Compare two offers on what you actually keep — after federal and state tax, minus the commute, plus the retirement match and paid time off.
Each row below is produced by the same engine that runs above, so the numbers match what you get if you enter those inputs yourself. Click a button to load one.
| Scenario | Offer A total value | Offer B total value | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| $95,000 base, 10% bonus, 5% match, 30-min commute (TX) | $83,562 | $62,624 | Offer A by $20,938 |
| $140,000 base, no bonus, 6% match, remote (WA) | $114,616 | $111,854 | Offer A by $2,762 |
| $72,000 base, 5% bonus, 3% match, 45-min commute (CA) | $48,557 | $52,409 | Offer B by $3,852 |
"Total value" is after-tax base pay plus after-tax bonus plus employer match plus the value of PTO above a 10-day baseline, minus commute cost. It does not include health premiums, equity, or cost-of-living differences on rent — add those separately.
Two offers with the same headline salary can differ by $8,000–$15,000 a year in what actually reaches your bank account. The gap comes from five places, in rough order of size:
The model deliberately assumes a flat 5% 401(k) deferral on both offers so the comparison stays apples-to-apples: whatever you contribute, you contribute the same percentage either way. Raise or lower it and both columns move together. The employer match is added back as compensation because it is money you keep, even though it is not spendable until retirement.
Four items are usually large enough to flip a close decision, so price them separately before you accept:
Use this calculator any time an offer letter contains more than one number. That covers most real offers: a base salary plus a bonus target, a retirement match stated as a percentage, and a benefits package whose value you have to ask about. It is especially useful in three situations.
Competing offers at the same time. When two employers are deciding within the same week, you have no room to discover after the fact that the higher salary carried a weaker match and a two-hour commute. Compute the after-tax total, then negotiate on the line item that is actually short — a $3,000 raise request is easier to grant than a change to the 401(k) plan, so ask for salary if salary is the gap and ask for a signing bonus if the gap is one-time.
Comparing a current job against a new one. Enter your present compensation into Offer A, including the match you already receive, and the new offer into Offer B. The difference is your true raise. A move that looks like a 12% increase on paper is often a 4–6% increase once state tax, commute and a weaker match are netted out.
Evaluating a remote offer. Remote work converts commute cost and time into compensation. A remote offer $7,000 below an on-site offer frequently wins on total value, and it does so before you count the 250 hours a year of unpaid commuting time. That time is not in the calculation above because it has no cash value; value it yourself at whatever your hourly rate is.
The calculator reports one number per offer and a single verdict: which offer pays more after tax and by how much. Three details are worth understanding before you act on it.
"Total value" is not your paycheck. It includes the employer match and the value of PTO above ten days, neither of which arrives in your bank account this month. Look at the after-tax base figure if you are budgeting monthly expenses; look at total value if you are deciding which job to take. Both are shown so you can use the right one for the question you are asking.
A small gap is not a decision. A difference under about 3% of total compensation is inside the noise of any model like this — bonus payouts vary, commute costs are estimates, and state tax has brackets the flat rate only approximates. Treat anything under that threshold as a tie and decide on the things this calculator cannot see: manager quality, growth path, and whether the work is something you want to do for three years.
Negotiate before you compare. This tool tells you which offer is better as written. Offers are routinely improved by 5–10% simply for asking, so run the comparison, identify the shortfall, and ask for it before you sign. A $6,000 improvement on a $95,000 offer changes the answer far more often than the model's own precision does.
⚠ Important Note: This comparison is an estimate built on 2026 single-filer federal brackets, the Social Security wage base, and a flat state rate you supply. It ignores health premiums, equity, cost-of-living differences, local taxes, and pre-tax deductions other than a 5% 401(k) deferral. Use it to rank offers, not to predict a paycheck — confirm final numbers with the employers' benefits summaries and a tax professional before you sign.