Employment & leave Australia
Job Offer Comparison Calculator Australia
A higher salary is not always the better offer once tax, retirement contributions, bonuses and commuting costs are counted. Enter two offers and the calculator shows each one's take-home pay, retirement contributions and costs, and the true difference between them.
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Better offer
—Offer A take-home
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Offer B take-home
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Offer A total value
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Offer B total value
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Difference a fortnight
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Side by side
Working with a different rate? Edit the rates this calculator uses
These are the figures we verified on 2026-10-26. Change them to work with a historic period, or with a new rate that has been announced but which we have not published yet.
Reduced from 16% on 1 July 2026
An estimate, not advice. An estimate using resident tax rates and one main income for each offer. Real pay depends on your tax code and circumstances, and it is not a payslip.
How do I compare two job offers?
Compare the take-home pay after tax plus the retirement contributions and benefits, less the extra costs of the job. Offer A at $95,000 and offer B at $105,000 plus a $5,000 bonus, with $3,000 and $6,500 of commuting costs, are worth $82,480 and $90,380 a year, a difference of $7,900 in favour of offer B.
What to include
Use the salary and any guaranteed bonus. Be cautious with bonuses that depend on performance: count only what you can reasonably expect. Add the employer's retirement contribution, any allowances and benefits you would actually use, and subtract the costs the job adds, such as commuting, parking, uniform and tools.
If one job is remote, the commuting saving can be worth thousands of dollars a year.
Beyond the numbers
Salary is only one part of an offer. Compare annual leave, flexible hours, training, job security, career progression and the people you would work with. A job that pays slightly less but teaches you more can lead to higher pay later.
Ask the employer to put the offer in writing, including the retirement contribution rate, so you compare like with like.
To see the effect of a pay rise, use the pay rise calculator.
How this is calculated
The rule, step by step, so you can check any figure by hand.
taxable income = salary + bonustake-home = taxable income − income tax − Medicare levy − HELPretirement contributions = employer super % × salarytotal value = take-home + retirement contributions + benefits − yearly costsdifference = value of B − value of A
The comparison treats a dollar of retirement contribution as worth a dollar, which is generous because you cannot spend it until later but it is real money in your name. If you would rather count only cash, ignore the contribution line.
Think about what the numbers leave out: leave, flexibility, career growth, job security and how you feel about the work. A lower-paying offer with more flexibility or growth can be worth more, and the calculator gives you the dollar side of that trade.
A worked example
Offer A: $95,000, $3,000 of costs. Offer B: $105,000 plus $5,000 bonus, $6,500 of costs.
- A take-home$74,080
- B take-home$84,280
- A total value$82,480
- B total value$90,380
- Difference a year$7,900
Offer B is worth $7,900 more a year.
Add the value of any extra leave or flexibility yourself.
Negotiating
If you prefer one offer but the other pays more, tell the employer what you have been offered and ask whether they can improve it. Salary, a sign-on bonus, extra leave and a training budget are all possible.
What it leaves out
Tax credits, salary sacrifice, novated leases, share schemes and changes in your tax situation are not modelled.
What this calculator does not do
- Resident tax rates, one income each
- Bonuses taxed at your marginal rate
- Benefits valued by you
- An estimate, not advice
Common questions
How do I compare job offers?
Compare take-home pay plus retirement contributions and benefits, less extra costs.
Should I count the bonus?
Only if it is guaranteed or likely.
Do retirement contributions count?
Yes, they are part of the pay you earn, though you cannot spend them yet.
What about leave and flexibility?
Value them yourself and add them in the benefits box.
Is a higher salary always better?
No. Costs, tax and benefits can reverse it.
Where these numbers come from
- ATO — tax rates, Australian residents 2026-27 resident brackets and the 15% lowest rate
- MoneySmart — ASIC's money guidance Independent guidance on saving, work and borrowing
Rates last verified 2026-10-26 Every figure Australian Taxation Office sets is re-checked against the source at least once a year, and again whenever a change is announced. Out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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