Headline salary is maybe 70% of the story. This tool values the full package — sign-on, retirement match, benefits, call pay, PTO — averages it over the contract term, and adjusts for cost of living so you can compare offers in different cities.
| Line item | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Offer nickname e.g. "Academic – Boston" | ||
| Cash compensation (annual) | ||
| Base salary | ||
| Expected bonus / production incentive use a realistic, not best-case, number | ||
| Call / extra-duty pay | ||
| One-time payments | ||
| Sign-on bonus | ||
| Relocation allowance | ||
| Contract length (years) one-time payments are spread over this term | ||
| Benefits (annual value) | ||
| Employer retirement contribution / match | ||
| CME / licensure / stipends | ||
| Insurance premium difference you pay health/disability out of pocket; enter as a cost | ||
| Malpractice tail you'd owe on exit spread over term; 0 if employer-paid or occurrence policy | ||
| Time & location | ||
| PTO (weeks/year) valued at weekly base pay | ||
| Cost-of-living index 100 = national avg. NYC≈170, Houston≈95. Try bestplaces.net | ||
Average annual value = cash comp + benefits + (one-time payments ÷ contract years) + PTO value − costs you bear (insurance premiums, amortized tail coverage).
PTO valuation: extra time off is valued at your weekly base rate (base ÷ 52 per week). This is a lower bound — for shift-based specialties, time you could sell back is worth more.
Cost-of-living adjustment divides annual value by (index ÷ 100). This is a blunt instrument: it overstates the penalty for high-COL cities if you'd save a large share of income, and ignores state income tax differences. Use our shift calculator's state-tax fields for a finer look.
Not modeled: taxes (sign-on bonuses are taxable; retirement match is tax-advantaged and arguably worth more than face value), partnership tracks and future buy-in economics, non-compete geography, loan-forgiveness eligibility differences (a 501(c)(3) employer can be worth six figures via PSLF), schedule quality, and career trajectory. Big ones — weigh them alongside the number.
Educational estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Have every physician contract reviewed by a contract attorney before signing.