Job Offer Comparison Calculator — Colorado
Compare two job offers in Colorado. Pre-filled with Colorado for Offer A. Effective state income tax: ~4.4%.
Job Offer Comparison Calculator
Compare two job offers on total compensation, monthly take-home after taxes, effective hourly rate, and 4-year wealth — with equity risk discounting and state tax.
Equity / RSUs
No equity — toggle on to add RSUs or options.
Benefits
Work model
Equity / RSUs
No equity — toggle on to add RSUs or options.
Benefits
Work model
Negotiation move
Ask Offer A for $3k more base to match Offer B's total comp.
The raise is $3k — not $3k — because more base also lifts your bonus and 401k match.
Annual total comp
Monthly take-home
Effective hourly rate
Total comp ÷ (hours worked + commute time per year)
4-year wealth projection
Key insights
- →COL-adjusted: Offer B buys more purchasing power — TX is cheaper to live in than CO.
- →Offer B saves $5k/yr in commute time and transport costs.
- →Offer B pays $12/hr more when hours worked and commute are included.
Cost-of-living adjusted purchasing power
Normalized to US average cost of living (1.0×).
What do you want to do next?
Shareable link encodes all inputs — paste into Slack, email, or a negotiation thread.
How to compare job offers: what actually matters
Base salary is the starting point, but it rarely tells the full story. Two offers with identical salaries can differ by $30,000 or more in total annual value once you account for bonus structure, equity grants, 401k match, health insurance costs, and state income tax. The most common mistake is comparing nominal salaries — especially when the offers are in different states.
Equity: the biggest wildcard
RSU grants at a public company are worth close to face value — the stock is liquid and the price is real. But equity at a private company is illiquid, and at an early-stage startup it may be worth zero. A rule of thumb: apply a 50% discount to late-stage private company equity and a 15% discount to early-stage startup equity when comparing to a public company offer. This calculator does that automatically.
State income tax: up to 9% of your salary
Nine states have no income tax: Texas, Florida, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Alaska. California and Oregon top out around 9–9.9% for high earners. On a $150,000 salary, moving from California to Texas saves over $12,000 per year — the equivalent of a $12k salary increase.
The commute tax: hours are money
A 45-minute daily commute, five days a week, costs about 375 hours per year — nearly 10 full work weeks. Valued at $25/hour of time plus transportation costs, that's roughly $6,000–$9,000 in annual "hidden" cost compared to a remote role. The effective hourly rate metric in this calculator converts everything — hours worked, commute, and total comp — into a single comparable number.
What is a good 401k match?
The median employer 401k match is 3% of salary. A 6% match is excellent and worth $9,000/year on a $150k salary. Unlike salary, a 401k match is not subject to FICA taxes and grows tax-deferred, making it significantly more valuable per dollar than equivalent cash compensation.
Should you take the job with the signing bonus?
Signing bonuses are most valuable when you're leaving unvested equity on the table at your current employer. They're a one-time payment and don't increase your base salary, bonus target, or 401k match — all of which compound over time. Use the signing bonus to bridge the gap, then negotiate the highest possible base salary for long-term benefit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate total compensation for a job offer?
Total compensation includes: base salary + target bonus (probability-weighted if discretionary) + equity value (risk-adjusted and annualized over the vesting period) + 401k employer match. Benefits like health insurance are counted as costs, not income.
Is a higher salary always better than more equity?
Not necessarily. At a public company, equity is liquid and predictable — comparable to cash. At an early startup, equity has high potential but also high risk. Prioritize cash compensation if you have near-term financial obligations. Prioritize equity if you have high risk tolerance and believe in the company's trajectory.
How much does state income tax affect take-home pay?
Significantly. A $200k earner in California pays roughly $16,000–$18,000 more in state income tax than the same earner in Texas or Florida. That's about $1,300–$1,500 per month in after-tax income. When comparing cross-state offers, always run the numbers after state tax.
What's the 4-year wealth projection based on?
The 4-year projection estimates: savings (assuming 20% savings rate on net income) compounding at 7%, plus the full vested equity grant (risk-adjusted), plus 401k employer match compounding at 7%, plus any signing bonus. It's an estimate — actual results depend on actual savings behavior and equity performance.
Tax estimates use 2026 brackets. State rates are approximate effective rates. Not financial advice.