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Pay & career / FREE CALCULATOR

Total compensation calculator

Separate the cash you expect to receive from equity and benefits. Then see how bonus eligibility and a signing payment change your first year.

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.

Your assumptions

$. Enter a value in $.

%. Percentage of annual base salary. Enter 20 for 20%.

%. Percentage of target achieved. 100 pays the full target; 50 pays half.

months. Prorates only the first-year bonus. First-year base, equity and benefits still assume 12 months.

$. Estimated value vesting in one year, not the entire multiyear grant.

$. Your estimate of noncash benefits; this is not spendable cash.

$. Enter a value in $.

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

02 / YOUR RESULT

Estimated first-year package

$150,000

Annual target bonus
$20,000
Full-year bonus at selected payout
$20,000
Prorated first-year bonus
$20,000
Recurring annual cash
$120,000
First-year cash
$130,000
Recurring annual package
$140,000
Annual equity vesting estimate
$15,000
Annual benefits estimate
$5,000
  • First-year base salary, equity and benefits assume a full 12 months. Bonus eligibility prorates only the first-year bonus; adjust the other inputs for your actual first year.
  • Equity and benefits are not cash pay. Vesting, share prices, plan terms, bonus discretion and signing-bonus repayment terms can change what you receive. No tax calculation is included.

THE METHOD

How this calculator works

Full-year bonus = base × target bonus % × payout %. First-year bonus = full-year bonus × eligible months ÷ 12. First-year cash = base + first-year bonus + signing bonus.

Compare cash and the wider package separately

Recurring cash combines base salary with the full-year bonus scenario. The package total also includes your annual equity and employer-benefit estimates. A package value is useful for comparison, but it is not the amount available in your bank account.

Enter only the equity value attributable to one year. Putting a four-year grant into the annual equity field overstates recurring compensation. Keep uncertain equity values visible as assumptions, and check any vesting conditions before treating employer contributions as yours.

First-year bonus can differ from the annual target

A 20% target bonus with a 75% payout produces 15% of base before any eligibility adjustment. Eligible months then reduce the first-year bonus only. The recurring view keeps a full year of eligibility so you can see the difference.

Signing bonus is added once. The first-year illustration assumes 12 months of base salary, equity and benefits; it is not a calendar-year payroll forecast for a midyear start. Actual eligibility cutoffs, repayment clauses and bonus calculations come from your offer and plan documents.

WORKED EXAMPLE

A $150,000 first-year package is not $150,000 cash

With $100,000 base, a 20% target bonus paid at 100%, 12 eligible months, $15,000 annual equity, $5,000 benefits and a $10,000 signing bonus, recurring cash is $120,000. First-year cash is $130,000; the first-year package including equity and benefits is $150,000.

Assumptions and limits

  • Bonus proration is a simple eligible-months scenario, not an interpretation of an employer policy.
  • Recurring compensation normalizes the bonus to 12 eligible months; first-year base, equity and benefits also assume a full year.
  • Equity and benefits are user-entered annual values and are not treated as spendable cash.
  • Results exclude taxes, equity price changes, vesting forfeitures and signing-bonus repayment obligations.

Common questions

What should I include in total compensation?

For this comparison, enter annual base, the bonus scenario, annual equity value and employer-paid benefits you want to value. Keep your own salary-funded retirement contributions out of employer benefits to avoid counting the same compensation twice.

How is a prorated bonus calculated?

This tool multiplies the full-year bonus by eligible months divided by 12. Your employer may instead use days, an eligibility cutoff or a different salary basis. Enter the scenario that matches the written terms.

Why are first-year and recurring compensation different?

A signing bonus is a one-time payment, while first-year bonus eligibility may cover fewer than 12 months. Showing both helps reveal whether a strong initial package depends on money that will not repeat.

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.