1) Respect for my role from upper management. This one is huge for me. I have a friend working as an engineer in a company where engineers aren't considered imp

1) Respect for my role from upper management. This one is huge for me. I have a friend working as an engineer in a company where engineers aren't considered impact players (i.e. aren't perceived as revenue generating, even if the perception isn't 100% true). She is paid well and her boss loves her. But her boss's boss and everyone from there on up have the attitude that engineers "just don't get it" and she's miserable there, because her work can't have as much impact without upper management buy-in. This is a cultural thing and varies highly even between companies in the same industry. For example, there are hedge funds where good engineers are rock stars and there are hedge funds where they are looked at as support staff. In that industry, your importance to the company is often reflected in your pay, but pay aside, where do you think that the engineers are happiest? 2) Some people reading this aren't going to like it, but: Coworkers and/or bosses who have kids, or at least are sympathetic to the fact that I do. This one is really only applicable once you have kids yourself, but if you are in a startup where everyone is young and childless (or old and childless), it'll be hard for them to understand the myriad number of things that come up with children. You need to take your kid to the doctor, you need to stay home because the nanny is sick. I can make up the time, but sometimes it means missing important work or things that can't be rescheduled. The excuses add up and I've met many people who aren't sympathetic to them. And I even understand where they are coming from. But as a parent, I value a company where people are respectful of this. 3) An even keeled boss. You can be a nice person or you can be an asshole. But as long as you are consistent, I can figure out how to deal with you. But if one day you are Dr. Jekyll and the next day Mr. Hyde, then I'll always be afraid to approach you. 4) Good health insurance (in the USA). Our system of having health insurance tied to employment is stupid. But it is what it is, and if you aren't getting good health insurance from work, it can be a fortune to pay for it out of pocket.