Rajkumar Anguluri·Software Engineer · Founder, Artha Engine·Last reviewed 12 April 2026·Methodology
Independent decision-support tool. Artha Engine is not a financial services provider, does not sell loans or insurance, and has no commission relationships with banks or insurers.
Job Offer CTC Comparator
Compare two job offers side-by-side — break down every CTC component, see real in-hand salary under both tax regimes, factor in ESOPs with risk-adjusted valuation, and get a multi-dimensional verdict on which offer actually pays more.
Compare offers
Only CTC and basic % are needed — expand sections for finer control.
Your profile
New Offer pays more per month
₹37,446
New Offer leads on the combined cash and wealth comparison
New Offer leads on the combined cash and wealth comparison with high confidence. Review the separate cash and total compensation differences below.
Negotiate on the weaker components (basic %, bonus probability, ESOPs) before signing.
Monthly in-hand delta
₹37,446
Lower annual tax: Current
₹1.4L
ESOP delta (risk-adjusted)
₹0
Effective annual delta
₹4.5L
Cost-of-living delta
₹0
ESOP breakeven growth
0.0%
Not applicable — no ESOP-vs-cash trade-off
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Monthly in-hand
CTC composition
Cumulative in-hand (4 years)
Breakdown
- Basic₹4,80,00020.4%
- New Offer₹7,20,000
- DA₹00.0%
- New Offer₹0
- HRA₹2,40,00010.2%
- New Offer₹3,60,000
- Special allowance₹4,35,31218.5%
- New Offer₹6,63,768
- Employer PF₹21,6000.9%
- New Offer₹21,600
- Gratuity₹23,0881.0%
- New Offer₹34,632
- Tax₹00.0%
- New Offer₹1,39,104
- Employee PF₹21,6000.9%
- New Offer₹21,600
- Annual in-hand₹11,31,31248.1%
- New Offer₹15,80,664
Benchmarks
Cash in-hand winner
+39.7%You
₹15.8L
Benchmark
₹11.3L
New Offer pays ₹4.5L more in-hand annually
Total comp (cash + ESOP) winner
+39.7%You
₹15.8L
Benchmark
₹11.3L
New Offer has ₹4.5L higher total comp (cash + ESOPs)
Tax efficiency winner
-100.0%You
₹0
Benchmark
₹1.4L
Current saves ₹1.4L in taxes
What moves the result most
Holding everything else fixed, here is how the headline shifts when each input swings by a typical range.
PF contribution is capped at ₹15,000 monthly base
Employer PF only applies on the first ₹15,000 of monthly basic+DA. Above that, additional basic does not increase PF.
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At a glance
- What it does
- Takes two full CTC structures (fixed pay, allowances, FBP, variable, ESOPs, employer contributions, perks) and computes monthly in-hand under both tax regimes for each offer, then delivers cash, wealth, tax, and lifestyle verdicts with breakeven analysis.
- Why CTC ≠ in-hand
- Employer PF, gratuity, insurance, and variable pay at <100% probability can create a 25-35% gap between headline CTC and actual monthly credit. Two offers with the same CTC can differ by ₹15K+/month in-hand due to structure.
- ESOP reality check
- Pre-IPO ESOPs are discounted 50-75% for realization risk. The breakeven analysis shows exactly what stock growth is needed for the ESOP-heavy offer to match the cash-heavy one.
- Best used for
- Evaluating a new job offer against your current package, negotiating with data, or choosing between multiple offers from different companies.
How It Works
See how your inputs are used to calculate the result.
- Per offer: Basic (% of CTC) + DA + HRA (50%/40% of basic+DA) + Special allowance (balancing) + allowances + FBP + variable × probability.
- Employer PF = 12% of min(basic+DA, ₹15K/month). Gratuity = 4.81% of (basic+DA). Both are CTC but not in-hand.
- Tax: computed under both old and new regimes (AY 2026-27). Old includes 80C/80D/HRA/home-loan deductions. Best regime auto-picked.
- In-hand = gross + variable + reimbursements + perks − tax − employee PF − professional tax.
- ESOP risk-adjusted = face value × realization discount (90% listed-large, 75% listed-mid, 50% pre-IPO, 25% early-startup) ÷ vesting years.
Assumptions
The recommendation stays blunt, but the assumptions remain visible.
- Uses AY 2026-27 income tax slabs with Section 87A rebate.
- HRA exemption: 50% of (basic+DA) for metro cities, 40% for non-metro.
- Employer and employee PF at 12% of basic, capped at ₹15,000/month base.
- Professional tax varies by state (₹0 in Delhi, ₹2,400-2,500 elsewhere).
- Meal card tax-free up to ₹2,200/month (₹26,400/year).
- Variable pay discounted by user-specified probability.
- ESOPs are pre-tax; perquisite tax at exercise is not modeled.
FAQ
The follow-up questions people usually ask after the main recommendation is already clear.
Why does a higher CTC sometimes give lower in-hand?
If the higher CTC has a larger basic %, more goes to PF and gratuity (not in-hand). Or if it pushes you into a higher tax bracket without sufficient deductions, the tax bite grows faster than the CTC increase.
Should I trust the ESOP valuation?
We apply a realization discount based on company stage. For listed companies it's 90% (high confidence). For early startups, only 25% — most never materialize. The breakeven analysis shows what growth is needed.
How do I factor in WFH, food, and other perks?
Enter meal card and cab allowance in the perks section. For WFH savings, reduce your rent input to reflect the effective housing cost.
Sources & references
Every formula and assumption above is grounded in these authoritative sources.
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Calculations and decision frameworks, not personalised financial advice. The numbers on this page are based on the inputs you supplied and the regulatory rules in effect when this page was last reviewed. They are not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, port, or surrender any specific financial product. Consult a SEBI-registered investment advisor, a qualified tax professional, or a licensed insurance broker before acting on a financial decision involving your money.
Artha Engine is an educational decision-support website. We do not offer loans, sell insurance, distribute mutual funds, provide regulated investment advice, collect loan applications, or receive commissions from banks, insurers, AMCs, brokers, or other financial providers. References to RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, Income Tax Department, or other authorities are source citations only. Artha Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any government authority, regulator, bank, insurer, AMC, or broker. Artha Engine does not charge users fees for using calculators, comparison tools, articles, or financial health scoring. Mailing address: India.
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