What do you include when determining your income?

We have the same thing at work


"Total compensation"


I tend to just look at it as base salary plus bonuses, but I definitely take that other stuff into account when comparing potential employers. It is pretty much what made me take this job. The pay was slightly less than where I was it, but the total comp was much higher

I just consider my base salary.

I don't consider bonuses because I don't know if or when I'm going to get them.

I guess I could include the $3k my employer puts into my HSA, but I don't.

Nor do I really consider the 401k match or other benefits.

I consider those benefits and I certainly consider them as part of the package the employer offers, just don't consider it part of my income.

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I just consider my base salary.

I don't consider bonuses because I don't know if or when I'm going to get them.

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I certainly don't include bonuses if I'm talking about how much I will make this year (not that I ever have a reason to discuss it). But I will include it for what I made last year. I'm not going to go around telling someone I regularly make 150k if I only make 100k and got a kick arse 50k bonus one year.

But there are a lot of cash items I get not included in "base salary". Such as car allowance, bonuses, restricted stock options, etc.. Hell, if my company gives me 20k in stock, but I can't touch it for 3 years, I'm going to at the very least consider that part of my income in 3 years.

I guess this all ties back to ridiculous rules of your house being a certain percentage of your income and such. Now that I've been with my company for a few years, I'm reaping the benefits of some of these things (until I get shite canned soon).

Talk about some savings if you ate all 3 there.

How's the food?

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I get free breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the hospital cafeteria. Should I include that in my total income?

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Does it end up in your checking account? A lot of mine does.

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I include everything because I'm trying to be an OT baller...still falling short though

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That was kind of the purpose of the joke in the first post. I know I'm not going to go around including my health insurance and every meal I can expense as income. But, some of those benefits turn into cash in my job. But I've never considered it. Really makes a difference in what house you can afford, or what vehicle note you can handle when these numbers are on the magnitude of 20-50k depending on the year.

as for casual conversation I use base salary but if I'm entertaining a new position I'll look at everything


current company pays 100% of my health, dental, vision which is huge
truck allowance
gas card
cell phone reimbursement

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I just go by what my W-2 says.

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I will admit I know nothing about taxes. But what's the difference between

"wages, tips, other compensation",
"medicare wages and tips", and
"social security wages and tips"

Especially with moving recently and receiving resettlement bonuses and such, I have no idea what I was actually paid last year.

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"wages, tips, other compensation",
"medicare wages and tips", and
"social security wages and tips"

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Taxes.

My W2 has something that says "Gross Pay" which doesn't map to any of those.



And its the highest, so I take it. If I was discussing my wages with someone, I would go with my gross pay. If I was looking at another job, I would look at gross pay plus the cost of any benefits/401k match/etc.

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Other 2 will probably be your gross minus insurance payments

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But the other two are different....significantly