Timing is Everything
To receive certain benefits like 401(k) matches and stock options, however, many companies require you be "vested," which means you have to have worked at the company a certain number of years to be entitled to take the money when you leave.

If the vesting period is, say, five years, leaving a company after four-and-a-half could mean you forfeit some or all of the match. If you made roughly $50,000 each year and your company matched you at three percent, hanging on another six months would mean an extra $7,500 in your pocket.

Timing is also important when it comes to qualifying for bonuses and other incentive rewards as well as benefits like tuition reimbursement. Some companies have clauses that require you to stay with the company a certain amount of time after receiving your education or you must pay back the tuition.

And of course, before making your exit, use the vacation days you have coming, otherwise you forfeit them, too.

Benefits
According to the Congressional Budget Office Special Studies Division, benefits represent any where from 24 to 50 percent of an employee’s total compensation package. And the plan offerings and value vary greatly from company to company based on the deal the organization negotiates with insurance carriers as well as the percentage of costs it chooses to pass along to employees.

When it comes to health insurance, for example, even among major companies, the percentage of total costs employers pay ranges between 70 percent to 100 percent. Meaning your healthcare costs can vary anywhere from $150 to $2,000 from employer to employer.

401(k) Match
Large and small companies often match employees’ contributions to a 401(k) plan. Depending on the company, the match equal can be anywhere from one to three percent of pay. Remember this is free, untaxed money!

Vacation Pay
Consider the value and benefit of vacation time. Most companies grant vacation pay based on length of service. When a 15-year employee at a major food company went to work for a food broker, he went from having four weeks of paid vacation to one!

City or County Taxes
Don't forget taxes. In several major cities, non-residents pay taxes on wages and salaries they earn within the city limits. Those working in Philadelphia, for example, pay nearly four percent in city wage taxes. Even smaller cities, like Englewood, Ohio, impose a wage tax (1.75 %).

Commuting Costs
You have to get there, don't you? Parking, tolls and train fare adds up. With gas prices in many areas over $2 a gallon, longer drives not only mean more miles and wear and tear on the car (think depreciation), but higher fuel costs. A marketing manager who took a job 12 miles further away ended up resenting not only the longer commute but the added $1,500 a year she paid out in gasoline.

Childcare
If you have children, longer commutes also mean shelling out more to care providers. Depending on the hourly rate you pay, this can add $25 to $75 a week to your childcare or after-school program bill.

Dressing the Part
Casual dress codes not only allow you to be more comfortable at work, they can mean savings on expensive suits and dry cleaning bills. A financial analyst who went from a casual dress to a formal business dress environment claims her wardrobe and dry cleaning costs easily rose $2,000.

Think Big Picture
It would be ill-advised to pass up a great opportunity because you can’t part with your company’s subsidized cafeteria. However, it’s important that when weighing an offer or negotiating your starting compensation package, you don’t get blinded by that higher salary until you figure out your true costs of changing jobs.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Other writers contributed to this article.

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