<p>This is where I am. I have two full time offers I am going back and forth about. I'm not sure if I should say the names of both companies.</p>
<p>For one I would be located in Michigan (I'm not from there). It is a large chemical company, fortune 50, and I'd be a "Maintenance"/Manufacturing Engineer. This isn't exactly where I want to live, I'm not sure about what I'd be doing, and I am pretty sure I'd try to find a new job after a few years.</p>
<p>The other company is a more traditional company for a Mech E, fortune 150. I am not sure about the location, but I know it would be in MI, IN or OH (if in OH, I'd be closer to where I want to be, or even there). They're also HQd where I am from. I think the work here might be more interesting and I could see me staying there for longer.</p>
<p>Here is the catch. The latter place is 60k + a 4.5k signing bonus. The first is 72k! + a 6k signing bonus. Is 12k in starting salary too much to pass up? Would it be wrong to take the one job, treat it more like a few year internship and build up money? Or would it be wiser to go to the company I think I have more of a future in?</p>
<p>Normally I would chose the second company, but the money difference is huuuge.</p>
<p>Assuming the pay and benefits levels are acceptable at each job, a common consideration for one’s first job is how well it will prepare you for future jobs that you desire (within the same company or other companies).</p>
<p>There is no set formula as to how to trade off higher compensation against a less desirable job, company, or region, since it depends on how much less desirable the job, company, and/or region is to you relative to the higher compensation.</p>
<p>You have to ask yourself is 12K worth you being unsatisfied with your job and location for a few years, but if you have a lot of student loans then that’s another question</p>
<p>Most people do not stay in their first job more than 3 years these days. If you can live the kind of life you want on 60k and I would think you could in that part of the country. Is say go with job you want. Sometimes when a company pays well above market it is considered “combat pay” meaning they may work you 60+ hours or the job may really stink. I say go with the second job.</p>
<p>I have found that when you move in to a new job you get an increase from your prior salary. So … My advice would be to take the higher salary then if you hate it leave and leverage off of the higher salary. You never know what either job may give you … Keep an open mind. Having a fortune 50 on your resume will be good to have as well.</p>
<p>Would it help if I named the two companies? </p>
<p>I know at the high paying job I might have to be “on call” or whatever during certain times. I’m not quite sure about the amount of hours I’d have to put in at one over the other. </p>
<p>So I either take the much higher pay for the probably slightly less desirable location, what I think would be less desirable work and know I would leave in a few years. </p>
<p>Or take the other job where i right stay much longer. </p>
<p>The second company is the one I have wanted to work at for a few years. I’m thinking since money isn’t too big of an issue I should take a chance while I can on the lower paying job</p>
<p>If your parents helped pay for your education, give them an extra thanks for giving you the opportunity to graduate debt-free. That has given you more flexibility to pick the preferred job. Good luck!</p>
<p>Note that an additional $12,000 added to $60,000 pay becomes less than that after paying federal income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes (about $8,082 if one assumes that your marginal* federal income tax bracket is 25% and the Social Security and Medicare tax rates are 7.65%). There may be additional state income and payroll taxes to pay, depending on the state.</p>
<p>*Note that not all of your income is taxed at 25%; there are various deductions and exemptions subtracted from your income, and some of the remaining taxable income is taxed at a lower rate, so your federal income tax bill on $60,000 of pay is likely to be significantly lower than $15,000.</p>
<p>You’ve posted enough about the first job that I’m sure anyone from Michigan knows what company you’re talking about, and anyone else could easily look it up. No reason to explicitly state it. All it will do is attract search engine traffic. </p>
<p>CFB has posted the same advice my dad has given me, and I’m at the same point in life as you so I don’t have any experience to add. It sounds most reasonable to me to take the higher paying job though. 8K additional is still quite substantial.</p>
<p>Have you thought about negotiating with the company which offered you less money, but you’d prefer to work at? They might not be willing to match the offer, but it might make the decision a little less rough to not go for the higher paying one.</p>
<p>Also, as a reference, the higher paying one is offering 20% more. That’s a pretty substantial sum, and it’s likely it would take you quite a while to catch up at the other company.</p>
<p>It’s been my experience talking to friends and stuff that entry level engineering positions for a particular position at a particular company for a particular year will all pay the same. Especially if it’s a big company. If they’re only hiring one or two people then maybe you can negotiate, but if they’re hiring 100 it seems that they probably don’t negotiate. It seems like something that would make much more sense in subsequent jobs, but not the entry level job.</p>
<p>My opinion isn’t worth anything, but I would think long and hard about taking a job I might hate, in an area I dont like, with the possibility of being on call just for more money.</p>
<p>Sounds like a formula for clinical depression to me.</p>
If location isn’t bad, I would choose the higher paying. It gives you more room to get higher base salaries in the future if you decide to quit (other companies may ask you how much you were being paid during your previous job).</p>
<p>Wouldn’t any job be expected to pay more if it includes extra on-call hours? It sounds to me like you are comparing apples and oranges here. For the purpose of your next job, I really don’t know the answer to this, but if the next job does not include extra on-call hours, I’m not sure why they would feel they have to compensate you as though it did. How much do you know about this on-call? Are you going to be the one stuck with working holidays and weekend nights? Is it going to interfere with your social life or other activities? How much is that worth to you? Probably you should have a clear idea of what the expectations will be before you accept any such offer.</p>
<p>My dad is a maintenance worker for an engineering solutions company in the Midwest. He has been gone from 5am to midnight the last two days. He was also on-call over Christmas and Thanksgiving, and was called out both of those days for the majority of the day. At this job he gets almost $6K more than his previous job, but he is looking for a way out now. That’s maintenance for you; I’d definitely find out more about the on-call situation.</p>