A close friend has been working for Apple on a consulting gig. Has lived in NYC for 30 years. Apple is offering SAME rate salary, plus stock options and full benefits, plus moving expenses for her to move West full-time. Her W2s past 4 years are well above that and asked for much higher (prior to this offer via recruiter). I told her she should dig in and meet in the middle somewhere on salary. She's genuinely concerned she might lose the gig as 'Apple doesn't negotiate'!!
That is BS. Everything is negotiable.