Salary Negotiation Calculator 💼
Real comp after cost of living and taxes.
Current
Offer
Counter = the salary that gives you parity + ~7% — typical room above an opener.
How to use this calculator
Enter your current salary and your city's cost-of-living index (US average = 100).
Enter the offered salary and the cost-of-living index of the new city.
Optionally add a sign-on bonus.
See the offer normalized to your buying power, the parity salary, and a suggested counter.
Calculation method
Data source: COL indexes from major public sources (BLS, MERIC Cost of Living Index). US average = 100.
Last data update: May 24, 2026
Worked examples
$90k @ 110 → $130k @ 187
A $40k bump can still be a real-comp cut.
$90k @ 100 → $100k @ 100
$120k @ 130 → $115k @ 90
Big real raise.
Frequently asked questions
A composite score (housing, groceries, utilities, transport, healthcare) relative to a US national baseline of 100. NYC ≈ 187, Austin ≈ 110, Cleveland ≈ 78 are common reference points.
Because cost of living often climbs faster than salary in expensive metros. A $20k raise into a city with double the cost can be a pay cut in buying power.
Most companies expect at least one counter. Aim for parity + 5–10%, supported by market data and competing offers if you have them.