Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Two job offers side by side: salary, bonus, benefits, retirement match, the value of paid time off, and the cost and time of the commute, added up to a total yearly value for each and the difference between them.
Result…
How it's calculated
Retirement match = salary × match % (no more than the cap) Time off value = paid days off × salary ÷ working days a year Commute = commuting days × cost a day + commuting days × minutes ÷ 60 × value of an hour Total = salary + bonus + benefits + match + time off value − commute Difference = total B − total A
A higher salary is not always the better offer. Bonus, benefits, an employer's retirement contribution, extra days off and a shorter or cheaper commute can be worth thousands a year. This calculator puts two offers side by side using your own figures. It values the retirement match as a share of salary up to any cap, prices paid time off at a day's pay, and subtracts the yearly cost of commuting and, if you wish, the time spent on it at an hourly value you choose. It adds everything into a total yearly value for each offer and shows the difference, with each item broken out so you can see what drives the gap. Things money can't capture, such as the work itself, are left to you.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Job Offer Comparison calculator
This job offer comparison calculator puts two offers side by side and adds up what each is worth in a year. For each offer you enter the salary, an expected bonus, what the benefits are worth to you, the employer's retirement match as a percentage of salary with any yearly cap, the paid days off, and the commute: days travelled, cost per day and minutes per round trip. Paid time off is valued at a day's salary, and commute time at an hourly value you choose, or zero to leave it out. The calculator subtracts the commute from everything else to give a total yearly value for each offer and the difference between them, with every item broken out so you can see what drives the gap. All the figures are yours, and the results are before tax. To turn a salary into an hourly rate, use the salary to hourly calculator.
How to use it
- Enter “Offer A: yearly salary”, bonus and benefits value, then the same for offer B.
- Enter each offer's “retirement match (% of salary)” and “match cap a year” (0 for no cap).
- Enter the paid days off and the commute: days a year, cost a day and time a day for the round trip.
- Set the “Working days a year” and the “Value of an hour of your time”, then read the difference.
Worked example
Offer A pays 62,000 with a 3,000 bonus, 5,000 of benefits, a 3% match (1,860) and 25 days off (25 × 62,000 ÷ 260 = 5,961.54), with 220 commuting days at 9 a day and 70 minutes, valued at 12 an hour: 1,980 + 3,080. Its total is 72,761.54. Offer B pays 66,000, no bonus, 4,500 of benefits, a 5% match capped at 2,500, 20 days off (5,076.92) and 90 commuting days at 14 and 100 minutes (1,260 + 1,800). Its total is 75,016.92, so offer B is worth 2,255.38 more a year.
Updated
Questions people ask
How do I compare two job offers with different benefits?
Put a yearly value on each part: salary, bonus, benefits, the employer's retirement contribution and paid time off, then subtract the cost of getting to work. Adding these up for each offer shows which is worth more in money terms.
How do I value an employer retirement match?
Enter what the employer adds as a percentage of your salary, assuming you contribute enough to get all of it. A 50% match on contributions up to 6% of salary is worth 3% of salary; a yearly cap limits it further.
Why put a value on commuting time?
Hours spent travelling are hours you are not paid for. Valuing them at an hourly figure you choose makes a long commute show up as a real cost; set the value to 0 if you only want to count fares and fuel.
What is a common mistake when comparing job offers?
Comparing salaries alone. A slightly lower salary with a bigger retirement match, more days off or a much shorter commute can be worth more over a year, and a bonus that is not guaranteed may be worth less than its headline figure.
Does the comparison include tax or equity?
No. Values are before tax, and how salary, bonuses and benefits are taxed depends on the country and your situation. Stock grants, job security and career growth are left out too; for a big decision, a financial adviser can help you weigh them.