Compare Job Offers With Equity
Salary alone is misleading when comparing offers with equity, different locations, or different benefits. Use this calculator to see the full picture — including cost-of-living, 401k match, and PTO — then compare the totals.
How to Compare Offers
Use the calculator below to model each offer separately. The Location & Benefits panels below help adjust for cost-of-living and non-cash compensation.
- Enter Offer A's details in the calculator and note the 5-year cumulative total
- Fill in Offer A's location and benefits in the panel below
- Clear the calculator and repeat for Offer B
- Compare the adjusted totals at different time horizons (1, 3, 5 years)
Total Compensation Calculator
Salary
RSUs
Year 1 Grant
Vesting Schedule (%)
Stock Options
Year 1 Total Compensation
Year 2 Total Compensation
Year 3 Total Compensation
Year 4 Total Compensation
Year 5 Total Compensation
Location & Benefits Adjustment
Estimates only — see notesEnter the base salary for each offer below (or read it from the calculator) to see how location cost-of-living and non-cash benefits affect the real value of each offer. All figures are illustrative estimates for planning purposes. This is not tax or financial advice.
Offer A
Approximate figures for planning purposes only — not authoritative COL data.
Enter your base salary in the calculator above; this panel will use it for benefits estimates.
Dollar value estimated vs. 15-day baseline (salary ÷ 260 working days).
% of salary matched. E.g. 4% on $200k salary = $8,000/yr added value.
Offer B
Approximate figures for planning purposes only — not authoritative COL data.
Enter your base salary in the calculator above; this panel will use it for benefits estimates.
Dollar value estimated vs. 15-day baseline (salary ÷ 260 working days).
% of salary matched. E.g. 4% on $200k salary = $8,000/yr added value.
What to Compare
Base Salary
The guaranteed cash you receive regardless of performance or stock price.
Target Bonus
Variable pay based on performance. Consider realistic achievement levels.
RSU Value & Vesting Schedule
Total grant value, vesting schedule type, and stock price risk. Front-loaded vs back-loaded schedules pay very differently if you leave early.
Location & Cost of Living
$200k in San Francisco and $200k in Austin have different purchasing power. Use the COL panel above to normalise.
401(k) Match
A 4% match on a $200k salary is $8,000/yr in additional compensation — often overlooked in comparisons.
PTO & Remote Flexibility
Extra PTO days have real dollar value (your daily rate × extra days). Remote work saves ~$3,000/yr in typical commuting costs.
Stock Price Risk
A startup's stock may 10x or go to zero. Big tech is more stable but less upside. Use the illiquidity discount on the RSU calculator for private company options.
Refresher Grants
Some companies give annual refresher RSUs. Factor these into multi-year projections — they can significantly affect Year 3+ value.
Example Comparison
Offer A: Large Public Tech (San Francisco)
- Base: $180,000
- Bonus: $27,000 (15%)
- RSUs: $300,000 over 4 years (standard 25/25/25/25)
- 401k match: 4% ($7,200/yr)
- Location COL index: ~1.74 (San Francisco)
Offer B: Startup (Austin, Remote)
- Base: $150,000
- Bonus: $0
- Options: 50,000 shares at $2 strike (private company)
- 401k match: 3% ($4,500/yr)
- Location COL index: ~1.06 (Austin), remote = +$3k savings
In this example, Offer A provides more guaranteed compensation in nominal terms. But COL-adjusted, Offer A's $180k San Francisco salary is equivalent to about $103k national purchasing power, while Offer B's $150k Austin salary is about $142k. The equity comparison depends heavily on whether the startup succeeds — and private company options should be discounted for illiquidity risk. Use the tools above to model your actual numbers.