Job Offer Comparison Calculator

Last updated July 2, 2026

Comparing two job offers by base salary is like comparing two apartments by square footage — it's a starting point, not a conclusion. A $90,000 offer with a 5 percent 401k match, employer-paid health insurance, and three weeks of PTO is worth meaningfully more than a $95,000 offer with no match, employee-paid health insurance running $400 per month, and two weeks off. The math: the lower-salary job is worth roughly $101,000 in total annual compensation once the $4,500 match and $4,800 in insurance savings are counted, compared to about $89,000 for the higher-salary role. Most professionals who compare only base salaries choose the wrong offer at some point in their careers.

The components that move the needle most are 401k matching, health insurance contributions, equity, and commute. Employer 401k matching is effectively untaxed compensation — a 4 percent match on a $80,000 salary is $3,200 per year that you don't have to earn or save yourself. Health insurance premium differences between employers can easily range $3,000 to $7,000 annually. For fully remote versus in-office roles, the commute calculation adds another $3,000 to $8,000 per year depending on distance. Cost of living differences between cities matter too — a $200,000 salary in San Francisco has dramatically different purchasing power than $200,000 in Austin, and after-tax take-home differs significantly between high- and no-income-tax states.

A job offer comparison is clearest when both packages are converted to total annual compensation: base plus bonus plus 401k match plus insurance value plus PTO plus equity, minus commute costs. The offer with the lower base salary wins more often than most people expect, and the comparison often reveals negotiating room that a salary-only view would miss entirely.