Inflation Index Comparator
Compare salary adjustments across indexes.
Inflation Index Comparator: Scenario Inputs
Annual percentage rate or benchmark index change.
Inflation & Purchasing Power Analysis
Over 3 years at 3.5% inflation, a $75,000 salary requires $83,154 to retain equal purchasing power. Without matching raises, your real compensation experiences an effective reduction of $7,355 (-9.81%).
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How Inflation Index Comparator Works?
The Inflation Index Comparator measures each index's change over the same dates. It applies each change to the same salary and compares the adjusted amounts.
Enter salary and dates
Type the salary and the start and end months.
Select indexes
Tick the indexes to compare.
Compute each result
The comparator multiplies the salary by each index's ratio.
Read the spread
The output ranks results and shows the gap between the highest and lowest.
Inflation Index Comparator Formula
The Inflation Index Comparator formula applies the standard index ratio once per index.
Adjustedj = Salary × (Ij, end ÷ Ij, start)
Spread = max(Adjustedj) − min(Adjustedj)
Variables
- Ij, start, Ij, end
- Values of index j at the start and end
Worked example
With cumulative changes between 17.6% and 22.2%, a $70,000 salary adjusts to between $82,320 and $85,540. The spread is $3,220.
Inflation Index Comparator Conversion Table
This table adjusts a $70,000 salary with 6 indexes, using example cumulative changes over the same 5-year span.
| Index | Cumulative change | Adjusted salary | Gap vs CPI-U |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI-U | 21.4% | $84,980 | +$0 |
| CPI-W | 22.2% | $85,540 | +$560 |
| Chained CPI (C-CPI-U) | 19.8% | $83,860 | -$1,120 |
| Core CPI (ex food and energy) | 20.5% | $84,350 | -$630 |
| PCE price index | 18.3% | $82,810 | -$2,170 |
| Core PCE | 17.6% | $82,320 | -$2,660 |
Cumulative changes are illustrative. The live comparator reads published values for your dates.
What is Inflation Index Comparator?
The Inflation Index Comparator is a tool that adjusts one salary with several price indexes at once and shows how far the results differ. Index choice changes the adjusted salary by hundreds or thousands of dollars over a few years.
The comparator covers 6 common U.S. measures: CPI-U, CPI-W, chained CPI, core CPI, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index and core PCE.
What are the uses of Inflation Index Comparator?
There are 4 main uses of the Inflation Index Comparator.
Pick a fair index
Choose an index for a contract after seeing the range of results.
Explain different figures
Show why 2 reports quote different inflation-adjusted salaries.
Test sensitivity
Check how much a pay decision depends on index choice.
Teach index differences
Show students how coverage and method change results.
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CPI-U Salary Calculator
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CPI-W Salary Calculator
Adjust pay using CPI-W.
Chained CPI Salary Calculator
Use the selected chained CPI series.
PCE-Based Salary Calculator
Adjust pay using the PCE price index.
Monthly Salary Inflation Calculator
Compare selected monthly index periods.