How do I compare a higher base with better benefits?

Convert both to annual net cash. Subtract your premium share, expected deductibles, and commute cost from the higher-base offer, then add the match and any guaranteed refresh grants. The smaller headline number often pays more at year end.

Does an unvested signing bonus count in the math?

Only the portion you keep. A signing bonus with a repayment schedule is a loan you forgive by staying. Put the clawback dates in the same table as base pay and value only what is unconditional at your exit date.

Should I show a competing offer to negotiate?

Say you are weighing multiple offers and give a decision date. Never state a number you cannot produce. A real competing package raises urgency; an invented one ends the conversation the moment someone asks for details.

What is the highest-leverage term in an offer?

The level. It moves base, bonus target, refresh grants, and the pace of the next promotion together. Cash asks fix one year; a level definition fixes every year after it.

Does a verbal "we'll review comp in 6 months" count?

Only in writing. Ask for a documented comp review with targets; verbal promises are non-enforceable.

Which is the highest-leverage ask?

The level. A level bump moves base, bonus, equity refresh, and future promotion velocity simultaneously. Use the promotion request generator to argue scope, then sign with the level locked.

Evaluating a US Job Offer: Total Comp Math

An offer is a package, not a salary number. US candidates who compare base pay only end up "raising" into a worse job: benefits costs, PTO forfeiture, level mismatch, and vesting schedules change the real math. Run every offer through this scorecard before signing.

The Scorecard

Base: placement inside the band (90–110% of midpoint is typical; above 110% implies a level bump, see the band guide).
Annual bonus: target %, payout history, and the vesting/tenure requirements.
Equity: RSU vesting schedule, grant size, PTEP window, and the exit rules when you leave.
Health: premium share, deductible tiers, and network quality. A "great salary" with $400/mo premiums and $6,000 deductibles is a lower offer.
401(k): employer match % and vesting schedule — the match is 100% income, and graded vesting forfeits it at early exit (see the exit checklist).
PTO: accrual model, rollover rules, and cash-out at exit by state law.
Remote policy: formal, documented, or verbal? Verbal "hybrid flexibility" reverses at the next manager change. Get it in writing — the remote work proposal generator turns a verbal yes into a documented pilot.

The 30-Day Framework

Ask for the full benefits summary before signing. Recalculate your total comp, then compare to your market data (bls.gov, levels.fyi). If the package lands under market, negotiate: band placement first, signing bonus second, level third (see the signing bonus guide).

Put the rule into action

Salary Counteroffer Calculator (in-browser calculator)

Reduce The Package To One Number

Compare offers on annual net cash after benefits, not on headline salary. Base pay hides the real cost of a job: premium share, deductible tiers, commute days, and a bonus that has never actually paid at target.

Start with base plus target bonus at the historical payout rate, not the stated target.
Add the employer retirement match. Match is income, and the vesting schedule decides whether you keep it.
Subtract your share of health, dental, and vision premiums, plus the deductible you expect to hit.
Subtract required onsite days at real commuting and parking cost.
Add equity only when refresh grants are written policy. A one-time grant annualizes to zero after year four.

Run the arithmetic in the salary counteroffer calculator and paste the output into the recruiter thread, so your ask quotes the same figure twice. The salary band definition explains why placement inside the range matters more than the raw number.

The Terms That Decide Year Two

You are evaluating the package you will still hold in month twelve. Five terms decide whether it improved or stalled.

Level: ask what the next level requires and how long people typically take to reach it.
Refresher grants: discretionary refreshers are not compensation. Ask for the written policy and the typical size at your level.
PTO forfeiture: a front-loaded plan with a use-it-or-lose-it rule costs real money at separation. Payout rules differ by state, so check your state page before you treat the balance as cash, such as the California PTO payout rules.
Remote policy: written or verbal. Verbal flexibility reverses at the next manager change.
Bonus tenure clause: some plans require you to be employed on payout day. If a payout lands after a layoff window, that clause is worth more than the base delta.

Compare Two Offers On One Page

Side-by-side comparison changes decisions, and recruiters know it. A competing offer is the leverage that moves a package fastest, but only if it is real.

Build one table with identical rows for both offers, using net cash rather than headline salary.
Tell each recruiter you are weighing two offers and give one decision date.
Ask each side for one specific improvement, not a general raise.
Confirm the winner in writing the same day, then send the decline to the other.

If a package lands under market, negotiate in order: level, then base against the posted range, then a signing bonus for one-time losses such as forfeited unvested equity. Keep the level argument separate from the cash argument. Work the full package inside the compensation and negotiation section, and use the compensation band request when the range is not posted.

Line Item	How To Verify It	Where It Hides
Bonus payout rate	Ask for the last two payout cycles	Target percentage versus real history
Health premium share	Benefits summary at enrollment rates	Monthly cash taken before you see it
Retirement match	Plan document and vesting schedule	Forfeited match at early exit
Equity refresh	Written refresher policy	Discretionary versus guaranteed
PTO cash-out	Handbook separation clause plus state rule	Forfeited balance on your last day

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compare a higher base with better benefits?: Convert both to annual net cash. Subtract your premium share, expected deductibles, and commute cost from the higher-base offer, then add the match and any guaranteed refresh grants. The smaller headline number often pays more at year end.
Does an unvested signing bonus count in the math?: Only the portion you keep. A signing bonus with a repayment schedule is a loan you forgive by staying. Put the clawback dates in the same table as base pay and value only what is unconditional at your exit date.
Should I show a competing offer to negotiate?: Say you are weighing multiple offers and give a decision date. Never state a number you cannot produce. A real competing package raises urgency; an invented one ends the conversation the moment someone asks for details.
What is the highest-leverage term in an offer?: The level. It moves base, bonus target, refresh grants, and the pace of the next promotion together. Cash asks fix one year; a level definition fixes every year after it.
Does a verbal "we'll review comp in 6 months" count?: Only in writing. Ask for a documented comp review with targets; verbal promises are non-enforceable.
Which is the highest-leverage ask?: The level. A level bump moves base, bonus, equity refresh, and future promotion velocity simultaneously. Use the promotion request generator to argue scope, then sign with the level locked.