Job Switch Calculator.
Track forfeited RSUs, sign-on bonuses, and tax state deltas to find the exact month your new job overtakes your current trajectory.
Staying
Unvested RSUs
Leaving
New RSUs
Cumulative Take-Home
Post-tax cash equivalent accumulation by month.
View Month-by-Month Data Table ↓
Job Switch Break-Even FAQ
How long does it usually take for a new job to pay off after forfeiting unvested RSUs?
The answer varies enormously based on how much unvested equity you leave behind and how large the salary increase at the new job is. For a tech worker forfeiting $40,000 in unvested RSUs with a $15,000 salary increase, the break-even point is typically around month 30 to 36 — nearly three years before the new job cumulatively overtakes what staying would have paid. If the new job also includes a $25,000 signing bonus, that break-even can compress to month 12 to 18. The calculation is highly specific to individual numbers, which is why the calculator above exists — the answer is almost never what people estimate intuitively.
Does a signing bonus actually make up for forfeited RSU equity?
Sometimes, but rarely completely. Signing bonuses are one-time payments taxed at the federal supplemental rate of 22% (or 37% above $1 million), so the after-tax value is significantly less than the headline number. A $25,000 signing bonus nets approximately $18,000 to $19,000 after federal tax, before state tax. If you are forfeiting $60,000 in unvested RSUs, a $25,000 signing bonus covers roughly 30% of your forfeiture cost — helpful but not a full replacement. The more effective way to offset forfeiture is a higher base salary, because unlike a signing bonus it compounds annually and also lifts your bonus target and 401k match in subsequent years.
Should I wait for my next vest date before resigning?
In most cases, yes — if the vest date is within 30 to 90 days. The financial case is straightforward: if your next quarterly vest is worth $8,000 after tax and is 45 days away, waiting 45 days nets you $8,000 that you would otherwise forfeit. Most new employers will accommodate a short delay in start date when asked professionally. The exception is when waiting would cause you to miss a better offer's own expiration date, or when the new total compensation package is significantly better than your current trajectory even accounting for the forfeiture. The break-even calculator above models both scenarios so you can compare them directly.
What if my new job's RSU grant vests on a different schedule?
Different vesting schedules significantly change the break-even calculation. If your new grant uses an Amazon-style 5/15/40/40 backloaded schedule, you will receive almost nothing from the new grant in the first 18 months — making the financial dip after switching much deeper and the break-even point much later than a standard 4-year/1-year cliff grant would suggest. Conversely, a monthly vesting schedule with no cliff starts paying equity from month 1, compressing the break-even significantly. The calculator above accepts any vesting schedule for both the current and new grant, so you can model the exact combination that applies to your situation.