# How to evaluate a job offer: a checklist

> How to evaluate a job offer: add up total compensation, compare benefits, judge the work, the manager, the growth and the risk, and ask the right questions.

- Canonical URL: https://jobbie.bot/blog/evaluate-a-job-offer
- Topic: [Salary & job offers](https://jobbie.bot/guides/salary-and-offers)
- Published by [Jobbie](https://jobbie.bot/) · Updated 2026-10-06 · 8 min read

Evaluate a job offer in three passes. First, get every term in writing. Second, turn the pay and benefits into one annual figure you can compare. Third, judge what money does not show: the work, the manager, the growth path and the risk. A good offer clears your minimum on pay, beats your realistic alternatives and gives you a clear answer to what you will learn in the first year.

## Key takeaways

- Do not accept on the spot. Ask for the terms in writing and the date by which the employer needs an answer.
- Compare total compensation, not base pay: salary, bonus, equity and the employer’s share of benefits.
- Read a health plan by its premium and out-of-pocket maximum, and a retirement match by its vesting schedule.
- Weigh the work, the manager and the growth path as carefully as the money. They shape what your next offer looks like.
- Check the risk: the company’s health, how much of the pay is variable and anything you would have to repay.

## What should you get in writing first?

The U.S. Department of Labor’s salary negotiation guide advises against deciding on the spot and against accepting until you have seen all the terms in writing.

```Script: asking for the written offer
"Thank you, I'm very glad to have the offer. I want to make sure I understand every part of it. Could you send me the terms in writing, and let me know when you need my answer?"
```

Check that the written offer, or the documents sent with it, covers:

- Job title, level and who you report to
- Base pay, and whether the role is exempt from overtime
- Bonus: the target, what it depends on and whether any of it is guaranteed
- Equity: the type, the amount and the vesting schedule
- A benefits summary showing what you would pay for health coverage
- The retirement plan, the employer match and when the match vests
- Paid time off, holidays and sick leave
- Start date, work location and any remote or hybrid arrangement
- Conditions, such as a background check or reference checks
- Anything you would have to repay if you leave, such as a sign-on bonus or relocation costs
- Agreements you will be asked to sign

Ask about anything that is missing. A term that was only mentioned on a call is not yet part of the offer.

## How do you calculate total compensation?

Benefits are a large share of what an employer spends on you. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, benefits made up 30.0 percent of employer compensation costs for private industry workers in June 2026, and wages and salaries made up the other 70.0 percent. Two offers with the same salary can differ a great deal once the rest is counted.

1. **Start with base pay** for a full year.
2. **Add the bonus you can count on.** Ask what the bonus has actually paid in recent years. Treat a target as a possibility, not a promise.
3. **Add the employer’s retirement contribution,** if you will stay long enough to keep it. The IRS explains that your own contributions are always 100 percent yours, while employer contributions can vest over several years, either all at once after a set period or gradually.
4. **Add the employer’s share of health premiums,** then subtract your own share. Look at the out-of-pocket maximum as well. HealthCare.gov defines it as the most you have to pay for covered services in a plan year, and it does not include your monthly premiums.
5. **Value equity carefully.** Shares in a public company have a market price. Equity in a private company may be worth a lot or nothing, and either way it usually vests over time.
6. **Keep one-time payments separate.** A sign-on bonus or relocation payment helps in the first year only.

```Total compensation worksheet (annual)
Base pay:                                   [amount]
Bonus you can count on:                     [amount]
Employer retirement match:                  [amount, if you will vest]
Employer's share of health premiums:        [amount]
Equity vesting in the first year:           [value, or "uncertain"]
Total annual compensation:                  [sum]

Your share of health premiums:              [amount]
Likely out-of-pocket health costs:          [estimate, up to the plan maximum]
Commuting and other costs of this job:      [amount]

One-time payments:                          [sign-on bonus, relocation]
```

Then check the hours. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, covered employees who are not exempt must be paid overtime, at no less than one and a half times their regular rate, for hours over 40 in a workweek. An exempt salaried role with long hours can pay less per hour than a lower salary with overtime. To see whether the base figure is fair for the role, use [how to research salary](https://jobbie.bot/blog/how-to-research-salary).

> **Note:** Overtime, benefits and tax rules depend on your situation and your state. This is general information for readers in the United States, not legal or tax advice.

## How do you compare two job offers?

Money is one factor. To compare the rest without fooling yourself, score it.

1. List the factors that matter to you.
2. Give each a weight from 1 to 5.
3. Score each offer from 1 to 5 on each factor.
4. Multiply each score by its weight and add up the results.

Example: an invented candidate comparing an established employer (Offer A) with a startup (Offer B).

| Factor | Weight | Offer A | Offer B |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Total annual compensation | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Health and retirement benefits | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| The work itself | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Manager | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Growth and learning | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Stability and risk | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Location, commute and flexibility | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| **Weighted total** | | 92 | 100 |

The total does not make the decision. It shows the trade: Offer B wins on the work and the manager, and Offer A wins on money and stability. If the result feels wrong, revisit your weights.

## How do you judge the work, the manager and the growth path?

- **The work.** Ask what the first six months look like and what a typical week contains. If the answer is vague, the role may not be defined yet.
- **The manager.** Think about how they treated you during the process: prepared or distracted, direct or evasive. Ask how long they have led the team and how they give feedback.
- **The team.** Ask to speak with someone who would be your peer. Ask what they would change.
- **Growth.** Ask what the next level is, what it takes to get there and how long it has taken others. Ask what training or mentoring exists.
- **Why the job is open.** A new position and a replacement mean different things. Either is fine. Evasion is not.

## How do you assess the risk?

- **The company.** Look for recent layoffs, funding news, earnings and leadership changes. [How to research a company](https://jobbie.bot/blog/how-to-research-a-company) shows where to find them.
- **Variable pay.** The larger the share of pay that depends on bonus, commission or equity, the more your income can swing.
- **Repayment terms.** Sign-on bonuses and relocation payments often come with a requirement to repay if you leave early. Know the period.
- **Conditions.** An offer that depends on a background check or references is not final until those clear. Do not resign from your current job before then.
- **Agreements.** Read any non-compete, non-solicitation or confidentiality agreement before you accept, and ask a lawyer if you do not understand what it restricts.
- **Your status.** Check that the role is an employee position if you expect benefits. [Contract vs. full-time](https://jobbie.bot/blog/contract-vs-full-time) explains the difference.

## What questions should you ask before accepting?

```Questions to ask before you accept
About the pay:
1. Is this role exempt or non-exempt, and what hours does the team usually work?
2. How is the bonus calculated, and what has it paid in the last two years?
3. When is the first salary review?

About the benefits:
4. Can you send the benefits summary, including what employees pay for each health plan and when coverage starts?
5. How does the retirement match work, and what is the vesting schedule?

About the job:
6. What would you want me to have accomplished in the first six months?
7. Why is the position open?
8. What does the path to the next level look like, and how long has it taken others?

About the terms:
9. Are there any agreements I will be asked to sign?
10. Is the offer contingent on anything, such as a background check?
11. Would I have to repay the sign-on bonus or relocation costs if I left within a certain period?
```

## How do you decide?

Apply three tests.

1. **The minimum.** Does the total clear the figure you set before you started?
2. **The alternative.** Is this better than your realistic other options, including staying where you are or continuing to search?
3. **The first year.** Can you say what you will have learned or built twelve months in?

If the offer passes the second and third tests but falls short on pay, negotiate before you decline. [Salary negotiation](https://jobbie.bot/blog/salary-negotiation) covers how. When you have your answer, see [how to accept a job offer](https://jobbie.bot/blog/how-to-accept-a-job-offer) or [how to decline a job offer](https://jobbie.bot/blog/how-to-decline-a-job-offer).

## Frequently asked questions

### What should you look for in a job offer besides salary?

Look at the bonus and how reliably it pays, any equity, health coverage and what it costs you, the retirement match and its vesting schedule, paid time off, and work location. Then weigh the work itself, the manager, the room to grow and how stable the employer is.

### What is total compensation?

Total compensation is everything the employer provides in a year: base pay, bonuses, equity, and the employer’s contributions to benefits such as health insurance and retirement. It is the right basis for comparing offers, because two jobs with the same salary can differ widely in the rest.

### Should you accept a job offer on the spot?

No. Thank the employer, ask for the terms in writing and ask when an answer is needed. The U.S. Department of Labor’s salary negotiation guide says not to decide on the spot and not to accept until you have seen all the terms in writing.

### Is the highest salary always the best offer?

Not necessarily. A higher salary can come with costlier health coverage, no retirement match, longer hours without overtime or less stability. Compare total compensation and the hours expected, then weigh the work, the manager and the growth path.

## Sources

- [U.S. Department of Labor: Salary Negotiation Participant Guide](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/VETS/files/SalaryNegotiation_PG_Interactive_Feb2026.pdf): not accepting on the spot, getting the terms in writing and considering the whole package, including benefits and vesting.
- [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm): the share of private industry compensation costs made up by wages and by benefits in June 2026.
- [IRS: Retirement topics - Vesting](https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-vesting): how employee and employer retirement contributions vest.
- [HealthCare.gov: Out-of-pocket maximum/limit](https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-limit/): what the out-of-pocket maximum is and what it does not include.
- [U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Overtime Pay](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime): the federal overtime rule for covered, nonexempt employees.