Job Offer Comparison Calculator (2026)
Compare two job offers on total compensation — base salary, bonus, 401(k) match, and PTO value. See which offer is really worth more, with every step of the math.
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How two offers are compared
Base salary is the loudest number in an offer letter, but it's only one of four cash-like components that decide what a job is actually worth. This calculator converts each offer into a single total compensation figure:
1. Base salary. The straightforward part — annual gross pay.
2. Annual bonus. We take the bonus at its target value (e.g., "10% target"). Treat it as what it is: an expected value, not a guarantee. If the bonus depends on company performance and you have no visibility into it, discount it mentally by 20–30%.
3. 401(k) employer match. Free money with strings attached. The calculator applies the match as a flat percentage of salary — enter the percentage of your salary the employer effectively contributes. Example: a plan that matches 50% of your contributions up to 6% of salary is a 3% match. The simplification ignores vesting schedules (see the FAQ), so check the vesting terms before counting this money.
4. PTO value. Each paid day off is valued at salary ÷ 260 (260 = 52 weeks × 5 workdays). Fifteen days off on a $100,000 salary is worth about $5,769 in this model. It's an employer's-cost valuation — read the FAQ for why your personal valuation may differ.
Add the four, compare the totals, and the calculator declares a winner with the dollar gap. Everything below the calculator explains what the number leaves out.
Worked example: Offer A vs Offer B
Offer A pays more base salary; Offer B compensates with a bigger bonus, a richer 401(k) match, and more vacation. Who wins?
| Component | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $100,000 | $95,000 |
| Annual bonus | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| 401(k) match (4% / 6% of salary) | $100,000 × 4% = $4,000 | $95,000 × 6% = $5,700 |
| PTO value (15 / 20 days @ salary ÷ 260) | $100,000 ÷ 260 × 15 = $5,769 | $95,000 ÷ 260 × 20 = $7,308 |
| Total compensation | $119,769 | $123,008 |
Offer B wins by $3,238 a year — despite the $5,000 lower base salary. This is exactly the trap the calculator exists to catch: the headline number lost.
What this comparison deliberately leaves out
No simplified model can price everything, so here is the honest inventory of what's missing:
- Income tax. This is a pre-tax comparison. State income tax alone can move the needle thousands of dollars — a higher salary in California or New York loses more to tax than the same salary in Texas or Florida. Run each offer's salary through our US take-home pay calculator for the after-tax picture.
- Health insurance. Premiums, deductibles, and HSA contributions differ wildly between employers (see FAQ).
- Equity. RSUs and stock options need their own valuation logic; they don't fit a percentage-of-salary model.
- Vesting. An unvested 401(k) match or unvested equity is a promise, not money.
- Lifestyle costs. Commute time and cost, remote-work flexibility, expected hours, and travel load are real compensation — a 45-minute commute each way costs you ~375 hours a year.
Using the result in a negotiation
Don't email HR the screenshot. Instead, translate the gap into one sentence: "Based on total compensation — base, bonus, match, and PTO — Offer B comes out about $3,200 ahead annually. Is there room to close that gap, perhaps on the sign-on bonus or base?" Sign-on bonuses are the easiest lever for employers because they're one-time; base salary is the hardest because it compounds into every future raise.
Data sources and assumptions
- Workdays per year: 260 (52 weeks × 5 days) — standard US assumption for PTO-day valuation.
- 401(k) match entered as a flat % of salary; vesting not modeled. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Compensation Survey, employer 401(k) costs average a few percent of wages — your offer letter's plan document is the authoritative source for your match.
- Pre-tax comparison; bonus taken at target value. All figures are estimates, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include health insurance when comparing two job offers?
Yes — and this calculator deliberately leaves it out so you add it consciously. Pull the employee premium from each offer's benefits summary, annualize it, and subtract it from that offer's total. A $200/month cheaper premium is $2,400 a year, which can flip a close comparison. Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums matter too, but they're harder to value; use the premium difference as the baseline.
How should I value stock options or RSUs in an offer?
RSUs (restricted stock units) at a public company are the easiest: take the grant's face value divided by the vesting years, then discount it 20–30% for the risk that the stock falls and the fact that you can't touch it until it vests. Stock options at a private startup are lottery tickets — value them at zero for comparison purposes unless you have real reason to believe in an exit. Never let a big headline equity number beat a big cash difference unless the equity is liquid.
Is a PTO day really worth a day's salary?
Not exactly, and the honest answer depends on you. The calculator values each PTO day at salary ÷ 260 workdays, which is what that day costs the employer. But you can only 'spend' a PTO day by not working — if you'd never take the time off anyway, its personal value to you is lower. Treat the PTO line as real but secondary: it breaks ties, it doesn't decide close races.
What about the 401(k) vesting schedule?
This is the most overlooked line in offer letters. Many employers match your 401(k) contributions but only let you keep the match after a vesting schedule — commonly 2–3 years of cliff or graded vesting. If you plan to leave in 18 months, an unvested match is worth $0 to you. Discount any match that vests after your realistic tenure, or ask the employer for immediate vesting as a negotiating point.
The totals are within a few thousand dollars. How do I decide?
A $2,000 gap on a $120,000 comparison is noise — taxes, insurance, and bonus uncertainty will swamp it. Decide on the intangibles: your manager, the growth trajectory, commute or remote flexibility, and which job you'd be prouder to do. Then use the winning offer's total as leverage: 'Offer B's total compensation is $X — can you close the gap?' is a much stronger sentence than 'can you raise the base by $3k?'
Estimates only, not tax or financial advice. Figures reflect the 2026 tax year. Verify important decisions with the IRS or a qualified tax professional.