The Best WFH vs Office Calculator That Shows the True Net Pay
Most job offer comparisons stop at the gross salary. This calculator subtracts every dollar you spend to work — commute miles at the IRS rate, wardrobe, lunches, parking, and WFH overhead — so you can see which offer actually puts more money in your pocket.
🏠Try WFH vs Office Cost Calculator →WFH vs Office Cost Calculator
Compare the true financial cost of working from home vs going into the office. Factor in commute, wardrobe, lunches, parking, home internet, utilities, and coworking — and see which offer pays more in take-home dollars.
01 / What most calculators miss
- ✗Only compares gross salaries — ignoring the $3,000–$8,000/year cost difference between remote and office work.
- ✗Commute cost is oversimplified — most tools use a rough gas estimate, not the IRS all-in mileage rate ($0.67/mi) that includes depreciation, maintenance, and insurance.
- ✗WFH overhead is invisible — internet upgrades, higher utilities, equipment, and coworking days all cost real money that erodes the remote salary advantage.
- ✗Relocation cost isn't amortized — an office job that requires moving adds thousands in one-time cost that should be spread across the contract length.
- ✗No formula visibility — you get a winner with no explanation. You can't verify or defend a number you can't see.
02 / What this tool does differently
IRS Mileage Rate Built In
Car commutes calculated at $0.67/mile (2024 IRS standard rate) — covering fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation. Not just gas.
Full WFH Overhead Modeling
Internet upgrade, equipment, extra utilities, and coworking days — all modeled as annual costs subtracted from your remote gross.
Remote Premium Calculation
If the remote offer pays less, we calculate exactly how much more the remote salary needs to be to match the office net. Your negotiation number.
ShowMath: Full Formula Derivation
Expand the ShowMath panel to see every cost, formula, and substitution — IRS mileage math, lunch spend at 52 weeks, relocation amortized over contract length.
03 / Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Typical Calculator | Reise Tools |
|---|---|---|
| IRS all-in mileage rate ($0.67/mi) | ||
| WFH overhead (internet, utilities, equipment) | ||
| Coworking space costs | ||
| Work wardrobe as annual cost | ||
| Relocation cost amortized over contract | ||
| Remote premium needed to break even | ||
| Formula shown for every output | ||
| Transit vs car commute comparison | Partial | |
| Free with no account required |
The ShowMath™ difference
Every Reise calculator has a ShowMath panel — expand it and you see the exact formula with your actual numbers substituted in. Not a result. Not a black box. The full derivation, step by step.
A remote job that pays $5,000 less than an office job might still leave you $2,000 ahead after commute, wardrobe, lunches, and parking. Or the opposite — a WFH premium can disappear into coworking fees, utility bills, and equipment. Run the math before you decide.
04 / Also useful
Your salary ÷ 40 hours isn't your real rate. Factor in taxes, commute, decompression, and work expenses to find what an hour of your life actually earns.
What hourly rate do you need as a contractor to match your current W-2 salary? Enter your employer's exact benefits package (health, 401k match, PTO), expected contractor expenses, and billable hours to see your break-even rate and contractor premium.
2024 IRS mileage rates: $0.67/mi business, $0.21/mi medical, $0.14/mi charity. Split your miles by purpose, compare standard rate vs actual expenses (gas, insurance, depreciation, maintenance), and see your tax savings and quarterly payment reduction.
100+ free calculators. Every result shows the formula. No account required.
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