About this calculator
Comparing job offers is harder than it looks. Base salary, signing bonus, annual bonus, equity (vesting over time), 401(k) match, healthcare value, and PTO all carry different weights and risks. This calculator normalizes everything into an annualized total comp number with a configurable risk discount on equity.
How equity is discounted
A $100,000 equity grant vesting over 4 years isn't worth $25k/year cash because it might never materialize. Stock can drop, you can leave before vesting, or the company can go bankrupt. The default 30% risk discount in this calculator is appropriate for established public companies; private startups deserve 50–80%+ discounts; pre-Series-B startups should arguably be valued at zero for planning purposes.
What this calculator doesn't model
- Cost of living differences — see the Relocation Salary calculator.
- Career trajectory — a $130k role at a hot company that promotes fast may beat a $160k role at a stagnant one over 5 years.
- Manager quality — the single biggest determinant of day-to-day happiness, impossible to value financially.
- Optionality — a role at a famous company opens doors years later that a less-known company doesn't.
Negotiation framing
When you have two offers, share the better total comp number (not the components) and ask the lower offer to match. Companies negotiate against numbers, not feelings. If both offers are within 5%, take the one with the better growth trajectory or manager — the financial difference is noise vs the career-shaping difference.