The absolute best piece of advice I can give you is to start exploring other cities and consider leaving what, I assume, is your hometown. You're artificially

The absolute best piece of advice I can give you is to start exploring other cities and consider leaving what, I assume, is your hometown. You're artificially limiting your opportunities by sticking in one area (and let's be frank, I don't know of a thriving tech community in Indiana). You're 24 years-old, which I assume means you are single and do not have children (or, if you do, they are very young). You also probably don't own a home so the material and emotional costs of moving elsewhere are quite low compared to what they will be later in life. One of the best pieces of advice my grandfather gave me before he passed away was presented as a question about 3-4 months before I graduated from college: Q. Where do you plan to live? A. Where the job is. It's just that simple. As far as the terms offered to you by your current company; they are bullshit--but they are typical for the advertising world. I wouldn't take them if I were you. As I said above, you're young and you have freedom; don't trade it for what you know is continuing to be underpaid and under-appreciated.