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Pay & career / FREE CALCULATOR

Job offer comparison calculator

Put two offers on the same basis. Compare annual cash, signing bonus, equity, work costs and working hours before deciding which tradeoffs matter to you.

2–5 min · No sign-upHow it works
01 / INPUTS

Set your assumptions

Start with the example, then use your own numbers. Dollar amounts are in USD.

Offer A

$. Enter a value in $.

%. Percentage of annual base; this scenario assumes the entered bonus is paid.

hours. Effective hourly cash uses these hours across 52 weeks.

$. Noncash estimate, kept separate from cash pay.

$. Included only in first-year cash.

$. Commuting and other incremental work costs. No tax deductions are estimated.

Offer B

$. Enter a value in $.

%. Percentage of annual base; this scenario assumes the entered bonus is paid.

hours. Effective hourly cash uses these hours across 52 weeks.

$. Noncash estimate, kept separate from cash pay.

$. Included only in first-year cash.

$. Commuting and other incremental work costs. No tax deductions are estimated.

Calculator values stay in this page. No account or email required.

02 / YOUR RESULT

Offer B recurring cash difference

$1,000

Offer B minus Offer A, before tax

Offer A recurring cash
$120,000
Offer B recurring cash
$121,000
Offer A effective hourly cash
$38.46
Offer B effective hourly cash
$51.71
Show the work
ComparisonOffer AOffer B
Recurring annual cash$120,000$121,000
First-year cash including signing bonus$130,000$121,000
Annual equity vesting estimate$10,000$5,000
Recurring cash plus equity$130,000$126,000
Gross recurring cash less work costs$117,000$120,000
Effective hourly gross cash$38.46$51.71
  • Hourly cash divides recurring cash by weekly hours × 52 weeks. Equity and signing bonuses are excluded from this hourly figure.
  • Work costs are subtracted from gross cash only for comparison, not to estimate take-home pay. Taxes, benefits, job security, vesting and career fit can change your decision.

THE METHOD

How this calculator works

Recurring cash = base × (1 + bonus %). First-year cash = recurring cash + signing bonus. Effective hourly cash = recurring cash ÷ (weekly hours × 52).

Separate a higher offer from a better fit

Compare recurring cash first, then look at the first-year payment and annual equity estimate. A large signing bonus can reverse the year-one ranking without changing which job pays more in later years.

The hours row gives a second lens. Use realistic annual averages rather than the quietest week either team described. This model uses 52 weeks consistently for both offers and excludes signing payments and equity from the hourly cash calculation.

Use the result to ask sharper questions

Work costs can include the extra commute, parking or other recurring costs caused by a role. Cash less work costs is a simple comparison, not take-home pay: salary is still gross and no tax treatment is applied.

Check bonus certainty, vesting, repayment terms and benefits with each employer. Growth opportunities, team quality, commute time, flexibility and role content remain separate judgments. The tool shows the arithmetic without assigning a universal winner.

WORKED EXAMPLE

More first-year cash, fewer dollars per hour

Offer A has $100,000 base, a 20% bonus, a $10,000 signing bonus and 60-hour weeks. Offer B has $110,000 base, a 10% bonus, no signing bonus and 45-hour weeks. A pays $130,000 cash in year one versus B’s $121,000, but recurring hourly cash is $38.46 for A and $51.71 for B.

Assumptions and limits

  • Both offers represent a full year. Enter a realistic cash bonus scenario; no payout probability is inferred.
  • The hourly comparison uses 52 weeks and excludes equity, benefits and signing payments.
  • Work costs are user-entered annual expenses. Subtracting them does not calculate after-tax income.
  • All money must use the same currency. Dollar formatting does not perform currency conversion.

Common questions

Which offer should I choose?

The calculator shows financial tradeoffs, not a recommendation. Use the result alongside the work itself, manager, career path, location and personal priorities. A larger cash number does not settle those questions.

How should I compare an uncertain bonus?

Run separate scenarios, including zero and a level supported by the written offer or reliable information. The percentage you enter is treated as the cash bonus for that scenario, not a guaranteed payment.

Can I include stock and benefits?

Enter annual equity value in its own field. This comparison does not value benefit plans; compare those separately or use the total compensation calculator. Do not put the whole value of a multi-year equity grant into a single year.

Sources and methodology

Reviewed November 6, 2026. Sources support the method described above. Examples are illustrative; results depend on your inputs and require your review.