Nearly 70% of U.S. employees say their annual paycheck raises are not keeping up with inflation. It leads to the disturbing situation where almost 40% working Americans have no emergency savings. For many, this makes it harder to keep up with everyday expenses and feel financially secure.
These are among the key findings of PayrollOrg’s Getting Paid In America Survey 2026. The survey team spoke with approximately 9,450 people across the country during National Payroll Week, held September 7-11, 2026. The results illustrate how Americans receive their pay, how they manage their personal finances, and feel about new technologies in payroll.
Many workers care about higher salary much more than about additional benefits. Almost 83% of respondents prefer a pay raise over better health coverage or other bonus offerings. And yet, the paradox is that nearly 70% admit their annual raises cannot match inflation growth as a rule. This way, even with a raise, their income doesn’t maintain its familiar purchasing power.
The findings also show how much households rely on getting paid on time. More than 71% of respondents said a one-week delay in their paycheck would make it somewhat or significantly harder to cover their financial commitments. Almost 40% said they have no emergency savings to help them manage unexpected expenses.
Access to pay information is another priority. More than 68% consider mobile access to payroll details very or extremely important. Nearly 54% of respondents would like to have calculators for tax withholding to help them understand how their paycheck was taxed.
Most workers trust that their paychecks are calculated correctly. Nearly 89% said they are somewhat or completely confident that their pay and tax deductions are accurate. However, knowing exactly how their pay is calculated is a different matter. Over 30% need clearer explanations of deductions to better understand their earnings.
The survey also delved into employees thoughts about using artificial intelligence in payroll. It appeared that more than 46% are uncomfortable with AI handling payroll processes. Only human involvement could help build trust. Over 70.5% would be more confident in the technology if they knew there are people who oversee AI-powered systems.
“These findings reinforce just how important payroll is to people’s everyday lives,” said Dan Maddux, Executive Director of PayrollOrg. “Beyond receiving an accurate paycheck on time, employees want to understand their pay, feel financially secure, and have confidence in the systems that manage their earnings.”
