Pay Rise vs Extra Commute
See whether a higher salary is still worthwhile after extra travel cost and commuting time.
Open calculator →Choose the tool by the change you are testing
Use Pay Rise vs Extra Commute when one role pays more but creates additional travel. Use the Job A vs Job B comparator when pension, leave or unpaid time also differ. The childcare and hybrid-work tools isolate those costs when they are the deciding factor.
- Use the expected change in take-home pay if you know it; do not treat gross pay as spendable cash.
- Use realistic working weeks after annual leave, shutdowns and non-travel weeks.
- Keep fares, fuel, parking, tolls and childcare as separate visible assumptions.
- Test more than one value for commuting time instead of presenting a subjective value as fact.
Worked scenario: a £2,400 increase with two extra office days
Assume a new arrangement increases expected take-home pay by £2,400 a year and requires two extra office days a week for 46 working weeks. Travel costs £13 per day and the return journey takes 70 minutes.
| Step | Calculation | Annual result |
|---|---|---|
| Extra office days | 2 × 46 | 92 days |
| Direct travel cost | 92 × £13 | £1,196 |
| Extra travel time | 92 × 70 minutes | 107.3 hours |
| Cash left before valuing time | £2,400 − £1,196 | £1,204 |
| Margin after valuing time at £10/hour | £1,204 − £1,073 | about £131 |
The £10 hourly value is a personal scenario input, not a wage or official rate. At £0 per hour, the cash comparison remains £1,204. At £15 per hour, the time component would be about £1,610 and the comparison would turn negative before childcare, pension or other differences.
Use the result as a scenario, not a recommendation
A small numerical margin may be outweighed by progression, flexibility, reliability, wellbeing or family needs. Run low and high cases for uncertain costs and keep the non-financial factors beside the result.
What the results do — and do not — tell you
These calculators annualise the assumptions entered. They do not calculate personal tax, predict future travel prices, interpret a mobility clause or decide whether an employer can change a work location.