Job offer comparison calculator
Enter two offers to see yearly pay, the one-time sign-on bonus, commute cost and pay per hour of work, side by side. It adds up what you type and does not estimate tax or benefits. The numbers shown first are made-up examples.
The numbers below are made-up examples. Replace them with your two offers, or clear them all.
Base salary per year
Bonus per year
Sign-on bonus (one time)
Other yearly value you count
For example an employer retirement match, in dollars.
Paid time off (days)
Paid holidays (days)
Hours per week
Days in the office per week
0 for fully remote, 5 for every day.
Round trip to the office
Cost per mile
Minutes each way
The IRS publishes $0.76 a mile for business use of a car from July 1 to December 31, 2026. It is a published reference, not what your commute costs you. Change it to your own figure.
Source: IRS: Standard mileage rates, checked on .
Offer A pays more every year after commute cost, by
$7,825
| Measure | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Year one, after commute costincludes the sign-on bonus | $101,475higher | $83,650 |
| Every year after, after commute cost | $91,475higher | $83,650 |
| Pay per hour workedbefore commute cost | $50.53higher | $47.22 |
| Pay per hour of work plus commuteafter commute cost | $44.07 | $44.61higher |
| Commute cost per year | $3,525 | $1,350 |
| Commute time per year | 196 hours | 75 hours |
| Days worked per year | 235 | 225 |
Every figure is before tax. It leaves out health insurance, equity, cost of living and everything you cannot put a dollar amount on.
How each measure is worked out
| Measure | How it is worked out |
|---|---|
| Ongoing pay | Base salary + bonus + other yearly value |
| Year-one pay | Ongoing pay + sign-on bonus |
| Days worked | 260 weekdays − paid time off − paid holidays |
| Hours worked | Days worked × hours per week ÷ 5 |
| Commute cost | Days in the office × round-trip miles × cost per mile |
| Pay per hour of work | Ongoing pay ÷ hours worked |
| Pay per hour of work plus commute | (Ongoing pay − commute cost) ÷ (hours worked + hours commuting) |
Days in the office are the days worked times the office days per week divided by five. Hours commuting are the days in the office times two trips times the minutes each way.
The tool opens with two made-up offers. The first pays more every year; the second has more days off and fewer days in the office, so it pays more for each hour of work plus commute. That is why the table shows four measures and not one.
How do I compare two job offers?
Put the same facts for each offer in the same row: base salary, bonus, sign-on bonus, paid time off, paid holidays, hours per week, days in the office and the commute. Then read the measures that matter to you. Yearly pay tells you what you earn. Pay per hour of work tells you what your time earns. The commute shows what the office costs you in money and hours. No single number decides; the table shows where the offers differ.
What is the difference between year-one pay and ongoing pay?
A sign-on bonus is paid once, so it counts in the first year but not in the years after. Base salary and a yearly bonus repeat. The calculator shows both: year-one pay includes the sign-on bonus, and every year after leaves it out. An offer with a large sign-on bonus can look better in the first year and worse from the second.
How is the commute cost counted?
The days you work in the office each year, times the round-trip miles, times your cost per mile. Days in the office are the days worked in the year (260 weekdays minus paid time off and paid holidays) times the office days per week divided by five. The time is the days in the office times two trips times the minutes each way. The IRS publishes a business mileage rate that you can use as a starting point, but it is not what your commute costs, so change it to your own figure.
Why can the better offer change with the measure?
Because an offer can pay more per year and still pay less per hour. In the example above, the first offer pays $7,825 more a year after commute cost, but it asks for five office days and fewer days off, so each hour of work plus commute pays $44.07 against $44.61 for the second. Neither measure is the right one for everyone; they answer different questions.
What does this calculator leave out?
Tax, health insurance, retirement rules, equity and stock, cost of living in a new city, career growth, the people you would work with and how much you would like the work. Some of these can be given a dollar value and typed into the row called other yearly value; the rest are for you to write down next to the table and weigh yourself. Take-home pay can differ a lot between two places with the same salary.
Questions about job offer comparison
Does the comparison include taxes?
No. Every figure is before tax. Taxes depend on where you live and your situation, and the calculator does not estimate them.
How do I put a value on benefits?
Type the amount in dollars you would otherwise pay yourself, such as an employer’s share of a retirement contribution, in the row called other yearly value. Leave out anything you cannot price.
How do I compare an hourly job with a salaried one?
Convert the hourly rate to a yearly amount with the hourly to salary calculator, then enter it as the base salary. Set the hours per week of the hourly job in the row below.
What if one of the jobs is fully remote?
Set the days in the office per week to 0. The commute cost and time become zero for that offer.
Can I compare offers in different currencies?
Not in one table, because the calculator does not convert currencies. Convert both offers to the same currency first, with a rate you trust, and enter the results.
Should I always take the higher-paying offer?
That is your decision. The calculator shows what the numbers say; it cannot weigh what you value, such as growth, people or flexibility.
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Sources and limits
- IRS: Standard mileage rates
The business-use rate is 76 cents per mile from July 1 to December 31, 2026; it was 72.5 cents from January 1 to June 30, 2026. It is a rate the IRS publishes for business use of a car, not a measure of what your own commute costs you.
U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Opened on .
Rule of thumb: A work year of 260 weekdays (52 weeks times 5 days) is a convention. Paid time off and paid holidays are taken out of it to get the days you work. If your calendar differs, change the days off.
These tools help you organize a job search. They do not guarantee a job, an interview or an offer, and nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Nothing you type is sent from your browser.