Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Compare two job offers properly — total compensation per REAL hour, with bonus, retirement match, benefits, PTO value, and commute time priced in. Base salary is a third of the story.
Quick answer: Offer value = salary + bonus + match + benefits + PTO value − commute cost, divided by real annual hours. A $95k offer with great benefits and a 10-minute commute routinely beats $105k with neither — this calculator shows exactly when.
The Comparison Framework
Total annual value = base + bonus (probability-weighted) + retirement match + benefits value + (PTO days × daily rate). Then the honesty step: divide by real annual hours — contracted hours plus expected overtime plus commute — for true hourly value. The spreadsheet-visible offer and the life-visible offer are different numbers.
Pricing the Soft Items
| Item | How to price |
|---|---|
| Health insurance | Premium difference you’d pay + deductible gap (US: often $5-15k swing) |
| Retirement match | Full match value if you’ll capture it — see the match math |
| Bonus | Target × historical payout % — ask "what did the team average last year?" |
| Extra PTO | Daily salary × extra days (5 days on $100k ≈ $1,900 of life) |
| Commute | Hours/week into the denominator + direct cost off the top — the commute calculator itemizes |
| Equity | Discount heavily by liquidity/vesting risk — paper is paper until it isn’t |
Worked Example
A: $95k + $12k benefits/match + 20 PTO days, 42 real hours. B: $105k + $4k + 12 days, 50 real hours (commute-heavy). Totals: A ≈ $114k vs B ≈ $113k — and per real hour A $52.2 vs B $43.5: a 20% hourly premium wearing a smaller headline.
Beyond the Numbers (Weight, Don’t Ignore)
Growth trajectory, manager quality, stability, remote flexibility, and title runway don’t fit the formula but compound harder than 10% of base. The tool’s job is making the FINANCIAL side honest so the qualitative call is made on real numbers — a 3% money gap shouldn’t veto a better boss; a 25% real-hourly gap deserves respect. Factor city cost differences for relocations before comparing at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare two job offers?
Total each: base + weighted bonus + match + benefits + PTO value, subtract commute costs, divide by real annual hours — compare totals AND per-hour values.
How much is health insurance worth in an offer?
The premium-plus-deductible difference between plans — commonly a $5-15k annual swing in the US, often bigger than the salary gap.
How do I value extra PTO days?
Daily salary × additional days: 5 extra days on $100k ≈ $1,900/year of paid life — plus the unpriced recovery value.
Should I count equity in an offer?
Discounted: public RSUs near face (minus volatility), private options at a deep haircut for liquidity and vesting risk.
When does the lower salary win?
Whenever benefits + hours + commute swing more than the base gap — the calculator’s per-real-hour line catches it instantly.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026