How to Know If a Job Offer Is Good (5 Red Flags to Watch For)
A practical checklist for evaluating any job offer — so you spot the warning signs before you sign.
You got the offer. The recruiter sounds excited. The role seems interesting. And there's a number on the page that's... fine? Maybe? You're not entirely sure.
This is the moment where most people make one of two mistakes: they accept too quickly because the relief of ending a job search overwhelms their judgment, or they agonize over the decision without a clear framework for evaluating what's in front of them.
Neither approach serves you well. What you need is a systematic way to assess the offer — not just the salary number, but the full picture of what you're signing up for. And critically, you need to know which warning signs mean "negotiate harder" versus which ones mean "walk away."
This guide gives you five specific red flags to watch for, concrete examples of what good versus bad offers look like, and a practical checklist you can use before accepting any job offer.
Why Evaluating a Job Offer Matters More Than You Think
A job offer isn't just a salary. It's a package of compensation, expectations, culture signals, and legal terms that will define your daily life for the next one to five years. Accepting a bad offer doesn't just cost you money — it costs you time, energy, career momentum, and sometimes your mental health.
The problem is that most of us evaluate offers emotionally. After weeks or months of applications, interviews, and waiting, an offer feels like validation. We want to say yes because it means the search is over.
But the search ending badly is worse than the search continuing. A role that underpays you, burns you out, or puts you in a toxic environment will send you back to the job market within a year — with a worse resume gap and depleted confidence.
Let's look at the specific red flags that distinguish a good offer from a problematic one.
Red Flag 1: The Salary Is Significantly Below Market Rate
This is the most common — and most quantifiable — red flag. If the offered base salary is 15% or more below the market median for your role, experience level, and location, something is wrong.
What this looks like:A good offer lands at or above the market median — typically between the 50th and 75th percentile for your role and city. For a mid-level Software Engineer in Seattle, that means $135K–$160K base.
How to check: Use CareerCheck's salary data to benchmark the offer against current market ranges for your specific role and city. Cross-reference with Levels.fyi for tech companies, and check job postings in states with salary transparency laws (California, New York, Colorado, Washington) for real ranges companies are publishing.If the offer is below market, this doesn't automatically mean walk away — it means negotiate. Counter with data. If the company can't reach market rate after negotiation, then you know where you stand.
The exception: Early-stage startups sometimes offer below-market base salary offset by meaningful equity. This can be legitimate — but only if the equity is clearly documented with a vesting schedule, the company is well-funded, and you understand the risk. "We'll give you equity later" without specifics is not a real offer.Red Flag 2: They Pressure You to Decide Immediately
"We need your answer by end of day."
"This offer expires in 24 hours."
"We have other candidates waiting — can you let us know right now?"
Any employer that pressures you into an immediate decision is either hiding something or operating with a level of impatience that tells you exactly how they'll treat you as an employee.
Why this is a red flag:Legitimate companies understand that accepting a job is one of the most significant financial and personal decisions you make. They've spent weeks evaluating you — they can wait 48 to 72 hours for your response. Pressure tactics exist because scrutiny reveals problems. The less time you have to evaluate, the less likely you are to notice the salary is below market, the benefits are thin, or the role is different from what was discussed.
What a good offer looks like:A reasonable company gives you 3–7 business days to review the full offer, ask questions, and make a decision. Many companies proactively say "take your time" or "let us know if you'd like to discuss any of the terms."
What to do if pressured:"I appreciate the offer and I'm very interested. I'd like to take [48–72 hours / until Friday] to review the complete terms. I want to make a thoughtful decision rather than a rushed one — I think that's best for both of us."
If they say no to this completely reasonable request, you've just learned something important about how this company operates.
Red Flag 3: Vague or Missing Compensation Details
An offer letter should be specific. If you're squinting at a letter that mentions "competitive salary" without a number, "benefits available" without details, or "equity participation" without a grant size or vesting schedule — that's a problem.
Common forms of vagueness:A clear offer letter specifies:
If your offer letter looks more like the first example, ask for specifics in writing before signing. This is completely standard and any professional employer will comply.
Red Flag 4: High Turnover Signals
If the role you're being offered has been vacant for an unusually long time — or has been filled and vacated multiple times in a short period — pay attention.
How to spot turnover red flags:The role is being created due to team growth (not backfilling someone who burned out). The team has stable tenure — people have been there 2+ years. Your interviewers speak positively about work-life balance and can describe clear career progression paths.
Red Flag 5: The Role Description Changed Between Interview and Offer
You interviewed for a Senior Frontend Engineer working on the consumer product. The offer letter says "Software Engineer" and mentions "supporting internal tools as needed." The salary reflects the lower title.
This bait-and-switch is more common than you'd think, and it comes in several forms:
A company that changes terms between interview and offer is telling you that what they communicated during the hiring process isn't reliable. If they'll change the deal now — when they're trying to attract you — imagine what they'll do after you've signed.
What to do:Compare the offer letter against your interview notes point by point. If anything doesn't match, address it immediately:
"I noticed the offer lists the title as [X], but during our interviews we discussed [Y]. Can you clarify the change? I want to make sure we're aligned on the role and level before I finalize my decision."
If the company has a reasonable explanation (sometimes titles get adjusted by HR during the formal offer process), they'll clarify and correct. If they deflect, minimize, or gaslight you about what was discussed — that's your exit signal.
Your Job Offer Evaluation Checklist
Before accepting any offer, run through this checklist:
Compensation
Benefits and Terms
Role Clarity
Company Health Signals
Your Gut Check
If you can check every box, you're likely looking at a strong offer. If three or more items are unchecked — especially in the compensation or company health sections — it's time to negotiate, ask harder questions, or walk away.
The Bottom Line
A job offer is not a gift — it's a business transaction. The company has evaluated you and decided you're worth hiring. Now it's your turn to evaluate them with the same rigor.
Most bad job experiences don't start on a bad day at work. They start with a bad offer that someone accepted because they didn't know what to look for, felt pressured, or were too relieved to be critical. The five red flags in this guide — below-market salary, decision pressure, vague terms, high turnover signals, and bait-and-switch role changes — will catch the vast majority of problematic offers before you sign.
And remember: identifying a red flag doesn't always mean rejecting the offer. Sometimes it means negotiating. A below-market salary can be countered. Vague terms can be clarified. But you can only address problems you've identified — which is why evaluating the offer systematically matters more than any single tactic.
Check what your role is worth before evaluating your next offer: Explore salary data by role and city → Already have an offer in hand? Learn how to answer salary expectations questions or get our step-by-step salary negotiation playbook.See How You Stack Up
Wondering if your experience matches what employers are paying? Our free AI analysis tool compares your resume against real job postings — salary expectations, skill gaps, and fit score in seconds.
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