Compare two salary offers side by side. See the difference in take-home pay, effective hourly rate, and monthly income.
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A mid-level software engineer in Austin, TX is comparing a $130,000 W-2 offer against their current $115,000 role. The new offer includes a $10,000 signing bonus and 0.1% equity in a Series B company.
Takeaway: Texas has no state income tax, which inflates take-home vs. the same offer in California (~9.3% marginal) or New York (~6.85%). Run the comparison with your state's rate above.
Take-home calculators estimate withholding based on single/married status and claimed allowances. If you have side income, multiple jobs, or itemized deductions, your actual withholding will differ. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is the most accurate tool for W-4 calibration.
Nine states have no income tax (TX, FL, WA, NV, AK, SD, WY, TN, NH). California tops out at 13.3% marginal. State tax can shift your net paycheck by $200-$1,000/month on a $100K salary. Always select your state before reading take-home results.
Cost of Living Salary AdjustmentEmployer-paid health insurance, 401(k) match, HSA contributions, and paid leave have real dollar value — typically $8,000-$25,000/year for a mid-career employee. Comparing two offers on base salary alone ignores a major component of total compensation.
Benefits Value CalculatorW-2 employees pay 7.65% FICA (SS + Medicare); employers match it invisibly. 1099 contractors pay the full 15.3% self-employment tax. A $100K 1099 contract has roughly $7,650 more tax friction than a $100K W-2 salary before any other adjustments.
1099 vs W-2 Tax ComparisonBonuses are withheld at a flat 22% federal supplemental rate (or 37% over $1M) — not your effective rate. Your actual tax on the bonus is determined at year-end filing. If your marginal rate is below 22%, you'll get a refund; above, you may owe.
Bonus Tax CalculatorBased on your inputs
Job Offer B pays more (21.4%)
| Job Offer A — Gross Annual | $70,000 |
|---|---|
| Job Offer B — Gross Annual | $85,000 |
| Job Offer A — Est. Take-Home/yr | $49,000 |
| Job Offer B — Est. Take-Home/yr | $55,250 |
| Job Offer A — Monthly Take-Home | $4,083 |
| Job Offer B — Monthly Take-Home | $4,604 |
| Job Offer A — Effective Hourly | $35.00/hr |
| Job Offer B — Effective Hourly | $42.50/hr |
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Compare gross salary, estimated taxes, take-home pay, and hourly rate. Also factor in benefits, bonuses, and location.
Benefits like health insurance can be worth $10,000–$25,000/year. Always add benefit value to total compensation.
Subtract federal taxes (~22%), state taxes (~5%), Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) from gross salary.
A $10k raise on a $60k salary is ~17% — very significant. On $150k it's ~7% — still good but less impactful relatively.
Use a cost-of-living calculator to adjust for location differences. An $80,000 salary in Dallas has similar purchasing power to roughly $120,000 in San Francisco when accounting for housing, taxes, and daily expenses.
Divide your annual salary by the actual hours you work per year. A $75,000 salary with 50-hour work weeks equals $28.85 per hour, significantly less than the $36.06 rate at a standard 40-hour week.
Add the expected bonus to base salary for total cash compensation. A $90,000 base with a 15 percent target bonus equals $103,500 in expected total cash, which may beat a $100,000 base with no bonus.
Compare after taxes for the most accurate picture. Two identical gross salaries can differ by thousands in take-home pay depending on state taxes, filing status, deductions, and pre-tax benefit contributions.
List all current compensation components including base pay, bonuses, equity, benefits value, and retirement match. Compare the total package against the new offer rather than just base salary alone.
Check the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment data for your job title and metro area. Salaries at the 50th percentile represent the median while 75th percentile indicates above-average compensation.
Take-Home ≈ Salary × (1 − effective tax rate)
Effective tax: 25–40% depending on income bracket
Hourly = Annual ÷ (Hours/Week × Weeks/Year)
Every formula on this page traces to a federal agency, central bank, or peer-reviewed institution. We cite the rule-makers, not secondhand blogs.
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Calculations are for educational purposes only. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personalized advice.