Salary Calculators and Wizards

Link to financial and salary calculators and wizards below. Includes city cost of living comparison and relocation; IRA, 401(k) and retirement planning; paycheck annual salary, and hourly and gross pay; potential future salary; W-4 Form allowances and income tax; loan, mortgage and amortization; investment and savings; and other financial and salary calculators.

Many free salary calculators and wizards are little more than gimmicks to attract Web site traffic. Before you take the results of a free salary calculator or wizard seriously, read about the methodology used to collect the data.

The most reliable data is collected scientifically from employers or data-collection organizations, at least once per year.

If the methodology is not offered or seems unscientific (e.g., collected randomly from volunteer job seekers), then don't take the results too seriously.

WorldatWork, a nonprofit professional association, sets the standards for collecting salary data. So, any salary calculator or wizard that adheres to its standards is likely more reliable than one that doesn't. See also Salary Surveys.

401(k) Calculator
Play with the numbers to see how your salary and taxes will be affected by contributing to a 401(k) retirement account. Also includes calculators for retirement planning, net worth, college financial planning, investing and taxes.

City Cost of Living Comparison
Learn how your disposable income will be affected by relocating to another U.S. city. The Cost of Living Wizard also reports the salary adjustment you need to maintain your standard of living, and how likely you are to receive it in the local market. A freebie from Salary.com as a promo for their services.

Celebrity Salary Comparison
Just for fun, discover how your salary stacks up against what celebrities make. Free from Salary.com as a promo for their services.

Government Job Paycheck Calculator
State public employees can calculate their take-home pay at Paycheck City, which offers a collection of salary, hourly and gross pay, bonuses, stock options and other calculators. (See Paycheck Calculators below.)

Employee Stock Options
Calculate the value of your stock options down the road, based on the current price, expected rate of return, and other factors. (To determine current price, enter the stock symbol in the Quote box.) From CNN and Money Magazine. Includes other financial calculators.

Financial Calculators
Employee stock options, savings growth, retirement planning, how long to become a millionaire, investment rate of return, asset allocation, portfolio, and mortgage payment and refinance calculators. Courtesy of CNN.

IRA Calculator
Quickly discover how much of your annual salary you're eligible to contribute to a Roth or traditional individual retirement account, to invest while reducing your U.S. income taxes.

Loan Calculator Download
As promo for software that costs, this is free, fully-operational, loan-analysis software for noncommercial use. Includes remaining balance, balloon payment, accelerated payment, interest due, amortization, and refinance loan calculators. Works with old and newer, Windows consumer versions. Requires registration. If you don't want to submit your personal info, try the basic online (browser-based) version.

Loan Calculators
Several each for mortgage, home equity, auto, credit card and debt consolidation loans. From Lending Tree.

Network World Salary Calculator
Your answers to a series of questions calculates the average salary for your job category in computer networking. Uses data collected in surveys, from CIO through staff positions.

Paycheck Analyzer
Figure out how much of your annual salary you'll take home after deductions, to help you plan 401(K) contributions, W-4 Form allowances and other budgeting considerations. Includes other calculators related to taxes, employment and salary.

Paycheck Calculators
A collection of online wizards and calculators, including salary, hourly and gross pay, W-4 Form exemptions, taxes, bonuses, 401(K) planner, tips, and employee stock options. Also includes a salary calculator just for government jobs (public employees). From Paycheck City.

Retirement Calculator
Figure out your retirement picture and how close are you to meeting your financial goal. Courtesy of Quicken.com.

Salary Calculator - Medical and Health Care
Compare your salary to those of your peers, by professional field and job specialty. Provided by Advance for Health Careers Magazine, which requires you to submit some personal information. However, it states that "All information provided in this survey is stored anonymously. Identifying information will not be provided to sources outside of ADVANCE."

Salary Potential
What will you be earning in fifteen years? As a promotion for their products and services, the Economic Research Institute lets you peek into their crystal ball. For the U.S. and Canada.

Savings Calculators Online
Calculate savings-related figures, including how long your savings will last, how much interest your savings must earn to reach your goal, how much interest you can earn on a Certificate of Deposit (CD), and how your savings will grow with regular deposits. Bankrate.com also includes calculators for mortgage payments and refinancing, auto loan payments, credit card payments, budgeting, small business, and investing.

Student Cost of Living
Cost of living for consumables (food and drug store items), expressed as a percentage of the U.S. national norm. Assumes a minimum wage earner or student sharing an apartment and paying minimum taxes. Free from the Economic Research Institute as promo for their software.

Tax Calculators
H&R Block offers free online calculators and wizards for estimating Federal taxes and alternative minimum tax, finding tax deductions, and figuring the best W-4 Form withholding amounts.