Contract Offer Comparison Calculator
Compare two or more 2026 contract offers side by side — rate, hours, duration, benefits and utilization — to see which pays more after tax.
Contract B nets more
$10,055
Contract A — net income$45,800
Contract A — effective rate23.7%
Contract B — net income$55,855
Contract B — effective rate25.5%
Difference (B - A)$10,055
Comparing Two or More Contract Offers Side by Side
Comparing two contract offers by rate alone can be misleading once you factor in different hours, contract length, benefits, and how much of the year you'll actually be billable. This calculator lines up multiple offers side by side and works out the annualized, after-tax picture for each — for the 2026 tax year.
What each offer is compared on
- Hourly or day rate, hours per week, and contract duration, annualized to a comparable figure
- Whether the engagement is 1099, C2C, or W-2-via-agency, since each carries a different tax treatment — 1099 and C2C income carries the full 15.3% self-employment tax, while W-2 agency pay only has the employee's 7.65% FICA share withheld
- Any benefits included with the offer, since an unpaid gap between contracts or missing health coverage can outweigh a modest rate difference
- Federal income tax under the same 2026 brackets for both offers, so the comparison isolates the real differences rather than double-counting tax
