Job Offer Comparison

How to use the Job Offer Comparison

1. Add your first job offer and enter the compensation details: base salary, signing bonus, annual bonus, equity, and benefits value.
2. Add additional offers and fill in the same details for each one.
3. Enter any recurring costs like commute expenses that should be subtracted from the total.
4. Review the side-by-side comparison to see which offer provides the highest total effective compensation.

Why cost-of-living adjustment changes the answer more than people expect

A $95,000 offer in a lower-cost city can represent meaningfully more real purchasing power than a $115,000 offer in an expensive one, once housing and general cost-of-living differences are factored in. The headline salary gap frequently understates or overstates the actual difference depending on the specific cities involved. This is the single most common reason people misjudge a remote or relocation offer against a local one, and it's worth checking explicitly rather than assuming a bigger number is automatically the better deal.

Frequently asked questions

How does the cost-of-living adjustment work?

It scales one offer's value based on typical cost-of-living differences between the two locations, giving you a rough "what this salary would be worth in the other city" comparison rather than comparing raw numbers across different markets.

Should I weigh equity/stock offers the same as guaranteed salary?

No. Equity, especially at private companies, carries real uncertainty (vesting schedules, company performance, liquidity) that guaranteed salary doesn't; treat equity as a bonus scenario in your comparison rather than as equivalent, dollar-for-dollar, guaranteed compensation.

What about intangibles like career growth or work-life balance?

This tool compares the quantifiable factors; intangibles matter just as much in a real decision but don't reduce to a number. Use the calculator to settle the financial comparison, then weigh the rest separately.