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I received an offer at two companies for a spring co-op. They are both software engineering related. The first company(C1) offered me 22/hr. Is $22/hr + housing stipend a reasonable offer? The area is cheap to live in, which leads me to believe that 22/hr is a good offer. Would it be possible/reasonable to negotiate this?

I still have not received the offer details from the other company(C2), but they said they are currently preparing the letter. C2 is in Boston, which will obviously be more expensive. C2 pays for housing entirely.

My main problem is deciding between the two. Both are apparently good places to work, so the main issue comes down to pay. Everything else put aside, what salary/hourly rate should C2 offer to top C1?

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You don't take an internship for money, but for experience. If your sole purpose is to have some money, choose a temporary small job which does not require any qualifications. – MainMa Nov 9 '11 at 21:53
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Hi John, welcome to Programmers! Questions about compensation are off-topic here: whether a pay rate is reasonable depends mostly on your specific situation than any general rule applicable to programmers at large. – user8 Nov 9 '11 at 21:54
@MainMa: In the software business, you intern for money. – Paul Nathan Nov 9 '11 at 21:54

closed as off topic by tcrosley, littleadv, Mark Trapp Nov 9 '11 at 21:53

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1 Answer

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It's hard to say without knowing your job history/experience level but $22 per hour + housing sounds great for an internship.

If it truly comes down to pay then it is a purely mathmatical equation. Calculate the difference in the cost of living between Boston and where C1 is, and then if the difference between what C2 will give you is greater than that, choose C2.

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