) | +4.4% | +0.9% |
| 30 |  Maryland (MD) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 31 |  North Dakota (ND) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 32 |  Oregon (OR) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 33 |  Missouri (MO) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 34 |  Montana (MT) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 35 |  Nebraska (NE) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 36 |  Virginia (VA) | +4.4% | +0.8% |
| 37 |  New Mexico (NM) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 38 |  New York (NY) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 39 |  Wisconsin (WI) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 40 |  Hawaii (HI) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 41 |  Delaware (DE) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 42 |  Connecticut (CT) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 43 |  Rhode Island (RI) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 44 |  West Virginia (WV) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 45 |  Minnesota (MN) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 46 |  South Carolina (SC) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 47 |  Maine (ME) | +4.3% | +0.8% |
| 48 |  New Jersey (NJ) | +4.3% | +0.7% |
| 49 |  Vermont (VT) | +4.2% | +0.7% |
| 50 |  California (CA) | +4.1% | +0.6% |
Compare two states side by side
Pick any pair for a head-to-head page: after-tax raise, real raise, tax drag, and the break-even nominal raise in each state.
Compare any two states
Real raise on a 5% offer at $100,000, after tax and 3.5% CPI-U.
What this real-raise ranking covers
Nominal raise
5% on $100,000
After-tax raise
Take-home growth after federal + state + FICA
Inflation
BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026)
Real raise
After-tax raise adjusted for CPI-U
What “real raise” means here
We convert a 5% nominal raise into (1) after-tax take-home growth and (2) inflation-adjusted real growth using BLS CPI-U.
Federal brackets and FICA are the same in every state. State income tax is what changes the after-tax raise percentage.
Example: on $100,000, a 5% raise grows take-home by about +4.4% in Texas vs +4.1% in California — before CPI.
Why a 5% raise is never a full 5% in your paycheck
Extra dollars of salary are taxed at your marginal federal rate, plus employee FICA: Social Security 6.2% (wage base $184,500 in 2026) and Medicare 1.45% (IRS Topic 751).
Progressive high-tax states often show a larger tax drag on the raise dollars than no-wage-tax states.
In California, tax drag on the 5% / $100k vignette is about 0.9% — leaving an after-tax raise near +4.1%.
How inflation turns an after-tax raise into a real raise
We use BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026). Real raise % = ((1 + after-tax raise %) ÷ (1 + inflation %)) − 1.
Core inflation (BLS CPI-U less food & energy +2.6% (12 months ending June 2026)) is lower than headline all-items; we use headline CPI-U so the vignette matches the figure most raise-season articles cite.
With after-tax raise ~+4.1% and CPI 3.5%, California’s real raise is only about +0.6% — still a gain, but far thinner than the 5% offer letter.
Why a 3% COLA fails this test in 2026
On our $100k single-filer model, a 3% raise produces after-tax growth below 3.5% in every state — so real raise is negative everywhere.
BLS ECI private industry wages rose only 3.1% over the year ending June 2026, and constant-dollar wages fell 0.4% (USDL-26-1270).
California needs roughly a 4.3% nominal raise at $100k just to clear CPI after tax on this model; no-wage-tax states clear slightly sooner.
Why nine states tie at the top
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming levy no wage income tax, so their after-tax raise percentages match on this federal + FICA model.
Washington still taxes some capital gains (Tax Foundation 2026), but wage ladders here treat it like other no-wage-tax states.
A paycheck win still is not a full budget win — sales tax, property tax, and housing can offset income-tax savings.
How to use this ranking in raise season
Compare the real % across states if you can choose where to live or work remotely.
Use the pay raise calculator for paycheck dollars, then this page for the tax + CPI reality check.
For city cost of living, pair with the relocation salary calculator — CPI is national, not metro-specific.
Worked examples — verified against the 2026 paycheck engine
Texas · 5% on $100k (#7)
A 5% raise on $100,000 in Texas is only about 0.9% after tax and 3.5% CPI-U inflation (2026). Take-home $79,180 → $82,698 (+$3,518).
California · 5% on $100k (#50)
A 5% raise on $100,000 in California is only about 0.6% after tax and 3.5% CPI-U inflation (2026). Take-home $72,794 → $75,781 (+$2,988).
New York · 5% on $100k (#38)
After-tax raise +4.3%; real raise +0.8% after 3.5% CPI-U.
3% COLA stress test
Texas after-tax +2.7% → real -0.8%. California after-tax +2.5% → real -1.0%. Both are real pay cuts vs 3.5% CPI-U.
Break-even nominal raise ($100k)
Smallest modeled raise with real growth > 0: Texas ~4%, California ~4.3% (0.1% scan).
Official inputs
BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026). FICA 6.2% / 1.45% (IRS Topic 751). ECI private wages 3.1% YoY (BLS June 2026).
Raise-season planning tips
Ask for the after-tax story
A 5% offer letter is not a 5% raise in take-home. Share the after-tax and real % from your state page.
Don’t treat 3% as inflation protection
With CPI-U at 3.5%, a 3% COLA is a real cut on our $100k model in every state.
Know your break-even
At $100k single, real growth starts around 4% nominal in Texas and 4.3% in California on this engine.
Separate CPI from metro COL
National CPI does not equal San Francisco or Miami rent. Pair this ranking with the relocation calculator.
Watch FICA on the raise dollars
Employee FICA is 6.2% + 1.45% on most of a mid-career raise (IRS Topic 751) — before state tax.
Benchmark the market
BLS ECI private wages rose 3.1% YoY through June 2026; constant-dollar wages fell 0.4%. A raise near that median may still lose purchasing power after tax.
Before you accept (or counter) a raise
Convert offer % → take-home $
Run current and new salary through the US paycheck calculator for your filing status.
Subtract CPI
Apply 3.5% CPI-U (or your employer’s stated index) with the real-wage formula.
Name the raise type
COLA, merit, and market adjustment are different — a 3% COLA is not the same as a 3% merit raise in a 3.5% CPI year.
Check domicile rules
Remote workers: confirm which state’s income tax applies before assuming a no-tax ranking.
Document sources
Cite BLS CPI / ECI and your state page when sharing a “real raise” figure with managers or journalists.
Not tax advice
Verify current brackets with IRS Publication 15 / your state revenue department before making a move or counteroffer.
How to read these rankings
1
Start with the headline vignette
Read the $100k / 5% / 3.5% CPI table ranked by real raise %.
2
Open your state
See take-home before and after, tax drag, break-even raise, and the shareable one-liner.
3
Stress-test a 3% COLA
Confirm whether a typical cost-of-living adjustment is a real pay cut after tax + CPI.
4
Scan salary and raise bands
Check whether a 10% raise, or a different salary, changes the story.
5
Personalize
Model your filing status in the paycheck calculator; check CPI history in the inflation salary tool.
Who this helps
Fits well when
- Workers comparing a raise offer across states or remote tax domiciles.
- People who want a shareable “real raise” number for raise-season posts.
- Anyone separating paycheck growth from purchasing-power growth.
- Managers or HR checking whether a 3% COLA actually clears inflation after tax.
- Readers who already use our pay raise or inflation calculators and want the state tax layer.
Use another tool when
- You need married filing jointly, dependents, or itemized deductions — use the US paycheck calculator.
- You need city wage tax (e.g. NYC) in the default vignette.
- You need metro-specific inflation — use relocation / COL tools; CPI-U here is national.
- You only need gross raise dollars per paycheck — use the pay raise calculator.
- You are ranking total household tax (income + property + sales) — use household tax by state.
Glossary
Nominal raise
The offer-letter percentage — 5% in our headline vignette — before taxes or inflation.
After-tax raise
Percent growth in modeled take-home (federal + state income tax + employee FICA) when gross rises by the nominal raise.
Tax drag
Nominal raise % minus after-tax raise % — how much of the raise the tax wedge absorbs.
Real raise
After-tax raise adjusted for CPI-U using ((1+after-tax)/(1+inflation))−1. Uses 3.5% for this 2026 table.
CPI-U
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (BLS). We cite the 12-month all-items change ending June 2026 (+3.5%).
Core CPI
BLS CPI-U less food & energy +2.6% (12 months ending June 2026). Shown for context; rankings use headline all-items CPI-U.
ECI wages
BLS Employment Cost Index wages & salaries for private industry: +3.1% current dollar and -0.4% constant dollar over the year ending June 2026.
FICA
Employee Social Security (6.2% to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%) — IRS Topic 751; same in every state.
Break-even raise
Smallest nominal raise % that still produces positive real raise after the tax wedge and CPI on our single-filer model.
Related tools
Real raise by province
Canada parallel — 5% on $100k CAD vs StatCan CPI
Pay raise calculator
Gross new salary and per-paycheck dollars
Inflation salary calculator
CPI purchasing power over time
$100k take-home by state
Ranked net pay on a fixed $100k salary
State tax compare
Side-by-side take-home corridors
US paycheck calculator
Model your filing status and deductions
Promotion impact
Raise + title change total impact
Frequently asked questions
We take a 5% nominal raise on $100,000, compute how much take-home grows after federal tax, state tax, and FICA, then adjust that after-tax raise for BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026). The result is the real (purchasing-power) raise percentage.
BLS CPI-U +3.5% (12 months ending June 2026) (USDL-26-1191). Core CPI (BLS CPI-U less food & energy +2.6% (12 months ending June 2026)) is noted for context but not used in the ranking. The same national CPI figure is applied to every state so rankings isolate state tax differences.
The extra salary is taxed at your marginal rates. Employee Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500 (2026) and Medicare is 1.45% (IRS Topic 751). Progressive state income tax can clip more of the raise dollars than a no-wage-tax state.
On our $100k single-filer model, 9 no-wage-tax states tie at about +0.9% real (after-tax raise +4.4%): Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. California ranks last at about +0.6%.
At $100k with a 5% raise, Texas shows about +0.9% real vs California about +0.6% real after the same 3.5% CPI-U. After-tax raise is roughly +4.4% in Texas vs +4.1% in California.
Not on this model. A 3% raise at $100k yields about +2.5% after tax in California (and similar elsewhere) — below 3.5% CPI-U — so real raise is negative in all 50 states. BLS ECI private wages rose 3.1% YoY through June 2026, with constant-dollar wages down 0.4%.
On our $100k single-filer scan (0.1% steps), real growth turns positive around 4% nominal in Texas and 4.3% in California. Your filing status and deductions can move that threshold.
No. Employee FICA rates are federal (IRS Topic 751): Social Security 6.2% to the $184,500 wage base for 2026, Medicare 1.45%. Moving states does not change those rates.
BLS ECI private industry wages & salaries rose 3.1% over the 12 months ending June 2026, while constant-dollar wages fell 0.4% (USDL-26-1270). That market median is before your personal tax wedge — which is why a “market” raise can still be a real cut.
The pay raise calculator shows gross new salary and per-paycheck dollars without tax. This page adds the state tax wedge and CPI so you can quote a real raise %. Use both together.
State profiles include bands at $60k–$150k and 3% / 5% / 10% raises, plus a break-even raise estimate. For a custom filing status, use the US paycheck calculator with before/after salaries.
No. Real raise here is paycheck purchasing power vs national CPI, not a full household budget. Sales tax, property tax, and housing appear on other hubs.
When states levy $0 wage income tax, federal tax + FICA dominate the wedge — so after-tax and real raise percentages match on this vignette. That is why 9 states share the #1 real-raise figure.
When BLS publishes a new CPI summary that changes the 12-month all-items rate we cite, we update REAL_RAISE_INFLATION_PCT and refresh the rankings. ECI context and tax rules update with the same official releases and our shared US paycheck engine.
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