Is money the only goal? I'd rather take an enjoyable job with 20% less salary over the higher salary mediocre job in a crappy location. There's a lot more to life satisfaction than money -- as long as you have enough money for your lifestyle and future plans, why compromise on the rest?<p>Anyway, salary negotiations are by definition adversarial, and offers are negotiable. The best negotiating tool is a higher offer from someone else.