Salary Comparison Calculator

Compare net take-home pay after taxes, subtract commute costs, and factor in cost of living differences. A higher salary in an expensive city may net less than a lower salary elsewhere. This calculator does all of that math automatically.

Commuting costs include fuel or transit plus the value of your time. This calculator uses $20/hr as a conservative time value. A 30-minute each-way commute 5 days a week costs roughly $8,700/year in time alone — not counting fuel or parking.

Often yes. Remote eliminates commute costs and time, and may let you live somewhere cheaper. Use this calculator to find the break-even point — how much lower can the remote salary be and still beat the commute job in real value?

Significantly. A $100K salary in San Francisco has similar purchasing power to $60–65K in Raleigh NC due to housing costs alone. Enter the monthly housing cost for each job location to account for this difference.

Calculate your minimum acceptable net value, then work backwards to the gross salary you'd need. If Job B comes in below that, you have a clear, numbers-based reason to counter-offer or decline.

A $100,000 salary in California is comfortable in most cities but considered middle-income in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where housing costs are extremely high. After California's state income tax (up to 9.3%) and federal taxes, take-home is approximately $68,000–$72,000 per year. Use this calculator to compare your California offer against a job in a lower cost-of-living state.

An $80,000 salary in Texas goes significantly further than the same salary in California or New York. Texas has no state income tax, so take-home is roughly $60,000–$62,000 per year — several thousand dollars more than equivalent salaries in high-tax states. Use this calculator to compare a Texas offer against other states after taxes and living costs.

Very well in most of Florida. No state income tax means take-home of roughly $67,000–$70,000 per year. Miami is the exception — costs there rival mid-tier California. Central Florida, Tampa, and Jacksonville offer much better value at this salary level.

It's solid middle-class but tighter than it sounds. After federal, New York State, and NYC city taxes, take-home is roughly $76,000–$80,000 per year. With NYC median one-bedroom rents above $3,000/month, housing alone can consume close to half your take-home. Use this calculator to compare against a lower nominal salary in a no-tax state.

Austin take-home is about $3,000/year more than Chicago due to Texas having no state income tax vs Illinois's 4.95% flat rate. However, Austin housing costs have risen significantly. Enter both cities in the calculator above to factor in rent or mortgage for a complete comparison.