Career & Income Calculators
Optimize your career and income decisions with data-driven calculators. Compare job offers, analyze your true hourly wage, plan freelance finances, evaluate side hustles, and maximize your earning potential.
Career & Income Calculators
Career Planning & Analysis
Career Income Optimizer
Real wage & tax analysis
Calculate true hourly wage after taxes and costs, track salary vs inflation, and analyze tax bracket impact. Complete career income analysis tool.
Career Decision Analyzer
Compare job offers side-by-side
Compare multiple job offers including salary, benefits, commute costs, work-life balance, and long-term growth potential. Make data-driven career decisions.
Stock Options & Vesting Calculator
Model equity compensation value
Visualize vesting timelines, compare ISO vs NSO taxes, test early exercise strategies, and forecast exit scenarios for startup equity packages.
Freelancer & Self-Employment
Freelancer Financial Calculator
Calculate freelance rates and taxes
Determine ideal hourly/project rates as a freelancer. Includes self-employment taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, and business expenses.
Freelancer Retirement Gap Tool
Plan retirement without employer 401k
Calculate retirement savings gap for freelancers without employer match. Plan SEP-IRA, Solo 401k, and Roth IRA contributions.
Side Hustle ROI Calculator
Is your side hustle worth it?
Calculate true profitability of side hustles after taxes, expenses, and time investment. See hourly rate and break-even analysis.
Work Flexibility & Benefits
Remote Work Savings Calculator
Calculate remote work savings
Quantify savings from working remotely including commute costs, gas, parking, lunch, work clothes, and time value. Compare remote vs office work.
Complete Tax Calculator
Estimate taxes on income
Comprehensive income tax calculator for W-2 and 1099 income. Plan federal and state taxes, deductions, and credits.
Which Calculator Should I Use?
| Calculator | Best For | Time | Complexity | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career Income Optimizer | Real wage analysis | 7 min | Medium | Tax-adjusted hourly wage |
| Career Decision Analyzer | Job offer comparison | 10 min | Medium | Multi-factor decision matrix |
| Freelancer Financial Calculator | Rate setting | 8 min | Medium | Self-employment tax planning |
| Freelancer Retirement Gap | Retirement planning | 6 min | Medium | No-employer-match scenarios |
| Side Hustle ROI | Side business viability | 5 min | Easy | True profitability analysis |
| Remote Work Savings | Work location decision | 4 min | Easy | Comprehensive cost savings |
| Complete Tax Calculator | Income tax estimation | 10 min | Advanced | Federal + state taxes |
Find Your Perfect Calculator
💼 Evaluating Job Offer or Career Change?
→ Use Career Income Optimizer
- • Calculate: True hourly wage after taxes
- • Compare: Real purchasing power
- • Factor: Inflation and cost of living
→ Use Career Decision Analyzer
- • Compare: Multiple job offers side-by-side
- • Weigh: Salary, benefits, commute, culture
- • Decide: Data-driven career choice
💻 Freelancing or Self-Employed?
→ Use Freelancer Financial Calculator
- • Calculate: Ideal hourly/project rates
- • Factor: Self-employment taxes
- • Plan: Health insurance and business costs
→ Use Freelancer Retirement Gap Tool
- • Calculate: Retirement savings needed
- • Plan: SEP-IRA, Solo 401k contributions
- • Replace: Missing employer match
🚀 Starting a Side Hustle?
→ Use Side Hustle ROI Calculator
- • Calculate: True profitability
- • Factor: Taxes, expenses, time
- • Decide: Is it worth your time?
🏠 Working Remotely?
→ Use Remote Work Savings Calculator
- • Calculate: Annual savings from remote work
- • Quantify: Commute, gas, lunch, parking costs
- • Compare: Remote vs office work value
🧮 Planning Income Taxes?
→ Use Complete Tax Calculator
- • Calculate: Federal and state taxes
- • Plan: W-2 and 1099 income
- • Optimize: Deductions and credits
Frequently Asked Questions
Career & Salary Questions
Q: How do I calculate my real hourly wage?
A: Divide annual salary by hours worked, then subtract taxes and work-related costs (commute, meals, etc.). Use our Career Income Optimizer to get your true hourly wage after all expenses.
Q: How should I compare job offers?
A: Look beyond salary: total compensation, benefits value, commute costs, work-life balance, growth potential, and company stability. Use our Career Decision Analyzer to compare all factors.
Q: How do raises affect my tax bracket?
A: Only income above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate (marginal tax). A raise won't reduce your take-home pay. Use our Career Income Optimizer to see real impact.
Q: What's a good salary increase when changing jobs?
A: General rule: 10-20% for lateral moves, 20-30% for promotions. Factor in total compensation including benefits. Use our Career Decision Analyzer.
Freelancer Questions
Q: How do I set my freelance hourly rate?
A: Calculate desired annual income + self-employment taxes (15.3%) + health insurance + retirement + business expenses, then divide by billable hours (typically 1,200-1,500/year). Use our Freelancer Calculator.
Q: What are self-employment taxes?
A: 15.3% covering both employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare. This is in addition to income tax. Our Freelancer Calculator factors this in.
Q: How much should freelancers save for retirement?
A: 15-20% minimum since you lack employer match. Max out Solo 401k ($69,000 in 2024) or SEP-IRA (25% of net income, up to $69,000). Use our Freelancer Retirement Gap tool.
Q: What business expenses can I deduct?
A: Home office, equipment, software, internet, phone, marketing, professional development, travel, health insurance premiums. Track everything. Use our Freelancer Calculator.
Side Hustle Questions
Q: How much can I make from a side hustle before paying taxes?
A: All income is taxable. You must pay taxes on any side hustle income, even $1. File Schedule C and pay self-employment tax on net profit >$400.
Q: Is my side hustle profitable?
A: Calculate revenue minus expenses minus taxes minus time value (hours × your desired hourly rate). If negative, it's a hobby, not a business. Use our Side Hustle ROI Calculator.
Q: Should I quit my job for my side hustle?
A: When side hustle consistently earns 2x your expenses for 6+ months, you have emergency fund, and growth is sustainable. Test part-time first.
Remote Work Questions
Q: How much do I save working remotely?
A: Average $4,000-12,000/year in commute costs, gas, parking, lunch, work clothes, and time. Use our Remote Work Savings Calculator with your specific costs.
Q: Can I deduct home office expenses?
A: W-2 employees: No (eliminated in 2018). Self-employed/1099: Yes, if you use space exclusively for business. Calculate square footage percentage.
Q: Should I take a pay cut for remote work?
A: Consider total compensation including savings. A 10% pay cut with $10k remote savings is a net gain. Use our Career Decision Analyzer.
Key Career & Income Statistics (2024)
Salary & Income Stats
- • Average US salary: $59,428 (median)
- • Average raise: 4.1% (2024)
- • Job change salary increase: 10-20%
- • Inflation rate (2024): 3.2%
- • Real wage growth needed: Match or exceed inflation
Freelancer & Self-Employment Stats
- • US freelancers: 73.3 million (2023)
- • Average freelance hourly rate: $28/hour
- • Self-employment tax rate: 15.3% (SS + Medicare)
- • Freelancer health insurance cost: $560/month avg
- • Recommended emergency fund: 6-12 months
Side Hustle Stats
- • Americans with side hustles: 45%
- • Average side hustle income: $891/month
- • Most common: Freelancing, e-commerce, gig work
- • Side hustle hours/week: 10-15 hours
- • Break-even time: 3-6 months
Remote Work Stats
- • Remote workers in US: 12.7% full-time (2024)
- • Average commute cost savings: $4,500/year
- • Average time savings: 200+ hours/year
- • Remote work pay cut willingness: 8-10%
- • Gas savings (15 miles each way): $2,500/year
Optimize Your Career Income Today
Choose the calculator for your situation:
Making a career decision? Use our Career Decision Analyzer to compare all factors.