Except for legal reasons I agree that it shouldn't matter. However, where you live defines the frames around any salary negotiation, both because it affects wha

Except for legal reasons I agree that it shouldn't matter. However, where you live defines the frames around any salary negotiation, both because it affects what you are willing to accept, but also because it affects your opportunity cost. If my prospective employer knows that I live in Romania they probably wouldn't offer me a bay area salary, even if I am equally valuable for the company, since they can be pretty sure that I would accept something lower (that's not to say that you cannot negotiate a similar salary if you are able to prove your value somehow). If I live in the Bay Area I have plenty of options around me so they know that I probably wouldn't be willing to accept the same salary that I would if I lived in Romania.