Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Two to four jobs side by side — pay, benefits, equity, time off, and the cost of getting to work — every year, in year one, and per hour you'd actually work.
Ben / Reviewed Sep 27, 2026 / v2.0.0
Results
Showing the numbers you calculated- Worth the most every year
- New offer
- $100,600.00 a year — $14,950.00 more than Current job
- Worth the most in year one
- New offer
- $97,600.00 in year one — $11,950.00 more than Current job
- Pays the most per hour worked
- New offer
- $47.57 an hour — $7.92 more than Current job
Side by side
Per year = pay + benefits + equity − work costs. Year one adds the sign-on bonus and subtracts one-time costs.
Swipe the table sideways to see all 9 columns.
| Job | Per year | Year one | Per hour | Salary + bonus | Benefits (net) | Equity | Work costs | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current job | $85,650.00 | $85,650.00 | $39.65 | $88,000.00 | $650.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | 20 |
| New offer | $100,600.00 | $97,600.00 | $47.57 | $100,000.00 | $1,800.00 | $0.00 | $1,200.00 | 25 |
Compared with the first job
Positive means better than the first job (or more days off, or more hours). "Evens out" is when one job is ahead up front and the other every year.
Swipe the table sideways to see all 8 columns.
| Job | Per year | Year one | Up front | Per hour | Days off | Hours a week | Evens out (months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New offer | $14,950.00 | $11,950.00 | ($3,000.00) | $7.92 | 5 | 0 | 2.4 |
What stands out
- New offer costs $3,000.00 more up front than Current job, and its higher yearly value makes that back in 2.4 months.
What this does
The biggest salary isn't always the best offer. This lines up two to four jobs — pay, benefits, equity, time off, and what it costs to show up — so you can see which one is actually worth more.
It shows each job's value every year, in year one (with sign-on bonuses and moving costs), and per hour you'd really work, compared with the first job.
How the math works
per year = salary + bonus + retirement match + other benefits − your health cost + equity − work costs
year one = per year + sign-on bonus − one-time costs to switch
per hour = per year ÷ ((52 − paid days off ÷ 5) × hours per week)
One-time items only count in year one. A sign-on bonus can make a lower-paying job look better — for exactly one year.
When one job is ahead up front and the other is worth more every year, the comparison shows how many months until they even out.
Check my math: a worked example
Current job at $85,000.00 against New offer at $95,000.00, which needs $8,000.00 of one-time costs to switch.
- Current job: $88,000.00 in pay + $650.00 of benefits (net) − $3,000.00 of work costs = $85,650.00 a year.
- New offer: $100,000.00 + $1,800.00 − $1,200.00 = $100,600.00 a year.
- Year one for New offer: $100,600.00 − $3,000.00 of one-time items = $97,600.00.
- Per hour: $85,650.00 ÷ 2,160 hours = $39.65, versus $100,600.00 ÷ 2,115 = $47.57.
- They even out after 2.4 months.
These numbers come straight from the calculator using its example inputs — if the math ever changes, this example changes with it.
Mistakes I see a lot
- Comparing base salaries and stopping there.
- Counting a sign-on bonus as if it came every year.
- Leaving out the commute. An hour a day in the car is real money and real time.
- Taking equity at the recruiter's number. Private-company stock is a lottery ticket until it's sellable.
- Ignoring hours. A bigger salary for 55-hour weeks can pay less per hour than the job you have.
Questions people ask
- Is this before or after taxes?
- Before. For jobs in the same state that's usually fine for comparing. If one job means moving to a state with a different income tax, the after-tax picture can shift — sometimes a lot.
- How do I value health insurance?
- Enter your share of the premiums for the year — it comes off the job's value. If the plans are very different (deductibles, networks), think about what you'd expect to spend out of pocket too.
- What should I put for equity?
- What vests in a year, at a value you'd bet on. For public-company stock, the current price is reasonable. For a startup, try it at zero and see if the offer still wins.
- Why does per hour matter?
- Because your time is the thing you're selling. Paid days off and longer hours both change what each hour is worth — sometimes enough to flip which job looks better.
Assumptions and limits
- Value per year = base salary + expected bonus + retirement match + other benefits − your health insurance cost + equity per year − commute and work costs.
- First-year value = value per year + sign-on bonus − one-time costs to switch. One-time items are left out of every later year.
- Hours worked = (52 weeks − paid days off ÷ 5) × hours per week. Value per hour = value per year ÷ hours worked.
- Everything is before income tax. Jobs in different states or cities can come out differently after tax, especially with state income tax.
- Equity is counted at the yearly value entered; it isn't discounted for risk.
- The first job is the baseline for the comparison — put your current job first if you have one.
Disclaimer: Educational and planning use only. Results depend on what you enter and may not match your lender, your tax return, or professional accounting treatment. Informational content + opinions only — not tax/legal advice.