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Your SalaryCheck Report
Generated April 17, 2026 · Report ID RAI-2VDMU8
AI can make mistakes — even confident-sounding ones. This summary may contain factual errors, miss context, or misapply general patterns to your specific situation.
You are responsible for verifying every number, quote, clause, and recommendation before acting on it. Cross-check important information with the source document and an appropriate licensed professional.
Heads up: Compensation estimates are based on general market data, not your specific employer or contract. Not financial, career, or legal advice. For decisions about accepting, rejecting, or challenging an offer, consider a CFP, employment attorney, or career coach.
Below Average
A 4% raise on $85,000 in software engineering in San Francisco sounds okay — but after 3.2% inflation, your real raise is only 0.8%. Market data shows 5-year SWEs in SF getting 6-8% this cycle.
Raise Amount
$3,400
New Salary
$88,400
Inflation Reality Check
After inflation, your $3,400 raise is really worth $680 in purchasing power. You're barely keeping pace.
Industry Comparison
Software engineers with 5 years of experience in the US are seeing median raises of 5.5-7.2% this cycle, with top performers at strong-revenue companies getting 8-10%. Your 4% puts you in the bottom quartile for your experience band. Companies competing for mid-level SWEs in the Bay Area are currently offering 6-8% retention raises to prevent attrition.
Location Factor
San Francisco carries a cost-of-living multiplier of roughly 1.45x vs the national average. A $88,400 salary in SF has the equivalent purchasing power of ~$61,000 in a median-cost US city. For your role and experience, the SF market range is $95,000-$115,000 base, putting your new salary about $7,000-$27,000 below the local midpoint.
Considerations for Your Conversation
- •Frame market data as research, not entitlement
- •Quantify your specific impact — numbers and outcomes you owned
- •Consider non-cash levers if base is rigid (equity, bonus, title, scope, PTO)
- •Ask what the next review cycle looks like and what targets would unlock movement
Outcomes depend on your performance, your employer, and many factors outside any tool. For decisions with legal implications, an employment attorney is the right call.
Talking Points to Adapt — Not a Script to Recite
Draft — adapt in your own voice
Draft talking points to adapt — please rewrite in your own voice. This is example phrasing, not a script to recite verbatim. Outcomes depend on your performance, your employer, and factors outside any tool. • Open with appreciation, not confrontation. • Reference market data as a research input, not a demand (e.g. 'In looking at typical ranges for my role and market, I'm seeing X — I wanted to discuss where my comp lands'). • Tie your specific impact to the conversation (your accomplishments, your scope). • Ask an open question rather than naming a hard number ('What would it take to move toward the higher end of the range?'). • Leave room for non-cash levers: equity refresh, bonus structure, title, scope, mid-year review with targets. For anything with legal complexity (potential discrimination, retaliation, wage-theft concerns) talk to an employment attorney. For personal financial planning around offer timing or equity structure, a CFP can help.
Rewrite in your own voice. Verify any specifics before using. Outcomes depend on factors outside any tool.
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Generated by SalaryCheck on April 17, 2026 · Report ID RAI-2VDMU8
AI-generated output. May contain errors even when it sounds confident.
Not professional advice. You are responsible for verifying every specific before acting on it.
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