Job Offer Comparison Calculator - Compare Salary & Benefits

The offer comparator helps you compare two or more job offers honestly — going beyond base salary to total Year 1 comp, projected Years 2–4 trajectory, cost-of-living adjustments, and the non-cash factors (manager quality, role scope, growth path, learning opportunities) that often outweigh comp differences over a 2-year horizon. Pure cash comparisons miss most of the decision. The tool runs in your browser; pasted offer details never leave your device. Use it after both offers are written; verbal offers are subject to change and should not drive a final decision.

Use cases

• Comparing two competitive offers from different companies. Plug in base, signing, equity, bonus target, vesting schedule, and benefits for each. The tool calculates total Year 1, projects Years 2–4, and surfaces which factors drive the comparison — often equity or bonus rather than base.
• Deciding between staying and switching. Compare your current role projected forward (with realistic raises and equity refresher) against an external offer. Staying is sometimes the better long-term move even when the external offer looks higher on Year 1.
• Negotiating one offer using another. After comparing, identify the gap and ask the lower offer to close it. Specifics ("the other offer includes $20K signing and 25% more equity, would you match?") work better than vague leverage.

How it works

1. Calculate Year 1 total comp for each. Base + signing bonus + first-year equity vesting (use 4-year vest schedule) + bonus target × realistic hit rate. Use the same hit rate (e.g., 80%) for both offers so the comparison is fair.
2. Project Years 2–4 total comp. Base × likely raise rate (3–5% standard, 10%+ high-growth) + ongoing equity vesting + bonus. Some offers look strong in Year 1 but flatten in Year 2 once the signing bonus disappears.
3. Adjust for cost-of-living differences. Use /salary/cost-of-living to convert each offer into equivalent purchasing power in your current city. A 20% higher offer in a 30% more expensive city is a real-terms pay cut.
4. Score the non-cash factors. Manager quality, role scope, growth path, team strength, learning opportunities, commute, work-style fit. Score each offer 1–10. These often outweigh a 10% comp difference for long-term outcomes.
5. Make the decision and stick to it. Once you accept, stop comparing. Endless second-guessing damages your start at the new role. Run the framework, decide, send the acceptance, then commit fully to making the choice work.

Examples

• A candidate weighing $200K base + 4% match vs. $185K base + 8% match + $30K signing + 25% more equity. Year 1 total comp comes out higher on offer B once everything is included. Offer B also has a stronger manager. Candidate accepts B despite the lower headline base.
• A candidate seeing offer A flatten in Year 2. Year 1 looks better on A. Year 2 projection shows B catching up due to ongoing equity vesting. Year 3 B is meaningfully ahead. Candidate accepts B for trajectory.

Frequently asked questions

Tips

• Always compare Year 1 AND Years 2–4 — single-year comparisons miss most of the picture.
• Use the same bonus hit rate for both offers (80% is reasonable) to keep the comparison fair.
• Manager quality and role scope often matter more than a 10% comp difference at year 2+.
• For private-company equity, value conservatively (most recent 409A or strike price × shares × probability of vest).
• Once you accept, stop comparing. The decision is more important than the optimum.

Author: ClearHire Editorial · Last updated: 2026-05-06