I am a math major, so yes, math checked :), it is still lower. My wife has health insurance, so that is not ann issue (for now). It also happens that they sai

I am a math major, so yes, math checked :), it is still lower. My wife has health insurance, so that is not ann issue (for now). It also happens that they said they have a max salary they decided for engineers, which doesn't apply to the business side. This could be just a negotiation tactic to make me to agree to take the lower salary (I am over that max right now), so I think I'll look what is out there... Anyway, I think that an hourly rate, strangely, has some good things from the employee's point of view, if you have some value to offer and the job market is healthy. You feel that your commitment is to your work, and that to leave is not such a big deal, less attachment to 'the position', more responsibility to your craft.