What's a Good Salary Increase When Changing Jobs? The Premium Shrank
A good salary increase when changing jobs is 10 to 15%, or 20% for a level change. See the 2026 average (about 4.4%), why figures differ and how to ask.
On this pageHas the job-switching premium disappeared?
Published figures for the pay bump from changing jobs range from 4% to 40%, because they measure different populations and different years. The Atlanta Fed's tracker shows the switcher premium has nearly closed — 4.4% against 3.9% for people who stayed, down from a two-point gap in 2022. A good increase now starts at beating inflation and is earned by negotiation rather than by the act of moving.
A good salary increase when changing jobs is 10 to 15% for a real step up in scope, and 20% or more for a level or industry change. Anything below inflation is a pay cut. The 2026 average is lower: about 4.4% for job switchers1.
Ask around and you get numbers that cannot all be true. Zippia says 14.8%2. Bank of America research3 says around 4%. Calculator sites say the real benchmark is 20 to 40%.
That spread is not noise. In fact, two things explain it: the figures measure different populations, and the most-quoted ones describe a market that no longer exists.
The Atlanta Fed's Wage Growth Tracker1 is the cleanest read, and it says the switching premium has nearly closed.
Has the job-switching premium disappeared?
Almost. For much of 2022 and 2023, people who changed jobs saw median wage growth roughly 2 percentage points above those who stayed. In the most recent reading that gap is 4.4% against 3.9% — about half a point, and the narrowest margin in years.
| Period | Job switchers | Job stayers | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–2023 | Elevated | Lower | ~2 points |
| Latest reading | 4.4% | 3.9% | ~0.5 points |
In practice, the mechanism behind the collapse: wage growth for switchers cooled sharply through 2025, while raises for people who stayed declined more gradually. The two lines converged from above rather than from below. If a better offer comes after you said yes, read how to decline a job offer after accepting.
This matters because almost every piece of advice on this topic dates from the two-point era. "Switch jobs for a 20% raise" was reasonable guidance in 2022. As a description of the current market it is roughly three years out of date.
What is the average salary increase when changing jobs in 2026?
About 4.4% for job switchers, against 3.9% for people who stayed, based on the Atlanta Fed Wage Growth Tracker as reported by CNBC in March 2026. Other sources show higher averages, such as Zippia at 14.8%, because they count different groups. Meanwhile, 2026 merit raises are projected at about 3.5%.
So treat the projected 3.5% merit raise4 as your stay-put baseline. An offer close to that number is roughly what staying would pay. Then use that number in the desired salary field on applications.
Why do the published numbers disagree so much?
They measure different things. The Atlanta Fed tracks median wage growth across everyone who changed jobs, including lateral and downward moves. The 14.8% and 20-to-40% figures describe negotiated offers for people who moved deliberately for money — a self-selected group at the top of the distribution.
One number gets used to answer three different questions:
"What does the average job changer get?" — a population statistic, currently around 4.4%, including people who moved for location, for a shorter commute, or out of a job they had to leave. Thinking of leaving soon after you start? Read whether quitting a job after 3 months is bad.
"How much do people who move for money get?" — a much smaller, self-selected group, where double-digit increases are common.
"Where should I aim?" — a negotiation question, which is not the same as either average.
So what counts as a good salary increase when changing jobs depends on which of those you are actually asking. If you are moving deliberately, the population median is the wrong benchmark — you are not in that population.
Any increase below the inflation rate is a pay cut in real terms, however good the percentage looks. If inflation runs near 3%, a 3% raise is roughly flat and a 2% raise is a reduction. Before comparing your offer to anyone else's benchmark, check it against that floor — it is the only number that tells you whether you are moving forward at all.
What is a good salary increase when changing jobs?
Above inflation at minimum, 10 to 15% for a genuine step up in scope, and 20% or more when you are also changing level or industry. Below about 5%, the move needs a reason other than money, because switching carries real costs the percentage does not show.
| Increase | What it means |
|---|---|
| Below inflation (~3%) | A real-terms pay cut regardless of the headline |
| 3–5% | Roughly what staying would have produced |
| 5–10% | A solid lateral move |
| 10–15% | A genuine step up in scope or responsibility |
| 20%+ | Usually a level change, an industry change, or scarce skills |
The rows below 5% deserve a note. After all, changing jobs is not free — you lose accrued goodwill, tenure toward vesting, knowledge of where everything is, and the benefit of the doubt that comes with a track record. A move that produces 4% has to be worth something other than the money.
How much salary increase should you ask for in a new job?
Ask for the top third of the posted range. If the role is a real step up, aim for 10 to 20% above your current base. For a lateral move, 5 to 10% is a fair ask. Then counter the written offer, because the first number is rarely the limit.
Also, ask in total pay terms. A smaller base raise with a signing bonus or an earlier review date can be worth more than the headline number.
Does it vary by industry?
Substantially. Technology and healthcare see the largest switching increases, often in the 10 to 25% range. Retail and hospitality see the smallest, and hospitality has at times shown negative average wage growth for switchers. Age matters too — the 25 to 34 band sees the highest increases.
| Sector | Typical switching increase |
|---|---|
| Information technology5 | 15–25% |
| Healthcare | 10–20% |
| Financial services, consulting | 10–20% |
| Resources and mining | Around 12% |
| Retail | 3–7% |
| Leisure and hospitality | Lowest; has run negative |
Broadly, two other patterns worth knowing:
Age.2 The 25 to 34 band sees the highest average increases, at around 9.8%. Early-career moves compound more because the base is lower and the jump in responsibility is larger.
Company size. Similarly, employers with over 1,000 people tend to offer larger increases than smaller ones, at around 6.9% on average2. Sales is a special case, since commission and quota change the math; our sales resume examples show how to put quota results on paper before you negotiate.
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Should you switch for the money?
With a narrower premium, the case for moving on pay alone is weaker than it was. Your current employer may match or partially match a genuine offer, and the gap between what they will pay to keep you and what a new employer pays to attract you has narrowed along with the market.
An honest assessment of what a good salary increase when changing jobs is worth, given where the numbers sit.
When switchers beat stayers by two points, moving was a reliable financial strategy on its own. At half a point, it is not — the costs of moving have not changed while the benefit has shrunk.
Three implications:
A counter-offer is more viable than it used to be. Some employers negotiate when presented with a real external offer, and against a 4.4% market that counter does not have to be enormous to compete. The counter offer letter covers the separate question of whether accepting one is wise.
Where the premium comes from now
Negotiation matters more than the move. The difference between a 4% offer and a 14% offer is usually negotiation rather than market — and the counter-math explains why asking for your target reliably lands you below it.
Non-pay reasons carry more weight now. Scope, manager, trajectory, remote arrangement. When the financial case is half a point, the other reasons decide it. If the new role means running a team, our sales manager resume examples show how to present that bigger scope.
Sales manager resume example
See how pay-linked results like quota and team growth read on a resume.
Offer A: 8% increase, same level, same scope, longer commute. Offer B: 8% increase, one level up, owning a function rather than a workstream, with the title that makes the next move easier. Identical on the number. Offer B also resets the base your next increase calculates from, and the title changes which roles you can credibly apply for. The percentage is one input; what it does to your next two moves is another.
Do
- Compare total compensation rather than base. A 6% base increase with a signing bonus, better equity and a shorter vesting cliff can beat a 12% base increase without them.
Don’t
- Anchor on the 20% figure from a 2022 article. Quoting a benchmark from the Great Resignation to a 2026 recruiter reads as out of touch with the market you are both in.
How do you get a larger increase?
By negotiating the specific offer rather than relying on the market. Most candidates who counter receive at least some of what they ask for, and that is where a double-digit increase actually comes from now.
Finally, the market will not hand you a premium any more. The negotiation might.
Know the band before you talk numbers. Many postings now publish a range, which is the anchor you work from — the salary expectations answer covers what to do with it, including why naming the midpoint is the most expensive mistake available.
Counter the written offer. This is where double-digit increases now come from. Analysis of countering behaviour finds most people who ask receive something.
Target the top third of the band. Employers budget to the midpoint expecting negotiation, so the midpoint is their opening rather than their limit.
Look at the whole package. Signing bonus, review date, equity, leave. When base is capped, these are where the movement is. Before the call, practice the salary conversation out loud so your number sounds calm and firm.
Wage growth for job switchers was about 4.4%, compared with 3.9% for job stayers — a much slimmer margin than in 2022 or 2023.
Atlanta Fed Wage Growth Tracker, reported by CNBC
None of this argues against moving. It argues against moving purely on the assumption that the market pays a premium for movement, because right now it barely does. The premium you get will be the one you negotiate. A strong application sets up that negotiation, and our sales cover letter examples show how to lead with results.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good salary increase when changing jobs?
Above inflation at minimum, 10 to 15% for a genuine step up in scope, and 20% or more when you also change level or industry. Below 5%, the move needs a reason beyond money.
What is the average salary increase when changing jobs in 2026?
The Atlanta Fed's tracker puts wage growth for job switchers at about 4.4%, against 3.9% for those who stayed — a gap of roughly half a percentage point.
Why do published figures range from 4% to 40%?
They measure different groups. The 4% figures track everyone who changed jobs, including lateral moves. The double-digit figures describe negotiated offers for people who moved deliberately for money.
Is switching jobs still the fastest way to raise your salary?
Less reliably than in 2022, when switchers beat stayers by roughly two percentage points. That gap has narrowed to about half a point while the costs of moving are unchanged.
Which industries pay the biggest increases for switching?
Technology at 15 to 25% and healthcare at 10 to 20% lead. Retail sits at 3 to 7%, and leisure and hospitality has at times shown negative average wage growth for switchers.
Is a 10% raise good when changing jobs?
Yes, in most sectors. It is well above the current market average and usually reflects a genuine increase in scope rather than a lateral move.
Should I accept a counter-offer to stay instead?
It is more financially viable than it was, since your employer does not have to beat much to compete. Whether to accept is a separate question about why you were leaving.
How do I get a bigger increase than the average?
By countering the written offer. Most people who counter receive at least part of what they ask for, and that negotiation is now where double-digit increases come from rather than from the market itself.
What is a good salary increase to change jobs at the same level?
For a lateral move, 5 to 10% is a solid increase. Below about 5%, the move needs a reason beyond money, such as better scope, a better manager or remote work.
Is a 20% salary increase realistic when changing jobs in 2026?
Yes, but mostly with a level change, an industry change or scarce skills. ResumeWorded puts typical switching increases at 15 to 25% in IT and 10 to 20% in healthcare, while retail sits at 3 to 7%.
Sources
We opened and read each page below. The small numbers in the text point here. Pages that carry no publication date show n.d.
- CNBC2026
Atlanta Fed Wage Growth Tracker shows switchers at about 4.4% against 3.9%…
- Zippia2026
Average salary increase when changing jobs of 14.8% against 5.8% wage growth;…
- Experian2026
Bank of America research put the average increase from changing jobs at…
- Annual Pay Calculator2026
Average merit increase projected at 3.5% for 2026 per WorldatWork, Mercer and…
- ResumeWorded2026
Sector estimates for switching increases — IT 15-25%, healthcare 10-20%, retail 3-7%;…
Mohammad has spent more than ten years designing consumer products and leads product at Rezoom, deciding what gets built and what gets left out. His guides cover the whole job search, from resume sections and cover letters to interview answers and career moves.
Goodi, M. (2026, November 11). What's a Good Salary Increase When Changing Jobs? The Premium Shrank. Rezoom. https://rezoom.io/good-salary-increase-changing-jobs/