# What is my total compensation?

Adds up a year of pay and employer-paid benefits (salary, bonuses, insurance, retirement contributions, payroll taxes, equity) into total compensation, with the benefits share and the hourly value.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/total-compensation-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/total-compensation-calculator.json
- Version: 15b23e2733a6

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Base pay for the year $80,000.00, Bonuses and commissions $5,000.00, Employer-paid insurance $12,000.00, Employer retirement contributions $4,000.00, Hours worked a year 2,080): Base pay of $80,000.00 with benefits and extras comes to total compensation of $101,000.00 a year ($8,416.67 a month).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| salary | Base pay for the year | Salary or wages for the year before tax, paid time off included. |
| bonus | Bonuses and commissions | Cash bonuses, commissions and profit sharing for the year. |
| ot | Overtime and extra pay | Overtime, shift differentials and other extra cash pay. |
| ins | Employer-paid insurance | What the employer pays for health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance. |
| ret | Employer retirement contributions | 401(k) or 403(b) matching and other employer contributions, or the pension cost. |
| tax | Employer payroll taxes | The employer’s Social Security and Medicare tax, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. |
| equity | Stock and equity awards | The value of stock or options that vest this year. |
| other | Other benefits | Tuition help, commuter benefits, stipends and other perks paid for you. |
| hours | Hours worked a year | For the value per hour: 2,080 is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks. Optional. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| total | Total compensation | Cash pay + benefits + equity. |
| cash | Cash pay | Base pay + bonuses and commissions + overtime and extra pay. |
| benefits | Benefits | Insurance + retirement contributions + payroll taxes + other benefits. |
| share | Benefits share | Benefits ÷ total compensation × 100. |
| monthly | Per month | Total compensation ÷ 12. |
| hourly | Per hour worked | Total compensation ÷ hours worked. Shown when the hours are typed. |

## Method

Cash pay = base pay + bonuses and commissions + overtime and extra pay. Benefits = insurance + retirement contributions + employer payroll taxes + other benefits. Total compensation = cash pay + benefits + equity. Per month = total ÷ 12; per hour = total ÷ hours worked.

## Assumptions

- All amounts are for the same year and are what the employer pays (not what you pay toward insurance).
- Paid time off is part of base pay here; the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts it as a benefit.
- Arithmetic is exact on the typed decimals; money shows to the cent and the share to 2 decimals, halves rounded up.

## Worked examples

1. salary = $80,000.00, bonus = $5,000.00, ins = $12,000.00, ret = $4,000.00, hours = 2,080 gives total = $101,000.00, cash = $85,000.00, benefits = $16,000.00, share = 15.841584%, monthly = $8,416.67, hourly = $48.56. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Handbook of Methods, National Compensation Measures: Concepts (total compensation = wages and salaries + benefits), https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ncs/concepts.htm.
2. salary = $70,408.00, ins = $8,798.40, ret = $5,262.40, tax = $7,092.80, other = $11,315.20, hours = 2,080 gives total = $102,876.80, benefits = $32,468.80, share = 31.560857%, hourly = $49.46. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026, Table 1 (civilian workers, cost per hour worked), https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t01.htm: wages and salaries $33.85, benefits $15.61, total $49.46 an hour.
3. salary = $150,000.00, bonus = $20,000.00, ot = $0.00, ins = $15,000.00, ret = $9,000.00, tax = $11,000.00, equity = $40,000.00, other = $2,500.00 gives total = $247,500.00, cash = $170,000.00, benefits = $37,500.00, share = 15.151515%, monthly = $20,625.00. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Handbook of Methods, National Compensation Measures: Concepts (total compensation = wages and salaries + benefits), https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ncs/concepts.htm.

## FAQ

### What is total compensation?

Everything an employer spends to pay you: wages and salaries plus benefits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts insurance, retirement and savings plans, paid leave, supplemental pay such as overtime premiums and bonuses, and legally required payroll taxes as benefits.

### How do I calculate total compensation?

Add your base pay, cash extras (bonuses, commissions, overtime), the benefits your employer pays (insurance, retirement contributions, payroll taxes, other perks) and the value of equity that vests in the year. $80,000 of salary, a $5,000 bonus, $12,000 of insurance and a $4,000 retirement match come to $101,000.

### How much are benefits worth?

In June 2026, employers spent an average of $15.61 an hour on benefits for civilian workers, against $33.85 in wages and salaries: 31.6% of total compensation of $49.46 an hour.

### Should I count the employer’s payroll taxes?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts the employer’s Social Security and Medicare tax, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation as legally required benefits, part of total compensation. Leave the box empty to compare offers on pay and voluntary benefits only.

### How do I compare two job offers?

Work out the total for each offer with the same assumptions, then compare the totals and the parts: cash pay is spendable now, while retirement contributions and equity pay off later, and equity can rise or fall in value.

### What does per hour worked mean?

Total compensation divided by the hours you actually work in the year. 2,080 hours is 40 hours a week for 52 weeks; with paid holidays and vacation you work fewer hours, so each hour worked is worth more.

## Sources

- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Handbook of Methods, National Compensation Measures: Concepts: total compensation includes employer costs for wages and salaries and for employee benefits; benefits are paid leave, supplemental pay, insurance, retirement and savings, and legally required benefits (Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation); cost per hour worked. https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/ncs/concepts.htm (retrieved 2026-10-19)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, June 2026 (released September 9, 2026), Table 1: civilian workers $49.46 an hour in total, $33.85 wages and salaries (68.4%), $15.61 benefits (31.6%): paid leave $3.71, supplemental pay $1.73, insurance $4.23, retirement and savings $2.53, legally required $3.41. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.t01.htm (retrieved 2026-10-19)