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New Zealand Job Offer Comparison Calculator

Enter two job offers to see what each one pays after PAYE and the ACC earners' levy, how much more one takes home than the other, and the salary the second offer needs to match the first.

Offer A

$

Offer B

$
More options
$

A year, if any

$

A year, if any

%

% of salary your employer adds

%

% of salary your employer adds

Offer B takes home more

$272 a month

$3,263 a year after tax

Offer A take-home
$5,194 a month
Offer B take-home
$5,465 a month
Offer B salary that matches A
$80,001

Offer B pays 6.3% more before tax, and 5.2% more after tax.

What this means

A pay gap always shrinks after tax, because the extra salary is taxed at your top rate. Compare offers on take-home pay, not the headline salary.

Take-home pay isn’t everything: also weigh the retirement contributions, health cover, time off, commute and living costs that come with each job.

Next step

Side by side, a year

Offer AOffer B
Pay before tax$80,000$85,000
Income tax-$16,278-$17,928
ACC earners’ levy-$1,400-$1,488
Take-home pay$62,323$65,585
Average tax rate22.1%22.8%

Where the difference comes from (2026–27)

Pay before tax+$5,000
Income tax−$1,650
ACC earners’ levy−$88
Take-home pay+$3,263
Assumptions in this estimate
  • Both offers are worked out with 2026–27 tax rules for a single person, with no other income and no pre-tax deductions such as pension or retirement contributions.
  • Bonuses are taxed as part of your yearly pay. Tax taken from a bonus payment can be higher at first, but it evens out over the year or on your tax return.
  • The Offer B salary that matches A keeps Offer B’s location and bonus, and gives the same take-home pay as Offer A.
  • Living costs such as rent, and benefits such as health insurance, aren’t included. Compare those separately.
  • PAYE is worked out for the full year and spread evenly across your pays; IRD’s PAYE tables round each pay, so single pays can differ by a few cents.
  • Assumes this is your main job (tax code M, or ME with the independent earner tax credit) and you have no other income.
  • PAYE includes the ACC earners’ levy of 1.75% on earnings up to $156,641.
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How the calculator works

  1. Each offer’s pay: salary plus any yearly bonus.
  2. Tax on each: the same rules as our PAYE calculator: income tax and the ACC earners’ levy.
  3. The difference: take-home pay for each offer, the difference a month and a year, and the tax lines that explain it.
  4. The salary that matches: the salary the second offer needs to leave you with the same take-home pay as the first.

Your own KiwiSaver contributions and student loan repayments aren’t included. The PAYE calculator shows them for each salary.

Last updated

Frequently asked questions

How much more do I take home on $85,000 than on $80,000?

About $272 a month. After PAYE and the ACC earners' levy, $85,000 leaves about $65,585 a year, against $62,323 on $80,000.

Should I count the employer KiwiSaver?

Yes. If you're in KiwiSaver, your employer must add at least 3.5% of your pay, less employer superannuation contribution tax. Enter each offer's contribution under More options. If an offer is a "total remuneration" package that includes KiwiSaver, take the employer contribution off the package before entering the salary.

What else should I compare besides pay?

Extra KiwiSaver above the minimum, bonuses, leave, flexibility and commuting costs, and rent or house prices where each job is.