Pay Yourself a Salary Calculator (Income Smoothing)
Turn lumpy income into a steady monthly paycheck. Find the salary and starting buffer that keep you covered through slow months.
One number per line, in order from oldest to newest, or separated by commas.
Leave blank to use 90% of your average income.
How it works
We replay your months in order. Each month the buffer grows by what you earned and shrinks by the salary you paid yourself. The lowest point the running balance touches tells you how much you needed in the buffer at the start to never go negative. If your income is lower than your salary on average, the buffer runs down over time, and we flag it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a buffer account?
A separate account where all your income lands first. Each month you transfer a fixed "salary" to your everyday account. Good months fill the buffer, slow months drain it.
Why simulate the past?
Replaying your recent months shows the lowest point your buffer would have reached. That is the starting balance you needed to never run short.
What if the buffer needed is huge?
Pick a lower salary, or build up to it gradually and pay yourself the baseline while you do. Setting the salary near your baseline income makes the required buffer small.