Salary Comparison Calculator
Compare two job offers or salaries side by side. Go beyond base salary to account for benefits, commute costs, hours worked, and bonuses to find which offer truly pays more per hour and total.
Salary Comparison
Beyond Base Salary
A higher salary doesn't always mean more money in your pocket. A job paying $95k with expensive health insurance, long commute, and 50-hour weeks may be worth less per effective hour than a $85k job with free benefits, remote work, and 40-hour weeks.
What to Include in Total Compensation
- Cash: Salary + bonus + commissions + profit sharing
- Retirement: 401k match value (e.g., 3% match on $100k = $3,000)
- Health benefits: Employer contribution to premiums (~$7–21k/yr)
- Remote work: Commute savings, home office deduction, flexibility
- Equity: RSU vesting value, stock options
- Paid time off: Value = salary ÷ 260 work days × PTO days
Worked Example: $95K vs. $85K — Which Is Really Better?
Job A pays $95,000 in San Francisco. Job B pays $85,000 in Nashville, fully remote. Job A: California state tax adds roughly $7,000 more in taxes vs. Tennessee's 0% income tax. Commute: 5 days/week × 45 min = 195 hours/year lost. Parking/transit: $3,600/year. Health insurance: employer pays 70% of $1,200/month = $10,080 value. Job B: $85,000 with free health insurance worth $12,000/year + $3,600 commute savings + $7,000 lower state tax = $107,600 effective value vs. Job A's $94,400. Job B is worth $13,200 more per year despite the lower headline salary.
Salary Equivalent Across Cost-of-Living Cities
| City | COL Index | Equivalent of $100K | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | ~180 | $180,000 | Housing very expensive |
| New York, NY | ~160 | $160,000 | High rent + state tax |
| Seattle, WA | ~145 | $145,000 | No income tax helps |
| Austin, TX | ~115 | $115,000 | No income tax |
| Nashville, TN | ~100 | $100,000 | Near national average |
| Kansas City, MO | ~85 | $85,000 | Below average COL |
How to Compare Salaries Accurately
Comparing two salaries requires more than looking at the raw numbers. A $90,000 salary in San Francisco has significantly less purchasing power than the same salary in Nashville due to housing costs, state taxes, and cost of living differences.
This calculator adjusts salaries using cost of living index data so you can see which offer provides more real purchasing power. It also converts between hourly, weekly, and annual figures so different pay structures are directly comparable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Base salary is only part of total compensation. A 5% 401(k) match on a $90K salary is worth $4,500/year. Health insurance, paid time off, remote work (saving commute costs), and equity can easily swing the total value by $10,000–$20,000 annually.
Housing is typically the largest factor. A one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan can cost 3–4× what the same apartment costs in a mid-size city. State income taxes range from 0% (Texas, Florida) to over 13% (California), adding thousands of dollars to the real cost difference.
Multiply hourly rate by 2,080 (40 hours × 52 weeks) for a standard full-time equivalent. $25/hour = $52,000/year. Adjust for actual hours worked. Note that independent contractors typically need a 20–30% premium over employee salaries to cover self-employment taxes and benefits they must fund themselves.
The average employer contribution to health insurance premiums is about $7,000–$8,000 per year for individual coverage and $20,000–$22,000 for family coverage. To find the value in your specific case, ask the employer what percentage they pay and for the plan's premium. The employee's annual cost (what you pay) subtracted from the total annual premium equals the employer's contribution — this is part of your total compensation even though it doesn't appear in your paycheck.