Job offer comparison calculator
Two offers on the table and the CTCs don’t tell you much? Put them side by side here and I’ll show you which one is worth more in year one, in cash and in hand.
Offer A
Your own estimate of their value.
Insurance, meals, allowances.
Offer B
Your own estimate of their value.
Insurance, meals, allowances.
Offer A is ahead by
₹10,000
in year-1 total value (₹22,60,000)
Year-1 total adds expected variable, joining bonus, your ESOP estimate and benefits to fixed pay. In-hand is on fixed pay with the new regime, basic at 40%, 12% PF and gratuity in CTC.
Estimates for planning, not tax or legal advice. Rules change with each Budget and differ by employer, so check your offer letter, payslip or a professional before you act.
How it’s calculated
The formula
Year-1 cash = fixed pay + expected variable + joining bonus
Year-1 total value = year-1 cash + ESOPs vesting in year 1 + other benefits
Worked example
Offer A: ₹20,00,000 fixed, ₹2,00,000 variable expected to pay 80%, and a ₹1,00,000 joining bonus. Year-1 cash is ₹20,00,000 + ₹1,60,000 + ₹1,00,000 = ₹22,60,000.
Offer B: ₹22,00,000 fixed and ESOPs you value at ₹50,000 a year. Year-1 cash is ₹22,00,000; total value ₹22,50,000.
Offer A is ahead by ₹10,000 in year one. From year two, without the joining bonus, Offer B’s higher fixed pay pulls ahead, which is why year one is only part of the answer.
The rules
- Monthly in-hand is worked out on fixed pay only, using my CTC to in-hand calculator’s defaults: new regime, basic at 40% of CTC, 12% PF, gratuity in CTC and Karnataka professional tax.
- ESOP value is your own estimate. Unlisted shares may never be sellable, so a cautious figure is wiser than the grant’s paper value.
- Joining bonuses often have a clawback if you leave within a year; check the offer letter.
Questions people ask
What should I compare: CTC or in-hand?
Both, but in-hand tells you what you’ll live on, and fixed pay tells you what’s guaranteed. Two offers with the same CTC can differ a lot in-hand if one has more variable pay or a bigger employer PF share.
How much of my variable pay should I count?
Ask the recruiter what the team actually paid out last year. If you can’t find out, plan with less than 100% of target; the default here is 80%, and you can change it.
How do I value ESOPs?
Take the shares vesting in year one, multiply by a realistic price per share and subtract the exercise price. For an early-stage company, discount that heavily: the shares may take years to become sellable, if ever.
Does a joining bonus count?
It counts in year one only. Many come with a clawback if you leave within 12 months, so don’t let it hide a lower fixed salary.
What can’t this calculator see?
Growth, learning, manager, notice period, location and stability. Bring the numbers to me and we’ll weigh them against what you actually want from the next role.
Numbers done. Now the decision.
Tell me what the numbers mean for you, and I’ll help you decide what to do next.