💼 SalaryCompare

How to Evaluate a Job Offer Beyond Salary

A 2025 Glassdoor study found that 67% of job seekers focus almost exclusively on base salary when evaluating offers, but total compensation (base + bonus + equity + benefits) often differs by $30,000-$80,000 between offers with similar base pay. Cost of living is the most overlooked factor — a $150K salary in San Francisco has the same purchasing power as $83K in a mid-sized city.

Equity is the wildcard. RSUs at a public company are essentially cash (with vesting), while startup options are lottery tickets. A good rule of thumb: value startup equity at 10-20% of its paper value unless the company is within 12 months of an IPO. 401(k) matching is literally free money — a 50% match up to 6% is a guaranteed 3% raise.

• Always negotiate — 76% of employers expect it and the average successful negotiation yields $5,000-$7,500 more
• Compare PTO days — the difference between 10 and 20 days is 2 full work weeks of your life back each year
• Check health plan costs — a "great" salary with a $6,000 deductible is worse than a "good" salary with a $500 deductible