Most people compare job offers by looking at base salary. That single number ignores bonus structure, equity vesting, 401k matching, healthcare value, commute costs, and — the variable that changes everything — what that salary actually buys in the city where the job is located. A $140,000 offer in San Francisco and a $105,000 offer in Nashville are not $35,000 apart in real terms. After cost of living and state taxes, they may be nearly identical, or the Nashville offer may come out ahead.

This calculator models the complete picture across two offers simultaneously: total compensation including all benefit components, cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power by city, state and federal tax impact, and 10-year wealth accumulation based on what you actually save and invest from each offer. The output is not just which offer pays more today — it is which offer makes you wealthier over time, and at what point a lower-paying offer with better growth trajectory crosses over a higher-paying one with slower advancement. Enter both offers and let the numbers tell you which one to take.