Promotion Impact Calculator 2026

Compare your expected comp if you stay (current salary until promotion, then new level pay + equity refresh) against an external offer you could take today. If the 12-month expected income from staying exceeds switching by more than your risk tolerance for the promotion not happening, waiting pays off. Rule of thumb: if the switch offer is 20%+ higher and your promo is more than 12 months away with under 60% probability, switching usually wins financially. Use the 12-month verdict in this calculator to see your exact numbers.

At large tech companies, promotions typically carry a 10–20% base salary increase depending on level: L3→L4 averages 18–22%, L4→L5 averages 12–18%, L5→L6 averages 10–15%, and L6→L7 averages 8–12%. But base is only part of the picture — the new equity grant (typically 4-year vesting, 25% per year) and a higher bonus target percentage often add more total comp than the base raise itself. An L4→L5 promotion at a major tech company can add $60K–$120K in year-one total comp once the first equity tranche and bonus bump are included.

A 10% base raise on promotion is on the lower end for junior-to-mid transitions, but reasonable for senior-level promotions (L5→L6, L6→L7) where the real value comes from the equity grant increase. If your promotion comes with a large new RSU grant, a 10% base raise can still represent a 25–40% total comp increase in the promo year alone. Compare the full package — base, bonus target, new grant — not just the base increase percentage.

6–12 months is a reasonable waiting period when your manager has explicitly committed with a specific timeline. Beyond 18 months of waiting without a written commitment, the financial case to stay weakens significantly — you're deferring market-rate income for an increasingly uncertain outcome. Strong signals worth waiting for: formal promo case written, skip-level support confirmed, and you're already in the promotion cycle. Weak signals that suggest leaving: vague 'maybe next cycle' feedback, promotion slipped once already, or a new manager who doesn't yet know your work.

Equity has three layers to consider: (1) unvested RSUs at your current company you'd forfeit, (2) a new promo grant that only starts vesting after promotion, and (3) the new employer's grant which has a standard 1-year cliff before any vest. For switching to win on equity alone, the new employer's Year-1 vest must exceed your forfeited unvested RSUs plus the promo grant's Year-1 tranche. Enter all three values in the Equity fields and the timeline will show you the break-even.

Annual equity refresh grants are new RSU awards given each year after your original grant, primarily as a retention tool. At L5+ at large tech companies, refreshes typically run $20K–$80K per year. Unlike the original grant, refreshes vest starting the year awarded. A 5-year stay with $40K/yr refresh adds $200K of additional equity income on top of the original grant — making the long-run case for staying far stronger than the year-1 comparison suggests. Enter your expected annual refresh in the 'Annual refresh' field under the Promotion tab.

Yes. We use federal brackets, state income tax, and FICA/SDI (where applicable) for your filing status and chosen state — the same engine as our main paycheck tax calculator. RSU vests and bonuses are taxed as ordinary income in the year received. All results show after-tax take-home and estimated effective tax rate, not gross-only figures. Use the Tax Impact tab to see how your bracket shifts at the promoted level.

Career ladder levels (L1–L8 for individual contributors, M3–M7 for management) are industry-standard compensation bands used at most large tech companies. Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft all use similar frameworks with different naming conventions — E4/E5, SDE I/II/III, IC3/IC4, etc. Selecting your level in this calculator auto-suggests typical promoted comp for that transition. You can customize every field to match your company's specific offer or comp letter.

Reliable signals of high probability (70%+): your manager has committed with a specific review cycle, you're formally in the promo process, you've received positive mid-year or quarterly signals, and your skip-level manager supports the case. Lower probability signals (under 50%): feedback is vague ('keep doing great work'), the promotion has already slipped one cycle, no written promo case exists yet, or you have a new manager still learning your work. Research suggests most employees overestimate their promo probability by 15–20% — calibrate conservatively.

Sign-on bonuses are designed to offset what you give up by leaving — typically unvested RSUs, a missed bonus cycle, or a delayed raise. A $30K–$80K sign-on often does not fully offset a combination of forfeited unvested equity and the upcoming promo grant. Model it carefully: the calculator includes sign-on as year-1 only income (because it is), so the year-2 and year-3 comparison often tells the truer story. If your forfeited unvested equity is under $50K and the sign-on is large, switching can win; if you have $150K+ unvested, most sign-ons don't compensate.

The Pay Raise Calculator shows your new paycheck gross after a simple percentage raise — ideal for a quick number. Promotion Impact compares two complete 1–5 year career paths: staying for a promotion vs switching now. It models promotion timing and probability, the full equity picture (refresh, promo grant, unvested), sign-on bonuses, multi-year compounding, and tax-aware after-tax income. You see the total financial impact of each path, not just the gross headline.

Some companies promote without a new equity grant — sometimes called 'band compression' — especially at lower levels or during budget freezes. Set 'New grant (4-yr total)' to $0 in the Promotion tab. The calculator will still model the base and bonus increase accurately. Note that promotions without equity grants are typically worth less than they appear: the base raise alone rarely beats a properly structured external offer at the same level.