Job Offer & Compensation Decisions
Compare job offers apples-to-apples, evaluate whether a promotion is financially worth it, and understand the true value of your benefits.
Why Base Salary Is a Misleading Number
Two job offers can have the same base salary and differ by $15,000 or more in actual value. The gap comes from benefits that are hard to compare: different PTO allowances, health insurance quality, retirement matching percentages, equity grants, and commute costs. Most people default to comparing base salary because the other numbers are difficult to convert into a single figure.
That is exactly what these tools are designed to do. Each calculator isolates one component of total compensation and converts it into an annual dollar value so you can compare offers on equal terms.
The Components of Total Compensation
- Base salary: The headline number. Important, but typically only 60-80% of total compensation for mid-career professionals.
- Paid time off: An extra week of PTO at a $90,000 salary is worth roughly $1,730. Three weeks versus five weeks is a $3,460 difference most people never calculate.
- Retirement matching: A 6% match on a $90,000 salary is $5,400 per year in free money. Some employers vest this immediately, others over 3-4 years.
- Health insurance: Employer-sponsored family plans can be worth $10,000-$20,000 annually. The difference between a high-deductible plan and a PPO can be thousands in out-of-pocket costs.
- Promotion trajectory: A lower starting salary with a clear 18-month promotion path can outperform a higher starting salary in a flat organization within 3 years.
Which Tool Should You Start With?
If you are actively choosing between two offers, start with the Job Offer Comparison tool — it takes both packages side by side and calculates total compensation including benefits. Use the PTO Value Calculator when vacation policies differ significantly. The Salary Increase Calculator helps you evaluate whether a raise or promotion matches inflation and market movement. And if you are considering leaving a job entirely, the Quit Calculator and Layoff Survival Calculator help you understand your financial runway.
For a complete walkthrough of the comparison methodology, read our guide on how to compare two job offers correctly.
Compensation & Career Tools
Salary Increase & Raise Calculator
Calculate the percentage increase, total annual jump, and monthly impact of a salary raise or new job offer.
Job Offer Comparison Tool
Compare two job offers by looking at the total compensation including bonuses, equity, and benefits side-by-side.
Is My Promotion Worth It? Break-Even Calculator
Calculate if a promotion is actually worth the extra hours. Find your break-even salary and see if your effective hourly rate goes up or down.
When Can I Quit? Calculator
Calculate when you can realistically quit your job based on savings, expenses, and investment returns.
Layoff Survival Calculator
Calculate your financial runway and determine how long you can survive without a regular paycheck.
How Much Is Your PTO Worth? Vacation Value Calculator
Calculate the exact dollar value of your paid time off. Compare PTO packages between job offers and understand what each vacation day is really worth.
Burnout Cost Calculator
Quantify the financial cost of overworking and see your 'true' hourly rate when working beyond your optimal hours.