Job Offer Comparison Calculator Australia

How the offer comparison works

The calculator first separates a quoted total package from base salary where necessary. If an offer says “$100,000 package including super” and the employer super rate is 12%, the estimated base salary is about $89,286 and employer super is about $10,714. If the offer says “$100,000 plus super”, the base remains $100,000 and super is added on top.

The headline comparison is base salary plus expected bonus, less recurring work costs. This is the closest simple measure of annual cash generated by the job before personal tax. Employer super is reported separately as part of the broader remuneration package.

Annual leave is also reported separately. A full-time employee receiving a $90,000 salary and 20 days of paid annual leave is not receiving an additional $6,923 cash benefit on top of salary. The salary already continues while the employee takes those days. Extra leave can still be valuable, but its value is time, flexibility and recovery—not a second salary payment.

Numbers used in the result

• Cash after work costs: base salary + expected bonus − annual commute and work costs.
• Total package after work costs: base salary + employer super + expected bonus − work costs.
• Leave difference: the difference in annual leave days, shown as a non-cash entitlement.
• No tax estimate: compare take-home pay separately once you know the taxable base salary for each offer.

How to compare two job offers properly

1. Confirm whether the headline includes super

Do not compare a salary-plus-super offer with an inclusive package at face value. Ask the employer or recruiter for the base salary, super rate and any fixed allowances in writing.

2. Discount uncertain bonuses

A contractual bonus with a clear target is different from a discretionary bonus that was paid only in strong years. Use a conservative expected amount. Enter zero when the payment history or performance conditions are unknown.

3. Use real annual work costs

Include parking, tolls, public transport, extra fuel, professional registration, uniforms and any predictable childcare change. Do not include ordinary personal spending that would exist under either offer.

4. Compare leave and flexibility outside the cash result

Record annual leave, rostered days off, purchased leave, working-from-home days and flexible start times. Five extra leave days may matter more than a small salary difference, but the correct treatment is to show that trade-off—not to disguise it as extra cash.

5. Run a cautious case

Set discretionary bonuses to zero and increase commute costs. If the same offer still wins, the decision is less dependent on optimistic assumptions.

Worked example

Offer A is $90,000 plus 12% super, no bonus, $3,000 annual work costs and 20 days leave. Offer B is a $100,000 package including 12% super, a realistic $2,000 bonus, $6,000 work costs and 25 days leave. Offer A produces $87,000 of cash after work costs. Offer B has an estimated $89,286 base salary and produces about $85,286 after bonus and work costs. Offer A leads on cash; Offer B provides five extra leave days. That is a real trade-off, not a single “winner” created by double-counting leave.

What the calculator cannot value

A job decision can be financially rational and still be wrong for your life. The calculator cannot reliably price:

• manager quality, culture, job security or promotion prospects;
• unpaid overtime, travel expectations or after-hours availability;
• working-from-home flexibility and reduced commuting time;
• equity, share options, salary sacrifice, novated leases or complex allowances;
• award coverage, overtime, penalty rates, leave loading or redundancy terms;
• personal tax, HELP repayments, childcare subsidies or family payments.

Use the calculator to clean up the arithmetic, then review the employment contract and ask for clarification where the package wording is vague. A recruiter’s verbal summary is not a substitute for written terms.