Review cash, options, dilution, and vesting tradeoffs. Model exits, taxes, and opportunity cost with confidence. Make smarter startup decisions with structured offer comparisons now.
| Scenario | Base Salary | Bonus | Shares | Strike | Exit Price | Exit Probability | Years Worked | Expected Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offer A | $90,000 | $5,000 | 20,000 | $0.50 | $8.00 | 25% | 3 | $315,683.27 |
| Offer B | $105,000 | $10,000 | 8,000 | $1.25 | $7.00 | 20% | 4 | $503,614.40 |
| Offer C | $80,000 | $0 | 35,000 | $0.20 | $10.00 | 18% | 4 | $426,498.67 |
A startup offer calculator helps you judge compensation with more clarity. Many offers look exciting at first. Real value depends on salary, bonus, benefits, vesting, taxes, dilution, and exit outcomes. This page turns those moving parts into one structured estimate. It helps you compare risk and reward before you sign.
Startup pay is rarely simple. Cash may be lower than a large company package. Equity may offset that gap, but only under certain outcomes. Vesting schedules also matter because unvested shares disappear when you leave early. A clear model helps you see what is guaranteed and what is speculative.
This calculator combines annual cash compensation with expected equity value. It estimates vested shares based on time worked and the vesting schedule. It also adjusts the possible exit price using a dilution assumption. Then it weights the equity by exit probability. The result is a more realistic offer estimate.
Career planning improves when you compare a startup offer against a market alternative. A higher title may not always mean higher expected value. A lower salary may still be worthwhile if equity upside is strong. On the other hand, weak vesting progress, high strike prices, or heavy dilution can reduce headline equity fast.
Use this tool during negotiations as well. Change salary, bonus, signing bonus, and benefits to test better terms. Increase or reduce expected exit price to stress test optimism. Adjust years worked to see how the cliff changes outcomes. This makes conversations with founders, recruiters, and mentors more concrete.
No calculator can predict a future exit with certainty. Still, a structured estimate beats guesswork. Use the numbers as a planning guide, not a promise. The best decision balances financial upside, learning, role scope, and personal risk tolerance. That is why a startup offer calculator is useful for smart career decisions.
You can also use the output to compare several offers side by side. Save each scenario as a CSV file and review the assumptions later. Small input changes can produce very different totals. That visibility helps you avoid overvaluing paper gains and undervaluing stable cash compensation during an important career move. It also supports more disciplined and confident negotiation planning.
It estimates total offer value using salary, bonus, benefits, vesting, dilution, taxes, and expected equity outcomes. It helps you compare guaranteed cash with uncertain upside.
No. Equity is uncertain and depends on vesting, future funding, dilution, strike price, and exit success. This calculator discounts that uncertainty through probability and dilution assumptions.
If you leave before the cliff, you may receive no vested equity at all. That can dramatically reduce the total value of an offer, especially at early-stage companies.
Dilution reduces the effective value of your ownership over time. Future funding rounds can lower the upside of headline share counts, so it should be part of any realistic estimate.
Strike price is the amount you pay to exercise each option share. Lower strike prices usually improve potential upside because the spread between exit price and exercise cost becomes larger.
Taxes reduce take-home value from both cash and possible equity gains. This tool applies one blended rate for planning, but actual tax treatment depends on country, timing, and equity structure.
Yes. Enter the likely market salary alternative to see whether the startup package creates a premium or a shortfall under your assumptions.
No. Career decisions also depend on learning, role scope, leadership quality, runway, team strength, and your comfort with risk. Use the calculator as one decision tool, not the only one.
Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.