Total Compensation Offer Comparison Calculator
Total compensation calculator for salary, bonus, equity, and benefits.
Use this compensation package calculator to include salary, bonus, equity, 401(k), insurance value, PTO policy, and annualized one-time bonuses.
Compare Offers With Full Compensation Math
Offer comparison is unreliable when based only on base pay. Normalize bonus, equity vesting, and benefits to compare offers on a consistent basis.
Comparison scenarios
- Large-company offer vs startup offer
- Remote offer with lower base but stronger equity
- Counteroffer analysis during job transition
Comparison Results
- Side-by-side style breakdown inputs you can adjust quickly
- Recurring comp clarity beyond headline salary
- A cleaner basis for accept, reject, or negotiate
Your Pre-Tax Total Comp
Estimated annual compensation (pre-tax, with one-time amortized)
$142,200.00
Non-base components represent 16% of total annual compensation.
Based on
- • $120,000.00 annual base pay
- • Bonus target 10%, payout 100%
- • One-time bonuses amortized over 2.5 years
- • 401(k) match vesting applied at 100%
- • Health benefit value adjusted to 100% realized value
- • Equity type: none, vesting over 4 years
Base Pay
Bonus & Variable Pay
Equity (Optional)
Benefits & Perks
Set to 100% if you expect to capture the full employer match.
Use lower values if you are on a parent/spouse plan or the coverage has low practical value.
More perks & PTO▾
Include PTO value
Optional — adds paid time off as cash value.
One-Time Payments
One-time payouts are annualized over this horizon for true pre-tax comp comparison.
Career Growth Assumptions
Future upside is not guaranteed, but this helps model expected compensation trajectory and work/life hourly tradeoffs.
Total Annualized (Pre-Tax)
$142,200.00
Salary + Bonus + Equity + Benefits + Annualized One-Time
Equivalent Hourly
$68.37/hr
40 hrs/wk
Total Compensation Summary
Annualized Total Comp
$142,200.00
Includes one-time bonus amortization
Year 1 Total
$142,200.00
Includes full one-time payments in year one
3-Year Projection
$155,385.78
Assumes 3% annual raises and 0% promotion bump
Monthly Value
$11,850.00
Biweekly Value
$5,469.23
Effective Hourly
$68.37
Breakdown
Notes & Assumptions
- Total compensation is calculated on a pre-tax basis for consistent annual valuation.
- One-time payments are annualized over 2.5 years and added to annualized total comp.
- Annualized equity assumes straight-line vesting over 4 years.
- 401(k) match is discounted by vesting: 100% recognized value.
- Employer health cost is adjusted to your realized value: 100%.
- PTO cash value is based on policy: not included.
- Hourly equivalent uses 2080 hours per year.
- 3-year projected annualized comp with raises/promotions: $155,385.78 ($74.70/hr).
This tool is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute professional financial, tax, or legal advice. Calculations are estimates and may not reflect real-world variables or local regulations. Always consult with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Methodology and Trust
Formulas
Annual base
annualBase = baseSalary
Expected bonus
bonusExpected = annualBase × (bonusTarget / 100) × (bonusPayout / 100)
Equity annualized
equityAnnual = (equityGrantValue ÷ vestingYears) + rsuRefresherAnnual
One-time annualized
oneTimeAnnualized = (signingBonus + relocationBonus + otherOneTime) ÷ expectedTenureYears
Pre-tax annual total comp
recurringAnnual = annualBase + bonusExpected + commission + equityAnnual + benefitsAnnual + oneTimeAnnualized
Year 1 total cash value
yearOneTotal = recurringCoreAnnual + signingBonus + relocationBonus + otherOneTime
Current output: annualized total comp $142,200.00, year 1 total $142,200.00
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Your Salary is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Key Insights & Concepts
When people ask "How much do you make?", they usually answer with their base salary. But in the modern economy—especially in tech, finance, and healthcare—your base salary might only be 50% to 60% of your actual earnings.
This tool helps you reveal your Total Compensation (TC). Understanding this number is critical for career planning, salary discussions, and financial decisions.
2026 Total Compensation Framework (Pre-Tax)
- Base salary: treat as guaranteed cash for annual total comp.
- Sign-on / relocation: annualize over expected tenure (common assumption: 2-3 years).
- RSUs: treat as cash on vesting schedule; include expected refreshers.
- Stock options: use intrinsic value with probability or a Black-Scholes input for fair-value modeling.
- Cash performance bonus: use realistic expected payout, not just target.
- 401(k) match: include full match potential, then adjust for vesting risk.
- Vacation: unlimited PTO is usually $0 cash-out; accrued PTO may have payout caps.
- Insurance: personalize value instead of blindly using employer cost.
- Perks: include them, but avoid over-weighting small stipends.
- Hourly total comp + growth: track effective hourly value and model raises/promotions separately.
The Five Pillars of Compensation
1. Base Salary
Reliable, recurring cash. The foundation of your lifestyle. Taxed as ordinary income.
2. Short-Term Incentives (Bonus)
Performance bonuses, signing bonuses, commission. Variable but powerful.
3. Long-Term Incentives (Equity)
RSUs, Stock Options, Phantom Stock. Often the source of true wealth creation.
4. Benefits & Perks
Health insurance, 401k match, HSA, free meals, gym stipends. "Invisible" money.
5. One-Time Payments
Sign-on bonus, relocation package, retention awards. Amortize over expected tenure.
Valuing Equity: Paper Money?
Equity is the most complex part of TC.
- Public RSUs: As good as cash. If you get $100k in Apple RSUs vesting over 4 years, that's $25k/year visible income.
- Private Options (Startups): High risk, high reward. A "million dollar" option grant could be worth $0 if the company fails, or $10M if it IPOs. Rule of thumb: Discount private equity value by 50-75% for conservative planning.
The "Invisible" 30%
HR professionals often cite that benefits cost a company 30% above base salary. If you make $100k, you likely cost the company $130k.
Example: Great Benefits vs. Bad Benefits
- Company A: $110k Salary. 0% 401k match. $500/mo health premium.
- Company B: $100k Salary. 5% 401k match ($5k). $0 health premium (saves $6k/yr). Free lunch ($3k/yr).
- Winner: Company B's package is effectively worth $114k, beating Company A despite the lower salary.
Related Compensation Tools
Key Insights & Concepts
Use these pages to move from gross offer value to practical take-home decisions.
- Salary Converter to normalize annual, monthly, and hourly pay before package comparison.
- Paycheck Calculator to estimate take-home pay after taxes and deductions.
- Bonus Tax Calculator to model realistic net value from bonus-heavy offers.
- Stock Option Calculator to stress-test option value under different exit and probability assumptions.