The line items most people never add up, from equity to parental leave

Most people fixate on the base number, yet it tells you the least about what you will actually take home. Deloitte's 2025 survey of 7,500 women found that only 5% expect to remain with their employer for more than five years, so you will likely be weighing another offer sooner than you expect. Learning to add up the entire compensation package is worth the effort right now.

Picture a second offer that tops the first by $20,000 in base pay alone. Say a bonus target of 20% instead of 10% on a $200,000 salary is worth $20,000 each year on its own, while a 6% retirement match instead of 3% contributes another $6,000. The modest offer can end up winning before you have even turned to the second page of the letter.

The quiz

Tally the weaker bid. Answer yes or no to each statement and tally the yeses.

Uno. In this scenario the target bonus makes up a bigger slice of base, and the company met or beat that target in each of the past two years.

Dos. The retirement match is more generous, vests sooner, or offers both advantages.

Tres. Equity is on the table, and you know the vesting schedule, the strike price or latest valuation, and what happens to unvested shares if your position ends.

Cuatro. Parental or caregiving leave runs longer and is paid in full, and colleagues at your level actually take it.

Cinco. Your title and reporting relationship land one step above what the other employer is offering.

Seis. The offer letter itself describes remote or hybrid arrangements in writing instead of leaving them as a verbal assurance.

Siete. After premiums, deductibles, and what the plan covers for your household are tallied, your monthly health costs come in lower.

Ocho. Vacation and paid time off are more substantial, and the people who interviewed you actually use theirs.

Nueve. The pay band extends well beyond your starting salary, so your next couple of raises will not hit the ceiling.

Diez. A signing or retention bonus compensates for what you forfeit by relocating, such as an unpaid bonus or unvested equity.

Reading your score

0 to 3: Whichever total is bigger comes out ahead. The lower offer is, in fact, lower. Take the base and negotiate the rest up, since the gap you just measured is your argument.

4 to 6: Nearer than it appears at first glance. The $20,000 difference is likely genuine, yet much of what the lower offer provides is worth real money too. Price each yes in dollars and set the two totals side by side. Many people find the gap shrinks to under $5,000 in year one and is reversed by year three.

Scoring 7 to 10 means the smaller offer is actually the stronger package. You are looking at a better-built deal with a lower headline. Base salary is the simplest figure to negotiate, so start there.

What to do now

With a 0 to 3 score, return to the lower offer and state: "I'd like to accept, and I need the base to reach X for the move to make sense." Your only real risk is a number that gets turned down.

With a 4 to 6 score, create a two-column comparison with every component priced out, then put one question to each employer: "Is there room to move on the item where you fall short?" Whichever employer responds with a concrete figure is revealing how badly they want you.

If you scored 7 to 10, accept the richer package and ask that the base gap be closed partly in cash at signing and the rest at a dated review. "Might we resolve half of that difference when we sign and take up the rest at the six-month check-in?"

Which bid came out on top, and were you caught off guard by the result? Tell us in the comments.