CompareMage

Work and career

Job Offer Comparison

Stack two offers as cash, match, health cost, commute, and a PTO cash equivalent so the headline salary is not the only number.

Decision: After benefits and commute, which offer is worth more in dollars?

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Offer A — closer commute

Offer A

Offer B — higher salary

Offer B

Comparison result

Offer A — closer commute has a higher calculated net annual value.

Net value is cash plus match minus health premiums and commute. PTO is shown as a salary-day equivalent and is not added twice. The $1,460.00 gap (1.7%) is a snapshot, not hiring advice.

Higher net annual value
Offer A — closer commute
Net difference
$1,460.00
Percent difference
1.7%
Offer comparison
OfferCash + bonusMatchHealth + commuteNet annualPTO cash equivalentEffective hourly
Offer A — closer commute$90,000.00$2,700.00$5,400.00$87,300.00$5,192.31$41.97
Offer B — higher salary$96,000.00$3,840.00$14,000.00$85,840.00$7,384.62$41.27

How to read the result

The higher net annual value is more calculated cash after the costs you listed. Career fit, risk, and unpaid hours still have to be weighed separately.

Calculated facts

Totals, differences, and break-even figures come only from the values on this page. They describe the math, not what you should do.

Decision factors

Fit, risk, time, quality, and personal constraints stay outside the calculator. A cheaper path can still be the wrong path for those reasons.

Methodology

Cash compensation is base plus bonus. Retirement match is base × match percent. Net annual value is cash plus match minus health premiums minus commute. Effective hourly is net annual value divided by hours × weeks. PTO cash value is (base / workdays) × PTO days and is shown as a decision aid, not added twice.

Assumptions

  • You receive the bonus and match you entered.
  • Health premium is your employee share, not the employer’s full premium.
  • Commute cost is the out-of-pocket amount you enter, not a standard mileage table.

Examples

Closer job with lower salary

A $90,000 offer with a $2,400 health premium and $3,000 commute nets $84,600 before bonus. A $96,000 offer with $6,000 health and $8,000 commute nets $82,000. The lower salary can still be ahead on cash.

Match matters

A 4% match on $80,000 adds $3,200 if you contribute enough to receive it. Enter 0 if you will not participate.

How to use it

  1. Enter base pay, expected bonus, match percent, and your share of health premiums.
  2. Add commute cost and days, hours, and PTO.
  3. Compare cash, net after health and commute, and effective hourly.

Limits

  • Equity, signing bonuses, and relocation are omitted unless you add them to bonus.
  • This is not tax, immigration, or employment advice.

Questions

Why is PTO shown separately from net value?

Paid time off is already inside the salary. The PTO cash equivalent is a way to see how many salary-days you can take off. It is not added again into net annual value, which would double-count.

How is the retirement match calculated?

Base salary times the match percent you enter. If your plan matches 50% of a 6% contribution, enter 3. The tool does not look up plan rules.

Should I choose the offer with the higher net value?

Not automatically. Growth, manager quality, visa needs, and schedule are decision factors. The net figure is a calculated cash snapshot.

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