Promotion and Internal Equity Calculator

Pressure-test one promotion before you commit to it. Enter the current salary, the new grade and its range, the proposed pay, and what peers already earn, and the workbook shows the size of the raise, where it lands in the new range, how it compares to peers, and what it costs in the first year.

A working model, not a blank grid

Enter the current salary, the new grade with its minimum, midpoint, and maximum, the proposed pay, and the peers already in that grade, then set the payroll tax and benefits rates for the cost view. The workbook returns the increase, the range position, the peer comparison, and the loaded first-year cost. A one-page Summary carries the whole case into the approval, a Benchmark tab shows typical promotion increases, and it opens on a filled-in example so the logic is clear before you change anything.

A promotion priced the way it gets questioned

A raise that looks fine as a percentage can still land in the wrong part of the range or past peers, so the workbook keeps range position, peer pay, and cost on the surface. It reports compa-ratio and range penetration against the new grade, so a promotion does not start someone near the top of the range by accident. The proposed pay sits next to the peers already in the grade, with a compression check to the level above, because paying past peers is the most common promotion mistake. Payroll tax and benefits load onto the increase, so the first-year cost is what you take to approval rather than the headline number.

Built for

• An HR lead or manager preparing a single promotion who needs the raise sized right before asking for approval.
• A comp partner sanity-checking promotion requests against the range and against peers.
• A small-business owner promoting someone for the first time who wants the move to hold up if other people ask about it.

If you are looking for a whole pay structure to build rather than one move, the Salary Band Builder builds the grades and ranges this promotion lands inside. For the annual raise cycle across the team, see the Merit Increase Matrix.

Before you buy

What format is it, and can I edit it?

It is one Excel workbook that also works in Google Sheets. Every input and formula is editable, and the file is yours to keep; duplicate it to test another promotion or compare two offers side by side. Checkout delivers an instant download link, with the same link emailed on your receipt.

Does it tell me how big the raise should be, or include market data?

No to both. It shows the size of the raise you propose and where it lands against the range and peers, so you can judge it against your own policy; the number is your call. It does not pull salary survey or market data, so enter grade ranges and peer pay from your own structure or a current survey.

How accurate is the result?

It is exactly as good as the range and peer numbers you enter. The workbook does the range position, the peer comparison, and the first-year cost correctly from those inputs, so confirm your range data is current and check a sensitive move against your own structure before it is final.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms. Questions? Email support@truestephr.com.

These are planning estimates, not legal advice. A promotion carries pay-equity weight, so confirm your range and peer data against current figures and review a sensitive move against applicable law before you finalize it.

How the download works

Your files arrive as a single ZIP download, best opened on a computer: save it, extract it (right-click and Extract All on Windows, double-click on a Mac), and open the Start Here file first. PDFs open in any reader, and the editable files work in Microsoft Word and Excel or their free equivalents, including LibreOffice and Google Docs and Sheets. No other software is needed. Step-by-step help for every device is at truestephr.com/pages/download-help.