Should you take
this job offer?
Enter both jobs below and get your real hourly rate, true take-home pay, and an honest verdict — in seconds.
How it works
Enter both offers
Input your current job and the new offer side by side. Include salary, hours per week, commute time, and any benefits that matter to you.
We crunch the real numbers
The calculator applies estimated tax rates, annualizes commute costs, and converts everything to a true hourly rate — so you are comparing apples to apples.
Get an honest verdict
See a clear breakdown and a score that tells you whether the new offer is genuinely better — not just on paper, but in your pocket and your life.
Why your real hourly rate matters
Most people compare job offers by looking at the annual salary number. But that number ignores how many hours you actually spend earning it. If Job A pays $90,000 for 40-hour weeks with a 10-minute commute, and Job B pays $100,000 for 55-hour weeks with an hour-long commute each way, Job A has a higher real hourly rate — meaning you earn more for every hour of your time.
Your time is the one resource you cannot get back. When you factor in commute time, unpaid overtime, and mandatory off-hours availability, the real cost of a demanding job becomes much clearer. A lower salary at a job with reasonable hours and a short commute often translates to a better quality of life and more financial freedom than a higher-paying role that quietly consumes 60+ hours of your week.
Tax also plays a bigger role than people expect. Earning $20,000 more per year does not mean you take home $20,000 more — federal and state income taxes will take a slice of that raise, and if the new job pushes you into a higher bracket, the effective gain is smaller than it looks. Calculating after-tax income is the only accurate way to know what a raise is really worth.
What we calculate
The calculator goes beyond the headline salary to give you a complete financial picture of each offer. Here is exactly what we compute for both jobs:
- →Real hourly rate — salary divided by total annual hours including commute time, so you know what your time is actually worth.
- →Estimated take-home pay — gross salary minus estimated federal and state income taxes, giving you the money that actually lands in your account.
- →Annual commute cost — estimated yearly spending on gas, transit, or mileage based on your commute distance, subtracted from take-home pay.
- →Net annual gain — the true dollar difference between the two offers after taxes and commute costs, so you know exactly what switching is worth.
- →Offer score — a simple rating that weighs hourly rate, take-home pay, and commute burden together to give you one clear verdict on which offer wins.
Common questions
How do I know if a job offer is good?
Compare your real hourly rate (salary divided by total hours including commute), not just the headline salary. A job paying $10k more but requiring 15 extra hours a week might actually pay less per hour. Factor in commute costs, benefits, job security, and growth potential for a complete picture.
Is a 20% salary increase worth switching jobs?
It depends on hours expected, commute change, and benefits. A 20% raise that comes with 10 more hours per week and worse benefits might not be worth it. Use this tool to calculate your real hourly rate and net annual gain after tax and commute costs.
What is a real hourly rate?
Your real hourly rate is your salary divided by total hours you spend working, including commute time, multiplied by weeks worked per year. A $80k salary sounds great until you factor in 55-hour weeks and a 90-minute daily commute — your real rate might be under $25/hr.
Should I factor in benefits when comparing job offers?
Absolutely. Health insurance, retirement matching, and paid time off can be worth thousands of dollars annually. An offer with a slightly lower salary but fully paid health coverage and a 401(k) match could net you more money than a higher-paying job where you cover those costs yourself. Always convert benefits to their dollar value before comparing.
How much does commute cost really matter?
More than most people realize. A 45-minute one-way commute adds over 7 hours per week to your working time — time you are not being paid for. On top of that, driving costs (gas, wear, tolls, parking) or transit passes can easily run $200–$500 per month. Over a year, a long commute can cost you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of your life.