What Is the Salary Difference Calculator?
The Salary Difference Calculator compares two salaries — typically your current pay and a job offer — and tells you both the absolute dollar difference and the percentage change. Whether you're weighing a promotion, a counter-offer, or a move to a new company, seeing the numbers side by side makes the decision clearer. This tool is currency-agnostic, so the figures work with any currency as long as both salaries use the same one.
How to Use It
Enter your current salary in the "Current Salary (A)" field and the salary you're comparing against in "New Salary (B)". The calculator instantly returns the difference (B minus A) and the percent change relative to your current pay. A positive result means a raise; a negative result means a pay cut.
The Formula Explained
The math is straightforward. The absolute difference is simply Salary B − Salary A. The percent change divides that difference by your current salary and multiplies by 100: \(((B - A) / A) \times 100\). Dividing by the original salary (A) is what makes the percentage a meaningful measure of growth relative to where you started.
$$\begin{gathered} \Delta = \text{New Salary (B)} - \text{Current Salary (A)} \\[1.5em] \%\,\text{Change} = \frac{\text{New (B)} - \text{Current (A)}}{\text{Current (A)}} \times 100 \end{gathered}$$
Worked Example
Suppose your current salary is $50,000 and a new offer is $60,000. The difference is $$60{,}000 - 50{,}000 = \mathbf{10{,}000}$$ The percent change is $$\frac{10{,}000}{50{,}000} \times 100 = \mathbf{20\%}$$ So the new role pays $10,000 more, a 20% increase.
FAQ
Should I use gross or net salary? Use gross (pre-tax) figures for an apples-to-apples comparison, since net pay depends on deductions that vary by location and circumstances.
Why is the percentage based on Salary A? Percent change always measures growth relative to the starting point, which is your current salary. This is the standard convention used in finance and statistics.
What if the new salary is lower? The difference and percent change will simply be negative, showing the size of the pay cut.
