$3 an Hour Pay Raise Calculator
What a $3 an hour raise is worth: $6,240 a year at 40 hours, plus the per-paycheck and after-tax figures.
Compare another percentage, dollar increase or new salary with the pay raise calculator.
How to calculate a pay raise of $3 an hour
The calculator above is preset to $3 an hour, so all you do is enter your current pay rate and the hours you work in a normal week. To calculate a pay raise the other way round, change the type of raise to a percentage, or switch the pay period and enter your current salary as a weekly, monthly or annual figure instead.
Everything updates as you type, and the two panels under the inputs subtract federal tax and FICA or compare the raise with inflation.
How much is $3 an hour raise?
A $3 hourly increase adds $6,240 per year at 40 paid hours a week for 52 weeks, or $240 per bi-weekly paycheck before deductions. It represents 20% on a $15 rate, 15% on $20, 12% on $25 and 10% on $30.
New pay and new salary after a $3 an hour raise
At $20 an hour a $3 raise is a percentage increase of 15.0% , taking a $41,600 annual salary to $47,840 — an annual increase of $6,240 in earnings. That raise percentage falls as the hourly wage rises, which is why the same dollar amount is a very different raise at $15 and at $40 an hour.
| Current rate | New rate | As a % | Extra per year | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12.00/hr | $15.00/hr | 25.0% | +$6,240.00 | $5,084.64 |
| $15.00/hr | $18.00/hr | 20.0% | +$6,240.00 | $5,013.84 |
| $18.00/hr | $21.00/hr | 16.7% | +$6,240.00 | $5,013.84 |
| $20.00/hr | $23.00/hr | 15.0% | +$6,240.00 | $5,013.84 |
| $25.00/hr | $28.00/hr | 12.0% | +$6,240.00 | $5,013.84 |
| $30.00/hr | $33.00/hr | 10.0% | +$6,240.00 | $4,799.84 |
| $40.00/hr | $43.00/hr | 7.5% | +$6,240.00 | $4,389.84 |
What a $3 raise is worth at your hours
Compare a $3 hourly increase with a $5,000 annual increase. At 40 hours and 52 weeks, $3 an hour adds $6,240; at 30 hours it adds $4,680. The hourly option exceeds $5,000 only above about 1,666.67 paid hours a year. Check the work schedule before comparing the two amounts.
| Hours per week | Hours per year | Extra per year | Extra per bi-weekly check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours | 1,040 | +$3,120.00 | +$120.00 |
| 25 hours | 1,300 | +$3,900.00 | +$150.00 |
| 30 hours | 1,560 | +$4,680.00 | +$180.00 |
| 35 hours | 1,820 | +$5,460.00 | +$210.00 |
| 40 hours | 2,080 | +$6,240.00 | +$240.00 |
Net pay: what you keep from a $3 raise per paycheck
The annual figures above are gross. In these examples, employee Social Security and Medicare total 7.65%, and additional federal income tax also applies. Other income levels can cross the Social Security cap or the Additional Medicare threshold. For a single filer on a $20 rate, with 40 hours, 52 paid weeks, no other income, no state tax and no retirement contribution, the $6,240 raise leaves roughly $5,013.84 after federal tax and FICA — about $192.84 per bi-weekly paycheck. State income tax reduces it further; the raise after taxes calculator takes your filing status and state.
$3 an hour against inflation
On a $20 hourly wage, $3 an hour is a 15.0% increase. Set against inflation of 3.4% over the 12 months ending August 2026, that is worth +11.22% in real purchasing power — an increase in purchasing power under that inflation assumption. A pure cost-of-living adjustment would only need to match 3.4%; an increase above that rate produces positive real growth in this comparison. The cost of living raise calculator runs your own figures.
Merit increase, promotion or $3 raise offer?
At $6,240 a year the tax side becomes worth checking rather than assuming. The increase may push part of your income into a higher federal bracket — which costs the higher rate only on the excess — and it can affect income-tested programmes where the thresholds are cliffs rather than slopes. Open the take-home panel in the calculator to see the net figure for your filing status and state.
The reason for an increase may be a review, a new role, a negotiated rate or another change. The dollar amount alone does not establish the reason or whether the new pay matches the role. Compare relevant job duties and pay ranges before drawing that conclusion.
$3 an hour raise FAQs: frequently asked questions
How much is a $3 an hour raise a year?
$6,240 at 40 hours a week — 3 × 40 × 52. At 35 hours it is $5,460, at 30 hours $4,680 and at 20 hours $3,120.
How much is a $3 raise per paycheck?
About $240.00 per bi-weekly paycheck before tax at 40 hours a week, or roughly $192.84 after federal income tax and FICA for a single filer with no state income tax.
What percentage is a $3 an hour raise?
It depends on your current rate: 20.0% on $15 an hour, 15.0% on $20, 12.0% on $25 and 10.0% on $30. Divide 3 by your rate and multiply by 100.
How much of a $3 raise do I keep after taxes?
There is no universal percentage you keep. In the stated $20-per-hour example, with 40 hours, 52 weeks, Single filing, no other income, no state tax and no retirement contribution, the estimated net increase is $5,013.84 per year. Change those assumptions in the tax panel for another scenario.
Salary increase calculator for other pay raises
The same salary increase calculator handles any figure, hourly or salaried. Pick another amount below, or open the main pay raise calculator to work from a percentage, a flat dollar amount, or a new salary you have already been offered.
Other hourly raises
Related calculators
- Hourly Raise CalculatorAny rate, any raise, any hours.
- Pay Raise CalculatorSalaried and hourly, all pay periods.
- Raise After TaxesWhat you keep, by filing status and state.
- Cost of Living RaiseYour raise against inflation.
Estimates are for planning only. This is not tax, legal or financial advice.