Job Offer Comparison Calculator — After-Tax Value
Put two offers side by side on what they are actually worth: after-tax pay in each state, plus employer-paid benefits and the retirement match that never show up in take-home pay. Estimate the total value rather than comparing headline salaries.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
| Line | Current role | New offer |
|---|---|---|
| Cash compensation | $90,000 | $113,000 |
| Federal tax + FICA | -$17,855 | -$24,675 |
| State tax | -$0 | -$0 |
| Take-home | $72,145 | $88,325 |
| Benefits value | $9,000 | $6,000 |
| Retirement match | $3,600 | $3,150 |
| Total value | $84,745 | $97,475 |
States: No state selected vs No state selected.
An estimate on federal and state withholding only. Cost of living, commute, equity vesting, and the actual cost of each health plan can outweigh everything shown here — particularly across a move. Bonuses are treated as ordinary wages for this comparison; a separately paid bonus is withheld at the supplemental rate instead.
Verified 2026-07-31 against IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — section 1, Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Annual Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems; FICA rates and wage base from IRS Publication 15 (2026) (effective 2026-01-01)
Verified 2026-07-31 against Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Fiscal Notes — Texas is open for small business (state income tax rate: 0%) (effective 2026-01-01)
Verified 2026-07-31 against Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — Personal Income Tax Rates (3.07%, tax years 2004 to present) (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only IRS can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: IRS Publication 15-T — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods ↗
🎓 Understand this tool
What it is
Two job offers side by side on after-tax value — cash, benefits, and retirement match — including offers in different states, which is where headline salaries mislead most.
How it works
Each offer runs through IRS Publication 15-T federal withholding and FICA, then through that state’s verified withholding pack. Employer-paid benefits and the retirement match are added back as real compensation even though they never appear in take-home pay, because ignoring them is how a worse offer wins on paper.
Getting the most from it
- Label each offer and enter base salary plus any expected bonus.
- Add the annual value of employer-paid benefits — Box 12 code DD on a current W-2 gives the health portion.
- Enter each retirement match as a percentage of salary.
- Set the state for each offer, then read the total-value row rather than the salary row.
Reading your result
The take-home line answers "what hits my account"; the total-value line answers "which offer is worth more". They frequently disagree, and the total-value line is usually the better guide for a decision.
What it can't tell you
Federal and state withholding only. Cost of living, commute, equity vesting schedules, and the real cost of each health plan can outweigh everything modelled here — especially across a move. Bonuses are treated as ordinary wages; a separately paid bonus is withheld at the supplemental rate.
Frequently asked questions
Compare after-tax pay rather than salary, because state income tax ranges from nothing to double digits. Enter each offer with its state and this estimates federal and state withholding for both, then adds benefits and the retirement match to give a total value.
Related calculators
Paycheck
Estimate take-home pay in any verified state: federal withholding under the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method, Social Security and Medicare, plus that state’s income tax and any employee payroll programs. Computed in your browser, with the approximation disclosed on every result.
State Ranking
One salary, every verified state, ranked by what actually reaches your account. Federal tax and FICA are identical everywhere, so the spread comes entirely from state income tax and employee payroll programs — the number that matters for a relocation decision.
W-2 vs 1099
Compare an employee offer against contract work on the same money, then reverse it: estimate what contract revenue actually matches a salary once you pay both halves of FICA, lose employer benefits, and stop being paid for days off. Both sides run on verified IRS figures.
Annual update alerts — new tax and benefit figures the week they drop
One email when the numbers change. Double opt-in, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.