I'm just looking to stay in town for 3-4 more years until GF finishes up law school. They don't pay that well out here for entry level but 3-5 years later you easily double up. I just want a company that I enjoy working for moreso than being paid well right now.

what technologies/languages are you using?

just accepted my first full time position as a full stack developer/ "software engineer". java, jsp, html, css, js, angular, apache/tomcat, mysql, cvs. Some of the shit is kind of outdated.. seems like not too many people are using jsps anymore. cvs is no longer being updated lol. Kinda wish I was working at some super hip new startup using newer technologies but I'd say most of the skills i'm learning are pretty marketable

If you are more interested in growing quickly then I'd prioritize experience. When I started I thought of it as an investment - make a little less money at first but grow faster both in skill and, by extension, pay. I started 3 years ago out of school at 47k, went up to 60k 5 months later, then to 77k another year later, and I'm renewing my contract early next year at 140k. Every time I got a raise, I was told that a big part of it was learning new technologies that are in demand right now. I get contracted out to clients at an hourly rate by my full-time employer, so having in-demand skills makes it much easier for them to sell me and charge more.

Once you feel like you aren't a total junior any more and have some bargaining power, I would look more at pay, benefits, job satisfaction, etc. Probably after 2-3 years.

Monotonous work gets boring...