A salary increases from 40,000 to 44,000. What is the percent increase?

A salary increases from 40,000 to 44,000. What is the percent increase?

• A. 8
• B. 9
• C. 12
• D. 10

Answer: (D)

To find the percent increase, relate the change to the original amount. The salary goes from 40,000 to 44,000, so the increase is 44,000 − 40,000 = 4,000. Now compare that to the original salary: 4,000 ÷ 40,000 = 0.10. Multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage: 0.10 × 100 = 10%. So the salary increased by 10 percent. For context, 8% would be an increase of 3,200, 9% would be 3,600, and 12% would be 4,800, none of which match the actual 4,000 increase.

To find the percent increase, relate the change to the original amount. The salary goes from 40,000 to 44,000, so the increase is 44,000 − 40,000 = 4,000.

Now compare that to the original salary: 4,000 ÷ 40,000 = 0.10. Multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage: 0.10 × 100 = 10%.

So the salary increased by 10 percent. For context, 8% would be an increase of 3,200, 9% would be 3,600, and 12% would be 4,800, none of which match the actual 4,000 increase.