For myself, I'm always looking at the total package. What's the work/life balance like? How much does the company culture fit what I'm looking for? Etc. When you consider factors like this, you realize there are ways to make a job more attractive without offering a higher salary or more equity. Examples: 1) A MacBook Pro 2) A home-office snack budget each month 3) A book budget for continuing education Etc. All of these small things add up eventually to create a total value that in the end costs less for an employer but is more attractive to a prospective employee. If you need examples, Buffer does a great job offering extra perks which you can see here: http://jobs.bufferapp.com/