Yeah, I'd definitely factor in job security and stability of the company. Also, which job has more chance for long-term advancement. If you work for a big company like IBM, you don't need to change employers to get promotions and raises, or even change job areas completely, and assuming you don't screw up it's unlikely you'll lose your job. Whereas a 20-person start-up is a much riskier proposition. Fully discloser: I worked for a start-up that was bought by IBM.