EVERY SALARY DECISION · WITH THE MATH SHOWN

Compare, benchmark, negotiate.

Salary comparison, by-state benchmarks, raises, RSUs, and total compensation — all cited to BLS OES wage data and SSA 2026 limits. For take-home pay see the Paycheck hub; for resume + interview planning see Career.

Compare two salaries →
Most people start here
Updated May 13, 2026 · IRS Pub 15-T · SSA 2026
  • Salary Comparison Calculator

    Compare two salaries side-by-side after taxes, benefits, and COL.

    →
  • Job Offer Comparison

    Total compensation comparison for two offers — salary, bonus, equity, commute.

    →
  • Raise Calculator

    New salary after a percentage raise — and the real take-home change.

    →
  • RSU Calculator

    Editor's pick

    After-tax value of RSU vesting — ordinary income tax, withholding, net shares.

    →
  • Compare Across States
  • Offers & Compensation
  • Raises & Bonus
  • PTO, Severance & Leave
  • Freelance & 1099
  • Long-horizon & Pension
  • Life & Home-Adjacent
  • Profession-specific

Your paycheck doesn't match your salary — and it never did. Federal withholding, state tax, Social Security (6.2% on the first $176,100 in 2026), Medicare (1.45% on all wages, 2.35% above $200k), 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, and any pre-tax deductions all come out before the number you actually see. Every calculator here uses the current IRS withholding tables (Pub 15-T) and the Social Security Administration's 2026 contribution limits. We don't estimate — we cite.

Compare Across States

3

Same job, different geography. BLS OES wage medians and state-tax-adjusted take-home to see where your salary goes furthest.

  • Salary by State Calculator

    The same salary after tax in every state — side by side.

    →
  • Average Salary by State

    BLS OES median and percentile wages by state and occupation.

    →
  • Cost of Living Adjustment

    What salary you need in a new city to match your current purchasing power.

    →

Offers & Compensation

6

Compare offers apples-to-apples. Base salary hides 20-40% of the real value buried in benefits, equity, and commute cost.

  • Job Offer Comparison

    Total compensation comparison for two offers — salary, bonus, equity, commute.

    →
  • Total Compensation Calculator

    Base + bonus + equity + benefits + perks — what an offer is really worth.

    →
  • Salary Comparison Calculator

    Compare two salaries side-by-side after taxes, benefits, and COL.

    →
  • Benefits Value Calculator

    Dollar value of health insurance, 401k match, PTO, and other employer benefits.

    →
  • RSU Calculator

    Editor's pick

    After-tax value of RSU vesting — ordinary income tax, withholding, net shares.

    →
  • Stock Options Calculator

    ISO + NSO option value, exercise cost, and tax at various strike prices.

    →

Raises & Bonus

6

Supplemental income is taxed differently than base salary. IRS 22% flat withholding for most bonuses, aggregate method for the rest.

  • Raise Calculator

    New salary after a percentage raise — and the real take-home change.

    →
  • Salary Increase % Calculator

    What percentage raise did you get? Or what % to hit a target salary?

    →
  • Promotion Salary Calculator

    Lifetime earnings impact of a promotion with title + salary + growth.

    →
  • Bonus Calculator

    After-tax bonus payout using aggregate or supplemental withholding method.

    →
  • Commission Calculator

    Total earnings from base + tiered or flat commission with take-home estimate.

    →
  • 401k Match Calculator

    Exactly how much to contribute to capture the full employer match.

    →

PTO, Severance & Leave

3

Time-off and exit economics. What unused PTO is worth as a comp component, cashout math at separation, and severance benchmarks.

  • PTO Value Calculator

    Dollar value of unused PTO — a hidden comp component in offer comparison.

    →
  • PTO Cashout Calculator

    Lump-sum value of unused PTO at separation — gross, net, and tax.

    →
  • Severance Calculator

    Expected severance by years of service, salary, and company policy.

    →

Freelance & 1099

7

Self-employment tax is 15.3% on top of income tax — plus quarterly estimated payments to avoid Form 2210 penalties.

  • Freelance Rate Calculator

    Minimum hourly rate to replace your salary as a freelancer.

    →
  • Freelance Project Pricing

    Fixed-price quote from your hourly rate, hours, and profit margin.

    →
  • Contractor vs Employee Tax

    After-tax comparison for 1099 vs W2 at the same gross income.

    →
  • 1099 Income Calculator

    Self-employment tax, quarterly payments, and net income for 1099 contractors.

    →
  • W2 vs 1099 Calculator

    True earnings: when does 1099 income beat a W2 salary?

    →
  • Gig Tax Calculator

    Net earnings from gig work after SE tax, mileage, and quarterly payments.

    →
  • Side Gig Calculator

    After-tax income from a side hustle on top of your main job.

    →

Long-horizon & Pension

1

Defined-benefit pensions and long-horizon income math. For degree / certification / progression ROI, see the Career hub.

  • Pension Calculator

    Defined benefit pension payout estimate — monthly income at retirement.

    →

Life & Home-Adjacent

4

Where compensation meets cost of living: commute cost, remote work savings, relocation purchasing power, years to retirement.

  • Commute Cost Calculator

    True annual commute cost in money and time — effective hourly rate after.

    →
  • Remote Work Savings Calculator

    Annual savings from remote work — commute, lunch, clothes, office costs.

    →
  • Rent vs Salary Calculator

    What salary do you need in any city to afford rent without being rent-burdened?

    →
  • Years to Retirement Calculator

    How many more years must you work based on savings rate and net worth.

    →

Profession-specific

4

BLS OES wage data broken down by profession, state, and experience — with state tax baked into take-home.

  • Teacher Salary Calculator

    Teacher salary by state, grade level, and experience with take-home.

    →
  • Nurse Salary Calculator

    Nursing salary by state, specialty (RN/LPN/NP/CRNA), and experience.

    →
  • Military Pay Calculator

    Base pay, BAH, and BAS by rank and years — total tax-advantaged comp.

    →
  • Minimum Wage Calculator

    State minimum wage rates — weekly, monthly, annual earnings vs federal.

    →
Related money decisions
  • Calculating your paycheck?

    Take-home pay, hourly-to-salary, withholding, overtime

    →
  • Planning your career?

    Resume scoring, cover letters, interview prep, career-change ROI

    →
  • Live: Average Hourly Earnings

    Monthly BLS wage growth benchmark

    →
  • Salary by State

    Take-home pay across all 50 states

    →
  • Immigration & Visa

    H-1B salary data, visa costs, green cards

    →
  • Tax Calculators

    2026 brackets, capital gains, self-employment

    →

Written and maintained by Jere Salmisto, Founder, CalcFi. Updated May 13, 2026.

Formulas cited to IRS Publications 15 + 15-T (tax withholding), 505 (estimated tax), SSA 2026 contribution limits, Bureau of Labor Statistics OES wage data, and state revenue departments. Methodology at /about/editorial. Published by CalcFi Editorial.