Is your salary fair? Check your pay against the market.
You already have a number — a current salary, a recent raise, or a fresh offer. The only question is whether it's below market for what you actually do. Pick your role and city below for a typical range, see the inflation-adjusted view of your raise, and get draft talking points you can adapt for the conversation. Informational only — not financial or career advice.
Check my exact pay — $9.99Check pay by role and city
Start with one of the most-checked roles below, then narrow to your own city on the next page. Each page gives a typical range, the local pay premium, and the pay-gap traps specific to that role.
- Software Engineer pay in San Francisco, CA →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Senior Software Engineer pay in Seattle, WA →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Product Manager pay in New York, NY →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Data Scientist pay in Austin, TX →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Data Analyst pay in Chicago, IL →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Marketing Manager pay in Los Angeles, CA →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Account Executive pay in Boston, MA →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Registered Nurse pay in Houston, TX →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Teacher pay in Phoenix, AZ →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Accountant pay in Atlanta, GA →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Financial Analyst pay in Charlotte, NC →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- UX Designer pay in Denver, CO →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Project Manager pay in Dallas, TX →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Mechanical Engineer pay in Detroit, MI →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Electrician pay in Las Vegas, NV →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
- Truck Driver pay in Nashville, TN →Typical range, local premium, and what to watch for.
Different role or city? Run a check on your exact role, city, and pay — type it in plain English, no dropdown to fit into.
Salary & raise guides
Free plain-English walk-throughs of the questions that come up once you know your number: whether a raise is actually good, how to ask for more, and what the jargon on your offer really means.
What's the Average Raise Percentage in 2026?
What is the average raise percentage in 2026? The US average pay raise is about 3.8%, but it ranges from 0% to double digits depending on performance, industry, and whether it's a merit raise or a promotion. See the benchmarks and check where your number lands.
How to turn your performance review into a raise in 2026
Most performance reviews end with no raise. Here's how to prepare before, ask during, and follow up after to actually move your compensation at review time.
Overtime pay rules in 2026: what you're owed
Federal overtime rules in 2026: who qualifies, how it's calculated, the salary threshold for exempt status, and what to do if your employer is not paying correctly.
How to read a pay stub in 2026
Every line on your pay stub explained: gross pay, federal and state tax withholding, FICA, pre-tax deductions, and how to check your employer calculated it correctly.
How to ask for a promotion in 2026
How to ask for a promotion in 2026 -- when to ask, what to say, and how to make the case with evidence instead of tenure.
How to answer 'What are your salary expectations?'
The right answer to the salary expectations question in 2026 -- when to give a number, when to deflect, and how to anchor without underselling yourself.
Raise request email: templates and what to say in writing in 2026
Raise request email templates for 2026 — what to put in writing before a salary conversation, how to frame a raise request over email, what not to say, and the email formats that actually get a meeting on the calendar.
Average merit increase in 2026: what employers actually budget and what to expect
What is the average merit increase in 2026? Data from Mercer, WTW, and Aon on employer budgets by industry, how merit pay differs from cost-of-living raises, and how to use this data in a raise conversation.
What is total compensation? (2026 plain-English guide with worked examples)
A complete breakdown of total compensation in 2026 — base, bonus, equity, benefits, retirement match, health insurance value, and the math for comparing offers across companies and roles.
How to negotiate a signing bonus in 2026 (script, leverage, and clawback gotchas)
A complete 2026 guide to negotiating signing bonuses — when they're available, typical ranges by role and industry, the script for asking, and the clawback structures to avoid before signing.
Counter offer mistakes in 2026: the 8 ways negotiation fails (and how to avoid each)
A complete 2026 guide to the eight most common counter-offer mistakes — anchoring too low, conceding too fast, attacking instead of building, accepting verbal-only offers, and the specific scripts to avoid each.
Is a 3% Raise Good in 2026? (What the Data Actually Says)
Is a 3% raise good in 2026? We break down what 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 10%+ raises actually mean after inflation, with real math and salary examples.
How to Negotiate a Salary Offer in 2026 (Scripts + Market Data)
73% of employers expect you to negotiate. Here's exactly what to say — with scripts for countering, asking for more equity, and buying time — backed by 2026 market data.
Am I Underpaid? How to Check Your Salary Against 2026 Market Data
Am I underpaid in 2026? Use real salary data — not Glassdoor — to find out. A step-by-step method to benchmark your pay against market rate for your role, city, and level.
How to Ask for a Raise in 2026: Script, Timing & Salary Negotiation Playbook
How to ask for a raise in 2026 — a step-by-step raise script with salary negotiation tactics, market rate research, and what to say when your manager pushes back.
Is my raise actually good? The 3-number test every employee should run
How to evaluate a raise in 30 seconds — inflation-adjusted, market-adjusted, and peer-adjusted — plus sample talking points to adapt for your conversation.
Average Raise in 2026 — Is Yours Competitive? (Data by Industry & Role)
The average US raise in 2026 is 3.8%, but that hides huge variation. See benchmarks by industry, role, and performance rating — plus what to do if you're below market.
Find out where your pay really lands
One check, $9.99. Enter your role, city, experience, and pay — get a market range, an inflation-adjusted view, and draft talking points to adapt. No account, no subscription.
Get My Salary Benchmark — $9.99