[kevintxwu]

You would need to consider more than just the first year. In reality, the difference it makes in terms of your career as a whole is significantly higher than that initial 12k because it compounds.

Starting off with an additional 12k in your salary means you'll get an additional 12k next year and every year thereafter, if not more.

Also, though we really need to do more work to figure out how to measure this effectively, the quality of the position goes beyond the salary itself.