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How to use the Total Compensation Calculator
Under Role Information you should insert the following information into the Total Compensation Calculator:
Company – insert the name of the company for which you are evaluating the total compensation package.
Role Title – insert the role title for the position you are evaluating.
Role Level – insert the role level of the position you are evaluating.
Role Location – insert the city where the role is located.
Under Compensation Information you should insert the following information into the Total Compensation Calculator. See the next section if you are not familiar with these compensation components or need to learn more about our salary expectation calculator.
Base Salary – insert the annual base salary for your role into the salary compensation calculator.
Performance Bonus – most performance bonuses will either be a target percentage of your base salary (% of Base Salary) or a fixed amount (Set Amount $). Insert the one that correlates with your performance bonus into the respective field for the bonus calculator.
Sign-on Bonus – most sign-on bonuses will be paid out in Year 1, but some job offers include a second signing bonus in Year 2. Insert your signing bonus where applicable into the bonus calculator.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Grant Value ($) – most compensation packages with RSUs will provide either a number of shares or an equity value. If you have been granted a designated number of shares, you need to convert those to a value by multiplying the company's current share price by the number of shares in your equity grant. If they gave you an equity value instead of a number of shares, you can insert that value into the RSU calculator.
Vesting Duration (in years) – insert the vesting duration of your equity grant in years into the RSU calculator.
Vesting Schedule (% per year) – insert the percentage of your equity grant that will vest each year into the RSU vesting calculator.
Stock Options
No. of Shares – insert the number of stock option shares you have in your compensation package into the stock option calculator.
Strike/Exercise Price – insert the share price you will need to pay to purchase (exercise) each share into the stock option calculator.
Fair Market Value (per share) – insert the current fair market value share price of the equity into the stock option calculator.
Vesting Duration (in years) – insert the vesting duration of your equity grant in years into the stock option vesting calculator.
Vesting Schedule (% per year) – insert the percentage of your equity grant that will vest each year into the stock option vesting calculator.
Use the Share Link field to share a copy of your total compensation calculator with others – that way, you can easily share this tool with friends and colleagues. Use the Email a Copy field to send yourself a copy of your total compensation calculator – that way, you will have a copy that you can easily refer to and update as needed.
Comp Calculator Components in the Total Compensation Calculator
Many compensation components will make up your total compensation. Here are the key salary components that you will find in the Total Compensation Calculator:
Base Salary – your base salary is the fixed guaranteed pay you receive in exchange for the work you do. It is the foundational component of your compensation and is typically paid out in biweekly or monthly paychecks by your employer. Base salary does not include any other benefits, bonuses, or incentives, and it is not tied to performance. The salary compensation calculator will lay out this salary component across years for any company and location (i.e., using as a Seattle paycheck calculator).
Performance Bonus – this type of compensation is typically linked to your individual and company performance metrics, and the amount can vary based on personal and/or company achievements. It is commonly referred to as a target bonus by some companies (e.g., a Google target bonus). If you do receive a performance bonus, it is usually paid out at the end of a specified period (e.g., end of the year, quarter, etc.) as either a fixed amount or a percentage of your base salary. However, it's important to note that performance bonuses are not always guaranteed but you should typically still include them in the bonus calculator.
Sign-on Bonus – this is a one-time hiring bonus that new employees may receive when they join a company. Companies often provide sign-on bonuses as incentives to attract talent or to compensate for any lost bonuses or unvested equity employees might leave behind at their previous company. These bonuses are typically paid out in the first year and can take the form of a lump sum or be distributed evenly in each paycheck throughout the year. Often, sign-on bonuses come with payback conditions, requiring employees to repay the bonus if they leave the company within a certain period, such as departing within the first year. Some companies may even offer another sign-on bonus in the second year (e.g., like with Amazon sign-on bonuses) which should be included in the bonus calculator section.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) – this type of equity represents actual ownership of stock (e.g., shares of Apple equity or Microsoft equity) that will be granted to employees upon meeting specific conditions. Employees do not purchase these shares like stock options and they are provided by the company. RSUs are commonly found in offers from public companies and are particularly prevalent in tech-based roles (e.g., software engineers, product managers, technical program managers, and many more.). RSUs usually follow a vesting schedule, meaning employees receive the equity only if they remain with the company throughout that schedule's duration (e.g., three or four years). The RSU calculator section will act as an RSU vesting calculator to graph out how your equity vest in your equity compensation package.
Stock Options – this type of equity represents the right to buy a defined number of shares at a specific price in the future. Employees must purchase (exercise) the stock options to convert them into actual shares of stock. The value of a stock option depends on the difference between the purchase (exercise or strike) price and the current market value of the company's stock (fair market value). Stock options are most common in startups or non-public companies (e.g., Meta equity is not stock options) so you can use this tool as a startup salary calculator. The equity compensation calculator section will act as a vesting compensation calculator to graph out how your stock options vest in your equity compensation package.
Total Compensation – this includes the sum of all your monetary take-home earnings, such as base salary, performance bonuses, equity, and sign-on incentives. An easy way to think about what's included in your total compensation is any earnings that you'll typically need to pay taxes on at the end of the year. We recommend considering your current compensation over the years rather than relying on an annual salary increase calculator, as salary raises can often be uncertain. Understanding total compensation is important because it allows you to calculate your true annual income and compare compensation across companies. That way you can properly value a compensation package and be set up for success in a salary negotiation.
Be sure to share a copy of your total compensation calculator with others by using the Share Link field, or send yourself a copy of the total comp calculator using the Email a Copy function.
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