How the prediction works
The calculator starts from a median salary anchor for each role — what someone with about five years of experience earns at a mid-size employer in a Tier-2 city in the United States. From that anchor we apply five multipliers:
- Experience curve. Salary grows fastest in years 2–7, then flattens. After ~15–20 years most non-leadership tracks plateau; leadership keeps climbing.
- Country. Each country has a market multiplier and a USD → local-currency rate. Switzerland and the US sit at the top, India and Brazil sit lower in nominal USD — but cost of living is also lower in those markets.
- Company tier. Big Tech / top consulting / investment banks pay 40–60% above mid-size for the same role. Government and non-profits pay 15–25% below.
- City tier. Tier-1 metros (NYC, SF, London, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Sydney, Tokyo) carry a 15–25% premium. Tier-3 cities run 10–20% lower.
- Education & skills. A Master’s adds ~8%, a PhD ~15%. AI/ML, Cloud and Cybersecurity each compound a 4–7% premium.
The lower (P25) and upper (P75) bounds are roughly −22% and +35% of the median — the spread widens as experience grows. The take-home estimate uses an average effective tax rate per country; your actual rate depends on filing status, deductions and local nuances.
Why two people in the same role earn very different salaries
- Negotiation. Most candidates leave 10–20% on the table by accepting the first offer. A 15-minute counter often shifts a base by 5–15%.
- Job hopping cadence. External moves typically deliver 15–30% bumps; internal raises average 3–5%. Two moves in five years usually beats five years of internal promotions.
- Counter-offers and competing offers. Holding a written offer from a peer company is the single highest-leverage point in the negotiation.
- Equity / variable pay. At Big Tech, RSUs can equal or exceed base. This calculator’s estimate is total cash compensation; sign-on and refreshers are extra.
- Visibility. Speaking, open-source, papers, side projects — these don’t guarantee a raise but they shift you out of the “commodity” pool.
FAQ
Where does the salary data come from?
The medians are calibrated against publicly available sources — Bureau of Labor Statistics (US), ONS (UK), Eurostat, Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, AmbitionBox, Robert Half salary guides — for late-2025 / early-2026 figures. Treat the output as a directional estimate, not a precise quote.
Why is my actual salary higher / lower than the prediction?
Individual offers vary by ±20% even with identical inputs because of negotiation strength, the company’s specific band, your interview performance, and current market conditions. Use the lower / median / upper range as a sanity check; if you’re outside that band you have a strong signal in either direction.
Does this include bonuses, equity, RSUs?
The figure is total cash compensation (base + cash bonus). For Big Tech, equity (RSUs) typically adds 20–100% on top of cash — we don’t model that here because it varies wildly by company, level and stock price.
Why is take-home so much less than gross?
Income tax + social security + pension contributions can take 20–45% off the top depending on country. The take-home line uses a country-average effective rate; for an exact number plug your gross into our take-home paycheck calculator.
Are there roles missing?
The list covers ~75 of the most-searched roles across 11 industries. If you don’t see yours, pick the closest match and adjust the experience slider — or use a related calculator below.