How-To · 9 min
How to Calculate Total Compensation
Base salary is just the tip. Total comp includes bonus, equity, 401(k) match, health insurance value, and more — here's how to add it all up.
Guides
Clear, trustworthy explanations to go with the calculators — salary negotiation, paycheck math, equity, and freelance economics.
How-To · 9 min
How to Negotiate a Raise
Most raises happen because someone asked. The 6-step process for documenting your value, picking the moment, and making the ask.
How-To · 10 min
How to Calculate Stock Option Worth
Spread, strike, FMV, ISO vs NSO, AMT — five concepts you need to value stock options correctly, with worked examples for each case.
How-To · 9 min
How to Calculate RSU Value at Vesting
RSUs become taxable income the moment they vest — at the market price that day. Here's the exact math, including the 22% withholding trap that surprises high earners.
How-To · 10 min
How to Compare Job Offers
Total compensation, take-home pay, equity, benefits, and quality of life — a structured framework for comparing two or three offers apples-to-apples.
How-To · 8 min
How to Calculate Freelance Rates
Reverse-engineer your hourly rate from a target take-home income, working backward through taxes, expenses, and realistic billable hours.
How-To · 8 min
How to Estimate Take-Home Pay
Five-step process: start with gross, subtract pre-tax deductions, apply federal/state/FICA — a step-by-step guide to estimating your real paycheck before HR sends the first one.
How-To · 6 min
How to Calculate Your Hourly Rate From Salary
Three formulas — quick, careful, and honest — for converting an annual salary into an hourly rate. Plus why the answer depends on what question you're asking.
How-To · 7 min
How to Read Your Pay Stub
Federal, FICA, state, pre-tax, post-tax, YTD — every line on a pay stub decoded with a sample calculation.