Most people accept or reject job offers without knowing their real value. This tool tells you exactly where you stand — after cost of living, after taxes, versus the real market — in 30 seconds.
Data: Numbeo 2025 CoL Index · BLS Occupational Employment Stats May 2024 · Levels.fyi
When a company offers you $100,000 a year, that number is just the beginning of the calculation. Before you can understand what the offer is actually worth, you need to account for three major factors that most job seekers ignore entirely: cost of living differences between cities, income taxes, and how the offer compares to what other people in your field are actually being paid.
Cost of living varies dramatically across cities. A $100,000 salary in San Francisco gives you far less real purchasing power than the same salary in Austin or Pittsburgh. According to Numbeo's 2025 data, basic expenses in San Francisco run about 39% higher than in Austin — meaning $100k in San Francisco is worth roughly $72,000 in Austin in purchasing power terms.
Taxes compound the problem. A $100,000 salary in California comes with a 9.3% state income tax on top of federal taxes. The same salary in Texas has zero state income tax. That single difference is worth $7,000–$9,000 per year in take-home pay.
The market percentile tells you where your offer lands relative to what other people in comparable roles actually earn. A 50th percentile offer means half of people in your field earn more, half earn less. Our benchmarks come from BLS OES May 2024 — the most comprehensive US salary survey, covering approximately 1.1 million business establishments — adjusted for company size. FAANG and top-tier tech companies typically pay 40–50% above the market median for equivalent roles.
This calculator is designed for anyone evaluating a job offer, comparing offers from different cities, working remotely for a company in a high-cost city, or trying to understand whether their current salary is below market. It's particularly useful for people making their first major career move, who have no reference point for what their skills are worth in the market.
We use Numbeo's 2025 Cost of Living Plus Rent Index, one of the most widely cited real-time CoL databases, updated continuously from crowdsourced price data. The adjustment gives you a directional read — for lifestyle-specific precision, cross-reference with Numbeo's city comparison tool directly at numbeo.com.
Market medians are anchored to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from May 2024 — the most comprehensive government salary survey in the US, covering approximately 1.1 million business establishments. For technology roles, we supplement with Levels.fyi data. Company size multipliers reflect documented compensation premiums: FAANG companies typically pay 40–50% above market median for equivalent roles.
We apply 2024 federal income tax brackets, estimated state income tax for your work city, and FICA contributions (Social Security at 6.2% up to the $168,600 wage cap, plus Medicare at 1.45%). We don't account for pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or health insurance — your actual take-home will typically be higher once those reduce your taxable income.
Yes — select "Remote (US avg)" as the work location. Note that some companies pay based on your home city's cost of living rather than a flat rate, so check your offer letter for geographic pay adjustment clauses.
Yes — we cover 12 international cities across Canada, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Tax estimates for non-US cities are approximations only, as international tax systems vary enormously. The CoL adjustment is accurate; verify tax estimates locally.
Yes. Over 70% of hiring managers have budget flexibility, and fewer than 40% of candidates ask. The worst realistic outcome is they say no and the offer stands. Use the counter-offer email we generate as a starting point — it's designed to be firm but professional, citing market data rather than personal need.
Absolutely. Enter your current salary and city. The market percentile will tell you where you stand. If you're below the 40th percentile, you have a strong case for asking for a raise — use the counter-offer email template adjusted for an internal conversation with your current employer.
Cost of living data is sourced from Numbeo's 2025 annual dataset. Salary benchmarks use BLS OES May 2024 figures. We review and update all data annually. For the most current figures, cross-reference with bls.gov/oes and numbeo.com directly.