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Of course not. By why are you assuming Manhattan in the first place? Engineering firms do not generally seek out such high-rent areas. And even if you are, I know some New Yorkers who pay a heck of a lot less than that!</p>
<p>I work a co-op in Chicago. So far I’ve paid $625, $1125 (was in the loop, could walk to work, and was short term housing), and soon to be $600 per month. A monthly pass for public transportation is around $100. Commute averages around 40 min one way. </p>
<p>Roommates and commutes can really tone down costs to a much more acceptable cost. All you really need is heat, maybe A/C, electricity, internet, a bathroom, bed and kitchen.</p>
<p>I think it sounds like a decent offer, unless it is in city with high cost of living.</p>
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<p>Ah, my bad. I didn’t check the usernames.</p>
<p>Even in a high cost of living area (which I think both LA, Honolulu and DC are), I consider the offer quite good, especially since OP has no/low work experience as EE. </p>
<p>I’d count your blessings and earn raises.</p>
<p>I don’t feel your first job offer is the one you want to negotiate on. Negotiating a salary and benefit package is best left to experienced assets that can clearly convey their worth to an employer over what has been offered. 60k sounds really nice, even in a high cost of living area.</p>
<p>I’m surprised everyone here is giving the opposite advice I’ve heard from every person at a school’s career center, plus a few talks I’ve gone to about early career development by various recruiters, headhunters, negotiators, etc.</p>
<p>Also, is $60k really that great? That’s about average for what my classmates were getting back in 2007 that went into “traditional” engineering roles (not counting those that went to finance, consulting, or silicon valley companies).</p>
<p>OP has no experience and no other job offers, as well as being very interested. Under those circumstances and with the current bumpy economy, I wouldn’t be too quick to rock the boat.</p>
<p>Starting salaries were holding steady about 60K for a few years. However, it appears that they have dropped slightly due to the poor economy. Are they recovering with the rest of the economy? I don’t know.</p>
<p>My son graduated from CalPolySLO about 2 years ago with a degree in ME. The average starting salary was about 58K, for those that got jobs. But not all got job offers. You have to figure that most of those that got offers were jobs in California.</p>
<p>60K doesn’t sound great, but it isn’t bad either. If he likes the job, why jeopardize it asking for more. Just do a great job and show them you are worth more when it comes raise time.</p>
<p>Payne every single number you listed was way out of proportion from rent to the food</p>
<p>OP: 60k isn’t bad but it isn’t great, tbh its a good starting salary, id take the offer and show them how good of worker you are and get raises/promotions that way. </p>
<p>you have to think too, this is a small firm so while they’re going to pay less than some big corporation, you’re going to be more than a cog in the machine like you would be at a bigger corporation like Intel where starting salaries are 80k iirc.</p>
<p>my opinion but id take a lower offer for a job im going to enjoy than a job that pays more but I’m going to hate ( which happens to a lot of people at big corporations, you can fond a lot of it on glass door) unless of course the pay difference was something astronomical like 60k vs 120k</p>
<p>Payne101 is 17 years old. Enough said.</p>
<p>Many companies have grade levels for jobs and firm salary ranges for those grade levels. I know my company claims that they won’t allow a new hire to be above the 50th percentile for the salary range. There could be some internal compensation policy that you are going up against. </p>
<p>At very best you are going to increase your salary by $2-3K/year or about $40/week. Is that worth it to you?</p>
<p>From your previous posts I infer you are an international student from Pakistan. Can you please tell me what company offered you that much as an entry level non-US educated person? I don’t know what others say but 60k for an entry level sounds pretty good to me.</p>