After 15 years in the workforce, here are the things I understand about employer compensation that I didn't know at 22.

Total compensation: salary is one line item. Health insurance subsidy (often $5,000-15,000/year), 401k match, HSA contribution, stock grants, and bonuses are real money that don't show up in the salary number.

Vesting schedules: employer 401k match and stock grants often vest over 3-4 years. Leaving a job before full vesting means forfeiting unvested amounts. Factor this into job change decisions.

Negotiation range: most employers have a budgeted range for each role. The offer they make isn't always the top of that range. Asking for the top of the range is low-risk — they can say no and the offer usually stands.

Raises vs job changes: median annual raise at the same employer: 3-4%. Median increase from changing jobs: 10-20%. Over a 10-year period, this compounds significantly. Being willing to change jobs is one of the most powerful salary growth tools available.

Benefits as compensation: a job offering $75k with strong benefits and matching can be worth more in total compensation than a job offering $85k with minimal benefits.