How each calculator works.

Salary Comparison by City

For each city we look up the cost-of-living index and apply it to the national salary baseline for the chosen occupation. We then show absolute pay, COL-adjusted purchasing power, and housing impact.

What Should I Earn?

We combine occupation baseline × experience multiplier × COL index, then add an optional certification or education premium of 5–15%.

Salary After Taxes

We stack the current federal income tax, the appropriate state or provincial brackets, FICA (US) or CPP+EI (Canada), and apply the standard deduction for your filing status.

Layoff Survival

Runway = liquid savings ÷ essential monthly expenses, with severance and unemployment benefits factored in.

Promotion & Raise

We compound your raise over 5 years assuming 3% annual increases on the new base, and show the lifetime delta vs. staying at your current salary.

Freelance Rate

Required hourly = (target income + overhead + tax buffer) ÷ realistic billable hours per year (after holidays, sick days, business development).