The other thing to keep in mind in your negotiations is that non-salary benefits may make up for a lower number. To me, three weeks vacation vs. two is a bigger bang than extra $$ (sometimes), and this is a bit easier to negotiate! Also, do they offer things like tuition reimbursement, great health benefits, profit sharing, 401K matching, etc.? These all add to your bottom line, and people often forget that.

For example, if your job offer were for $10K, but your benefits were completely paid for (and decent), that increases your bottom line by approx. $2500 (meaning you are now not paying this out of your $10K).

Bottom line is, consider the entire offer, not just the salary when determining whether to accept the position. For me, it is more about work/life balance at this point.

Good luck.

SheFly