Job Offer Comparison Calculator
A higher wage is not always the better offer. Compare two jobs by what they leave you with in a year after tax, benefits, time off and the drive to work.
Verdict
—
| A year | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay (with overtime and bonus) | ||
| Take-home after tax and premiums | ||
| Your 401(k) savings | ||
| Employer 401(k) match | ||
| Paid time off (at your rate) | ||
| Commute | ||
| Worth to you | ||
| Take-home per paycheck (every two weeks) |
The commute uses the IRS business mileage rate of 76¢ a mile for 2026 unless you change it. Paid days off are valued at 8 hours of pay.
Figures are estimates for tax year 2026, rules checked October 12, 2026. They leave out local income taxes, tax credits and W-4 adjustments, so your paycheck can differ. Not tax or legal advice.
How it's calculated
- Gross pay a year: hourly rate (plus any shift differential) × hours × 52, overtime hours at 1.5 times the rate, plus the bonus; or the salary plus the bonus.
- Take-home: gross pay minus your 401(k) contribution, your health premium, federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax, as in the paycheck calculator.
- Savings: your own 401(k) contribution, plus the employer match on base pay, up to the percentage you put in.
- Paid time off: days × 8 hours × the hourly rate (a salary ÷ 2,080 hours).
- Commute: round-trip miles × days a week × 52 × the cost per mile.
Example above: offer A pays $22 an hour with a 4% match, 10 days off and a 40-mile round trip; offer B pays $21 with 5 hours of overtime a week, a costlier health plan, 5 days off and a 12-mile trip. Offer B is worth $7,478 more a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare two job offers?
Put both on a yearly basis: take-home pay after tax, plus your 401(k) savings and the employer match, plus the value of paid time off, minus what the commute costs. In the example on this page, the $21 job with overtime is worth $7,478 more a year than the $22 job once the match, health premiums, time off and a long commute are counted.
What is a 401(k) match worth?
The match is free money on top of your pay: with a 4% match and a 5% contribution on $45,760 a year, the employer adds $1,830. You get the full match only if you contribute at least the matched percentage.
How much is a paid day off worth?
A day's pay: 8 hours times your hourly rate. Five extra paid days at $20 an hour are worth $800 a year, which is the whole difference between a $20-an-hour job and a $41,600 salary with five more days off.
What does a commute cost?
This calculator uses the IRS standard mileage rate (76¢ a mile), which covers gas, wear and depreciation. A 40-mile round trip five days a week costs about $7,904 a year.
Is hourly or salary better?
Hourly jobs pay time and a half for overtime; most salaried jobs paying at least $684 a week do not. If you often work more than 40 hours, an hourly job can pay more than a salary that looks higher.
Should I count health insurance?
Yes. Your share of the premium comes out of every paycheck, before tax. A plan that costs $60 a month more takes about $720 a year from your pay, plus any difference in deductibles if you use care.
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