How we figure the numbers
"Keep up" uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers.
"Keep up" uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers. We use each year's average inflation since your last raise (for example 8.0% in 2022 and 2.6% in 2025) plus inflation so far in 2026, based on the latest 12-month rate of 3.4% for August 2026.
The "fair ask" adds 3 percentage points on top of keeping up, a common real raise for solid performance, or uses what similar jobs pay if you enter it and it's higher. It's a starting point, not a promise of what your employer will say.
How to ask
Rent going up is real, but managers can usually get raises approved for results, new responsibilities and market pay.
Lead with what you did, not what you need
Rent going up is real, but managers can usually get raises approved for results, new responsibilities and market pay. Keep personal reasons out of the main pitch.
Name a number
Say a specific amount or percentage, a little above what you'd accept. Then stop talking and let them answer.
If the answer is no
Ask what you'd need to show to get there, and when you can talk again. Get it in writing in a follow-up email. If money is truly frozen, ask about a title change, extra time off, training, remote days or a set review date.
Sources
3 sources
Last checked October 2026. Amounts change every year.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics · Consumer Price Index
- US Inflation Calculator · Annual average and 12-month CPI rates from BLS data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational wage data