A higher salary can still be a worse deal when work hours, pay cadence, and overtime assumptions differ.
5-point comparison checklist
Annual gross pay
Hours per week expectation
Weeks worked per year
Pay frequency (cash-flow impact)
Overtime likelihood and policy
Mini example
Offer A: $85,000, 40 hrs/week
Offer B: $92,000, 50 hrs/week
If both run 52 weeks:
A hourly equivalent ≈ $40.87
B hourly equivalent ≈ $35.38
Higher annual pay, lower effective hourly value.
3 takeaways
Standardize assumptions before deciding.
Annual salary is a headline, not a decision model.
Effective hourly can reveal hidden tradeoffs fast.
Compare offers here:
https://salaryswitch.pages.dev