Pay scale is great, but at least in the US, benefits cost can be a significant difference. I've seen offers 15% higher completely wiped out by a difference in b

Pay scale is great, but at least in the US, benefits cost can be a significant difference. I've seen offers 15% higher completely wiped out by a difference in benefits cost. It makes negotiating very difficult. Often the hiring manager or HR people have no idea what the costs are, because they are single and you are looking at the "family" benefit costs. I'd love to see some sort of database showing benefit costs at different companies. The information is out there, it's just hidden. It's often a paint to get clear costs during the interview process. God forbid you're negotiating near the end of the year, because the costs change every year.