Collect offer facts and mark unknowns
Use the common pay-basis guide to align periods and hours, the pay-component guide to align included items, and the hourly-versus-salary comparison when the quote labels imply different schedule evidence. Keep recurring costs in the work-costs checklist instead of hiding them in pay.
| Field | Evidence label | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Quoted period | Offer document fact | Retain the original hourly, weekly, monthly or annual label before normalising |
| Hours and paid periods | Contract, schedule or labelled scenario | Keep paid, worked and committed hours distinct; leave missing schedule facts unknown |
| Currency | Offer document fact | Use one confirmed currency or keep currency conversion outside the comparison |
| Included pay and benefits | Offer, plan or scheme document | Separate base, variable, contingent and benefit items before combining anything |
| Guaranteed cash | Offer document fact | Normalise to one period |
| Benefits | Document fact or user estimate | Value once and retain label |
| Commute and recurring costs | User scenario | Use the same horizon |
| Bonus and equity | Contingent or deferred | Keep outside guaranteed total |
| Unconfirmed term | Unknown | Ask or model a range |
- Record the source, quoted period, hours definition and currency for every offer field.
- Confirm which cash and benefit items each headline amount includes.
- Separate guaranteed, contingent and deferred amounts.
- Mark missing terms instead of assuming them.
Use specialist tools in decision order
Prepare comparable offer fields with the Job offer comparison guide, use the Job offer comparison calculator, and inspect its methodology.
Audit package components with the Total compensation guide, use the Total compensation calculator, and inspect its methodology.
Test pay after time and work costs with the Effective hourly wage guide, use the Effective hourly wage calculator, and inspect its methodology.
Keep remote and office assumptions bounded with the Remote vs office job guide, use the Remote vs office job calculator, and inspect its methodology.
Model disclosed outcome probabilities separately with the Expected job value guide, use the Expected job value calculator, and inspect its methodology.
Test downside, timing and non-financial fit
- Run a baseline and a disclosed downside scenario without inventing probabilities.
- Map payment, vesting, relocation and start-date timing.
- Write what would change the decision and which terms need clarification.
- Record manager, schedule, flexibility, growth and security qualitatively.
- Choose a narrower calculator when one uncertain component dominates.
Keep guaranteed, target and expected pay in separate rows
For a stated full-payout opportunity and an entered payout probability, use the Bonus guide, use the Bonus calculator, and inspect its methodology and keep full-payout and probability-weighted totals separate.
For sales-linked pay under an entered plan structure, use the Commission guide, use the Commission calculator, and inspect its methodology without treating a sales target as guaranteed pay.
For two entered horizon-outcome sets and explicit probabilities, use the Expected job value guide, use the Expected job value calculator, and inspect its methodology as a scenario lens rather than a forecast.
For instrument-neutral equity uncertainty, use the Equity compensation value guide, use the Equity compensation value calculator, and inspect its methodology and keep face, expected and realised values distinct.
To compare recurring, contingent and deferred components on one horizon, use the raise, bonus and stock-comp timing and uncertainty guide while keeping each offer term and scenario label visible.
| Label | What to record | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed pay | The fixed cash terms stated for the comparison period | That contingent, deferred or unconfirmed amounts are included |
| Target or full-payout pay | The stated opportunity if the entered plan target or conditions are met | That the target will be achieved or paid |
| Probability-weighted expected pay | A scenario using an explicitly entered probability and compatible horizon | That it is guaranteed pay or a forecast from Wage101 |
- Retain the offer or plan wording beside each guaranteed or target amount.
- Use Bonus or Expected Job Value only when the probability and horizon are explicit user assumptions.
- Keep Commission tied to the entered commissionable-sales and plan structure rather than a generic target-pay label.
- Compare guaranteed pay first, then show target and probability-weighted scenarios separately.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the offer with the highest entered total win?
- Not automatically. Timing, uncertainty, committed time, recurring costs and qualitative priorities can differ.
- What should I do with an unknown offer term?
- Mark it unknown, ask for clarification and use transparent scenario bounds rather than a hidden default.
Sources checked
- Wages and working time statistics: concepts and definitions — ILOSTAT (accessed 2026-07-28): Conceptual context for keeping earnings, hours and time periods explicit; not a local legal rule.
- Resolution concerning the measurement of working time — International Labour Organization (accessed 2026-07-28): Conceptual working-time boundary only; no jurisdiction-specific entitlement is inferred.