Base salary is rarely the difference
Two offers five thousand apart on base can be twenty thousand apart once everything else is counted. The components that move the number most, in rough order of size for a typical salaried role: employer retirement contribution, employer health premium contribution, target bonus, equity, and paid time off. An offer that is $8,000 lower on base but includes a 6% match instead of 3%, covers the family health premium instead of employee-only, and gives 25 days of leave instead of 15 is usually the better offer.
What each input means
- Sign-on bonus — counted in full in year one. It disappears in year two, so an offer that wins only on sign-on is winning once. Check the clawback period before you weight it.
- Target bonus — the percentage of base you get at full performance. Ask what percentage of target was actually paid in each of the last three years; "up to 20%" that pays out at 40% of target is a 8% bonus.
- Equity per year — divide the total grant by the vesting period. A $200,000 grant over four years is $50,000 a year, and only if you stay four years and the valuation holds.
- Retirement match — the employer's contribution as a percentage of your base. This is real money, most people undercount it, and vesting schedules vary.
- Employer health contribution — the annual premium the employer pays. Mostly a US concern; for UK, Canada and Australia use private cover or health insurance allowance if offered.
- Cost-of-living index — 100 is the national average. If you'd be moving to a city that costs 30% more, enter 130 and the adjusted figure will show what the money is actually worth there.
Why commute time is in the calculation
A 45-minute each-way commute five days a week is about 375 unpaid hours a year — more than nine full working weeks. Counting those hours against the compensation is the only honest way to compare a hybrid role against a fully remote one. The per-hour figure here divides total compensation, minus your annual commute cost, by every hour you actually give up: contracted hours plus door-to-door travel.
Market-specific things to check
- United States — 401(k) match and vesting schedule, health premium for your actual coverage tier, whether PTO is accrued or unlimited (unlimited PTO has no cash-out value), and state income tax if you're comparing across state lines.
- United Kingdom — employer pension contribution above the 3% statutory minimum, whether salary is quoted with or without a car allowance, and holiday entitlement above the 28-day statutory minimum including bank holidays.
- Canada — RRSP matching or a defined contribution plan, health and dental coverage where provincial plans stop, and vacation above the provincial minimum of two to three weeks.
- Australia — confirm whether the figure quoted is base or total package including superannuation. The 11.5% superannuation guarantee means "$120,000 package" and "$120,000 plus super" differ by roughly $13,800.
The factors this can't price
Rate them honestly and set the weight slider to match how much you trust your own read. Manager quality is the single strongest predictor of whether you'll still be in the job in two years, and no compensation model captures it. So is the stability of the employer, how close the work is to what you want to do next, and whether the team has a pattern of promoting from within. If the two offers land within a few percent of each other on money, the money is not the decision.
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FAQ
How much do two offers usually differ once benefits are counted?
On US mid-level roles, commonly $5,000 to $15,000 a year, driven mostly by the retirement match, the employer health contribution and paid leave. Two offers that look $5,000 apart on base very often are not, in either direction.
How do I compare a US 401(k) with a UK pension, Canadian RRSP or Australian super?
Enter the employer contribution as a percentage of base in the retirement field — the market selector only changes the label. For Australia, check first whether the quoted figure includes the 11.5% superannuation guarantee: "$120,000 package" and "$120,000 plus super" differ by roughly $13,800.
What should I enter for unlimited PTO?
The number of days you realistically expect to take, which at most employers is 12 to 18 rather than the 25 the policy implies. Unlimited PTO also has no accrued cash-out value when you leave, which matters in US states where accrued leave is otherwise payable.
Does this take tax into account?
No — every figure is gross. Moving between US states, UK and Scottish bands, Canadian provinces or into Australia changes take-home pay considerably, so run the two totals through a local tax calculator before you treat the verdict as final.