How total compensation is calculated
total comp = salary + bonus + (salary × match %)
+ (PTO days × salary ÷ 260) − (commute × 12)
Each piece converts a benefit into annual dollars. The 401(k) match is counted at face value (it's immediate, tax-advantaged money). PTO is valued at your daily rate because every extra paid day off is a day of salary you don't have to work for. Commute costs are subtracted because they're an unavoidable expense of taking that specific job.
A worked example
Offer B pays $7,000 more in base ($92,000 vs $85,000) and looks like the obvious winner. But Offer A adds a $5,000 bonus, a 4% match ($3,400), five more PTO days (≈$1,635), and no commute, while Offer B has a $250 monthly commute (−$3,000). Run the numbers: A totals ≈$95,035 against B's ≈$89,538. The "lower" offer is actually worth about $5,500 more.
What the calculator deliberately leaves out
Equity, promotion velocity, job security, and how much you'd like the work don't fit in a formula, and pretending they do produces false precision. Use the number above to settle the money question — then let the non-money factors break the tie with a clear conscience.