Salary Benchmark Percentile Calculator

About this calculator

Salary benchmarking compares an individual's pay against market data reported at specific percentiles — typically the 25th, 50th (median) and 75th percentile for a role, level and location. Where your salary falls between those points shows your percentile rank, and dividing your actual pay by the market median gives the compa-ratio (a compa-ratio of 1.0 means you're paid exactly at market median; below 0.9 or above 1.1 is generally flagged for review).

HR and compensation teams use percentile and compa-ratio together when setting pay bands, deciding merit increases, and auditing for pay equity across a workforce, since a raw salary number means little without market context — $90,000 could be well above or well below market depending on the role and location. Employees negotiating an offer or a raise use the same benchmarks to argue their position with concrete numbers rather than a general sense of being under- or overpaid.

This calculator takes the market's 25th, 50th and 75th percentile pay along with your salary and returns your percentile position and compa-ratio.