Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists . You have to look at the whole package. And for good reason. A benefits package can account for as much as 30 percent of an employee's overall compensation, Scholl-Fiedler says.
Some estimates place the figure even higher.
Only you can determine what makes a good benefits package. In fact, there's something of a movement in the career market these days toward equalizing the value of benefits available to workers without children. Family employees, the argument goes, are getting richer packages because they're offered things childless workers can't take advantage of. Regardless of personal circumstances, every job candidate should look hard at the medical insurance options offered by an employer, Scholl-Fiedler says. A travel budget, a laptop computer, a company car or a signing bonus are among the benefits coveted by some, he says.