Total compensation calculator
Your salary is one line of the offer. Add bonus, equity, retirement match, health coverage and time off to see what the job is really worth per year.
The package
Where the money comes from
| Base salary | $120,000 | 58% |
| Bonus (expected) | $14,400 | 7% |
| Equity per year | $40,000 | 19% |
| Signing, per year | $7,500 | 4% |
| 401(k) match | $4,800 | 2% |
| Health + HSA | $6,796 | 3% |
| Paid days off | $11,538 | 6% |
| Stipends & other | $1,200 | 1% |
| Total | $206,234 |
What counts as total compensation
Total compensation (often shortened to "total comp" or TC) is everything an employer pays for your work in a year, in cash or in kind. Tech companies usually quote TC as base + bonus + stock; HR departments quoting a "total rewards statement" also include benefits. This calculator shows both so you can match whichever number a recruiter is using.
- Bonus at realistic payout. A 15% target bonus that paid 70% of target last year is worth 10.5%, not 15%. Ask what the plan paid in the last two years.
- Equity, per year. A $200,000 RSU grant vesting over four years is $50,000 a year, and only if the share price holds. See the RSU calculator for cliffs and taxes.
- Signing bonus, spread out. It is paid once, so spreading it over the years you expect to stay keeps it from inflating year one. Check the claw-back clause: many require repayment if you leave within 12 months.
- Health insurance. Employers paid an average of $6,296 toward single coverage and $19,276 toward family coverage in 2024 (KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey). Your paystub or benefits portal often shows the exact figure.
- Paid time off. Valued at your daily rate (base ÷ 260 working days), because the employer pays you for those days without work.
- Retirement match. A 4% match on $100,000 is $4,000 a year, but only if you contribute enough to get it. The 401(k) match calculator checks that.
Comparing more than one package? Put them side by side in the job offer comparison.
Questions people ask
How do you calculate total compensation?
Add base salary, the bonus you realistically expect, commission, one year of vesting equity, the signing bonus divided by the years you expect to stay, the employer 401(k) match, the employer share of health insurance and HSA, the value of paid days off, and stipends. The result is your yearly total compensation.
Does total compensation include benefits?
It depends who is talking. Tech recruiters and sites like Levels.fyi usually mean base + bonus + stock. Employer total-rewards statements add benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions. Always ask which definition an offer uses.
Is total compensation before or after tax?
Before tax. Salary, bonus and vested RSUs are taxed as ordinary income; employer health premiums and 401(k) matches are generally not taxed when paid, which is part of why they are worth more than the same amount in salary.
What is a good total compensation to base salary ratio?
For most US salaried jobs, benefits alone add roughly 25–40% on top of wages (the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employer Costs for Employee Compensation survey puts benefits near 30% of total employer cost). Roles with large bonuses or stock grants can reach 1.5x to 2x base or more.
Why value PTO at my daily rate?
You are paid for those days without working them. Two offers with the same salary but 10 versus 25 days off differ by 15 days of pay, about 5.8% of base.