Toolzie

Am I Underpaid?

Free salary benchmark calculator — 2026 market medians for the US, Canada, and UK.

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How to Use the Am I Underpaid? Calculator

Pick your country and job category, set your experience and education, and enter your current gross annual salary. The calculator compares your pay to 2026 market medians sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statistics Canada, and the UK Office for National Statistics. You'll see your percentile ranking, the gap to fair pay, and a recommended raise amount if you're underpaid.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Am I Underpaid calculator work?

The calculator compares your current gross salary against 2026 market medians for your job category, country, experience level, and education. Medians are sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OES 2024), Statistics Canada (2024 DLS), and the UK Office for National Statistics (ASN 2024), and indexed forward to 2026. Your percentile rank is computed against the standard log-normal distribution used for occupational wages.

What does 'percentile ranking' mean?

Your percentile ranking is the percentage of workers in your role with the same experience and education who earn less than you. A 25th percentile means 75% of comparable workers earn more than you (you're likely underpaid). A 75th percentile means only 25% earn more (you're well paid). The 50th percentile is the median.

Are the medians adjusted for cost of living?

No. The medians are national gross salary medians, not PPP-adjusted. If you live in a high-cost metro like San Francisco, New York, Toronto, or London, your cost of living is significantly higher than the national median, so a 'fair' national salary may still feel stretched. For more nuance, the calculator also shows the 25th-75th percentile band, which captures most regional variation.

How often are the salary medians updated?

The underlying data is refreshed once a year when each government statistical agency releases new occupational data. The 2026 figures are based on the 2024 baseline from BLS, Statistics Canada, and UK ONS, projected forward using each agency's wage growth index (3.0% US, 2.8% Canada, 3.5% UK). The calculator will be updated in April 2026 when the BLS releases its 2025 OES data.

What should I do if I'm underpaid?

If you're underpaid, the most common paths are: (1) ask for a raise using market data + your impact at your current job, (2) interview elsewhere and use an offer as leverage, (3) switch jobs (median raise for job switchers is ~15% vs ~3% for stayers), or (4) negotiate the offer at a new company. The Toolzie Negotiation Script Generator (/negotiation_script/) can help you draft talking points for any of these.

Does the calculator store or share my salary data?

No. All calculations happen in your browser. The calculator does not log, send, or store your salary anywhere. There is no account, no email field, no analytics tied to your inputs, and no database. Your data never leaves your device.

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About This Tool

The Am I Underpaid? Salary Benchmark Calculator is a free, browser-based tool that compares your current gross annual salary against 2026 market medians for the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It uses 2024 occupational data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Statistics Canada, and the UK Office for National Statistics, indexed forward to 2026 using each agency's wage growth index. The calculator returns your percentile ranking, the 25th-75th percentile band, the gap to the market median, and an estimated raise amount to reach fair pay — all computed in your browser, with no signup, no email, and no data leaving your device.

How to Use

  1. Select your country (US, Canada, or UK) and the closest job category from the dropdown. The medians are sourced from US BLS, Statistics Canada, and UK ONS 2024-2025 occupational data, indexed to 2026.
  2. Enter your years of experience (0-2, 3-5, 6-10, 11-20, or 20+), education level (high school, bachelor's, master's, or PhD), and current gross annual salary in your local currency.
  3. Review your results: market median for your role+experience, the 25th and 75th percentile range, your percentile ranking, the gap to fair pay, and an estimated annual raise if you're underpaid.
  4. Use the negotiation scripts and reading list below the calculator to prepare for your next compensation conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the Am I Underpaid calculator work?

The calculator compares your current gross salary against 2026 market medians for your job category, country, experience level, and education. Medians are sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OES 2024), Statistics Canada (2024 DLS), and the UK Office for National Statistics (ASN 2024), and indexed forward to 2026. Your percentile rank is computed against the standard log-normal distribution used for occupational wages.

Q: What does 'percentile ranking' mean?

Your percentile ranking is the percentage of workers in your role with the same experience and education who earn less than you. A 25th percentile means 75% of comparable workers earn more than you (you're likely underpaid). A 75th percentile means only 25% earn more (you're well paid). The 50th percentile is the median.

Q: Are the medians adjusted for cost of living?

No. The medians are national gross salary medians, not PPP-adjusted. If you live in a high-cost metro like San Francisco, New York, Toronto, or London, your cost of living is significantly higher than the national median, so a 'fair' national salary may still feel stretched. For more nuance, the calculator also shows the 25th-75th percentile band, which captures most regional variation.

Q: How often are the salary medians updated?

The underlying data is refreshed once a year when each government statistical agency releases new occupational data. The 2026 figures are based on the 2024 baseline from BLS, Statistics Canada, and UK ONS, projected forward using each agency's wage growth index (3.0% US, 2.8% Canada, 3.5% UK). The calculator will be updated in April 2026 when the BLS releases its 2025 OES data.

Q: What should I do if I'm underpaid?

If you're underpaid, the most common paths are: (1) ask for a raise using market data + your impact at your current job, (2) interview elsewhere and use an offer as leverage, (3) switch jobs (median raise for job switchers is ~15% vs ~3% for stayers), or (4) negotiate the offer at a new company. The Toolzie Negotiation Script Generator (/negotiation_script/) can help you draft talking points for any of these.

Q: Does the calculator store or share my salary data?

No. All calculations happen in your browser. The calculator does not log, send, or store your salary anywhere. There is no account, no email field, no analytics tied to your inputs, and no database. Your data never leaves your device.

Boost your salary

Negotiation tactics, salary research, and career-development tools:

📚 Salary Negotiation BooksTop-rated negotiation guides (affiliate link).💬 Negotiation ScriptDraft talking points for your next raise.📈 Salary IncreaseCalculate the impact of a raise.💰 Lifetime EarningsSee what a 5% raise is worth over 30 years.

Estimates only. Not tax, financial, or legal advice. Full disclaimer · Terms