How to compare two job offers side by side

What should you compare besides salary?

Compare everything the employer pays for you, plus the job itself. The BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation table for June 2026 splits civilian benefits into paid leave, supplemental pay such as bonuses, insurance, retirement and savings, and legally required benefits. Together they cost employers $15.61 of every $49.46 per hour.

That works out to 31.6 percent of total compensation, against 68.4 percent for wages and salaries. Two offers with the same base salary can be far apart once you add the rest. The page on total compensation vs salary explains each part in more detail.

Ask each employer for the same set of documents before you compare: the offer letter, the benefits summary, the retirement plan details and any equity grant terms. If a detail is missing, ask the recruiter in writing. Here is an example message.

Hi [name], thank you again for the offer. To help me decide, could you send the benefits summary, including the employee cost for health coverage, and the details of the retirement plan match? Thanks, [your name]

How do you compare health insurance between offers?

Compare what you will pay each year, not only whether coverage exists. The BLS Employee Benefits release for March 2026 says 71 percent of private industry workers had access to medical care benefits. That leaves many jobs where you would buy coverage yourself or rely on a partner's plan.

When both employers offer a plan, the cost split varies. In March 2026, private industry employers paid on average 80 percent of the premium for single coverage and employees paid 20 percent. For family coverage, the average split was 69 percent employer and 31 percent employee.

For each offer, write down your yearly premium for the coverage level you need, the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum. A plan with a low premium and a high deductible can cost more in a year with medical bills. In Canada, provincial health plans cover basic care, so compare the extended health, dental and drug plans each employer offers.

How do you compare retirement plans?

Compare how much the employer puts in for you, and when that money becomes yours. A match of 6 percent of pay on a $90,000 salary is $5,400 a year, which belongs in your comparison as real money. Check the vesting schedule, since an employer contribution you lose by leaving early is worth less.

In the US, the employee limit for 401(k) contributions is $24,500 for 2026, according to the IRS announcement dated November 13, 2025. The catch-up limit for people aged 50 and over is $8,000, and a higher catch-up of $11,250 applies at ages 60 to 63. The BLS release above says 72 percent of private industry workers had access to retirement benefits in March 2026.

In Canada, workplace pensions are less common. Statistics Canada reported that 37.6 percent of paid workers were covered by a registered pension plan in 2024. If one offer has a pension or a group RRSP match and the other has none, that difference can be worth thousands of dollars a year.

How much is paid time off worth?

Paid time off has a dollar value, and it varies more between offers than people expect. One simple way to price it: divide the base salary by 260 working days to get a day's pay, then multiply by the difference in days. On a $90,000 salary, a day is about $346, so five extra vacation days are worth about $1,731.

In the US, the Department of Labor's page on vacation leave says federal law "does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays." The amount is up to the employer. The BLS release above says 80 percent of private industry workers had access to paid vacation in March 2026.

Canadian provinces set minimums. In Ontario, the Employment Standards Act gives two weeks of vacation and at least 4 percent vacation pay a year for employees with under five years of service, rising to three weeks and 6 percent after five years. An offer can give more, and the extra is what you compare.

How do you put two offers side by side?

Put both offers in one table, use yearly dollars for every row you can, and keep the rows you can't price in a separate list. The example below uses made-up figures to show the method. Replace them with your own numbers from each offer letter and benefits summary.

In this example, Offer B comes out ahead by $4,750 a year before vacation, and its five extra vacation days add about $1,731 more at its salary. The bonus is a target, so check how often the company has paid it in full. If most of Offer B's lead comes from the bonus, Offer A may be the safer pick.

Treat equity in its own row, and price it with care. The IRS page on stock options explains that the tax treatment of options depends on their type and on when you exercise and sell. Stock in a private company may have no market where you can sell it, so many people value it at a fraction of the paper number.

What about the parts you can't put a number on?

The manager, the work, the commute and job security often decide how a job feels a year later. Give each one a score from 1 to 5 for both offers. If the dollar gap is small, these scores should decide it. If the gap is large, ask whether the better-paying job has a cost you can't accept.

Think about stability. In Ontario, the termination rules say employees who have worked less than three months are not entitled to notice or termination pay under the Act. Leaving a secure job for a new one carries some risk in the first months, which is worth weighing if one employer looks shaky.

Use your interviews as evidence. Look back at what each manager said about the team, the goals for the first year and how success is measured. The page on questions to ask the interviewer has questions you can still ask now, by email or in a short call with the hiring manager.

What do you do once one offer is ahead?

Decide which offer you would take if the numbers were equal, then see whether the other one can close the gap. You can ask the employer you prefer to improve one specific term. The guide on how to negotiate salary has scripts for email and phone.

Here is an example message to the employer you prefer.

Hi [name], I'm excited about this role and would like to make it work. I have another offer with a higher total, mainly from a larger retirement match and bonus. Would you be able to raise the base to $[figure], or add a signing bonus of $[figure]? If so, I'm ready to accept.

Only mention another offer if it exists, and don't share the other employer's documents. If the first employer improves its offer, ask for a revised offer letter. Then use the counter offer email examples or the job offer response emails to answer both employers.

How do you decline the other offer?

Decline promptly and politely once you have signed the offer you chose. Thank the employer, say you have accepted another role, and keep the door open. A short email is enough, and a call first is a kind touch if you worked closely with the recruiter or the hiring manager.

Hi [name], thank you for the offer and for your time during the process. After careful thought, I've accepted another position. I enjoyed meeting the team and hope our paths cross again. Best, [your name]

Before you start the new job, keep a copy of your signed offer and the benefits summary. Before the call where you ask for more, write your number and your reason down and say them out loud a few times. If pay comes up in an interview first, the free interview question generator shows whether a posting is likely to bring the salary question, and the guide to salary expectations has example answers.