Tech Offer Comparison
Line up two or three offers — base, bonus, and four-year equity vesting, adjusted for cost of living — and rank them by the real annual value that reaches your pocket.
The headline number is rarely the answer
Offers arrive in different shapes: one is base-heavy, another leans on equity, a third pays less but sits in a much cheaper city. Comparing them by base salary alone is how good offers get turned down. Normalising each to one cost-of-living-adjusted annual figure gives you a single, honest ranking to reason from.
Model each offer in detail with the Dev Salary Negotiation Calculator, and dig into how much of a grant you keep if you leave early with the Equity Vesting Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the tool compare two offers fairly?
It reduces each offer to one annual total-compensation figure — base plus target bonus plus the grant divided by its vesting years — then adjusts that figure for cost of living. Ranking on the adjusted number puts a small package in a cheap city and a large package in an expensive one on the same footing, which a side-by-side base-salary comparison never does.
What is the cost-of-living index and where do I find it?
It is a relative number with 100 as your baseline city. A city at 130 is roughly 30% more expensive; one at 85 is about 15% cheaper. Public cost-of-living calculators and indices give a figure for most cities. Set your current or reference city to 100 and enter each offer's city relative to it — the exact source matters less than being consistent across all the offers.
Why can a lower-paying offer rank first?
Because a headline salary that looks bigger can be eaten by rent, tax, and everyday costs. A $190k package in a baseline city can be worth more in real terms than a $236k package in a city that is 30% more expensive. The adjusted figure — nominal comp times 100 divided by the cost-of-living index — is what actually lands in your pocket, so that is what the ranking uses.
What does the comparison leave out?
Plenty that matters: refresh grants and bonuses in later years, the real (uncertain) value of private-company equity, benefits and pension, taxes specific to you, commute, and the work itself. Use the ranking to cut through the headline numbers, then weigh the human factors and confirm every figure in writing before you decide.
Estimates only. Cost-of-living indices are approximate and equity value is uncertain — confirm every figure with the employer and a qualified adviser before deciding.