Which form of compensation is most important to you?

I've been coding since RPG II was new, and appreciate an employer that recognizes experience and the basic understanding that if you have been in the business for that long that you could need a key attached to every resume for all the acronyms you have been through in your career.

Job specs these days are written with such specificity as regards versions of specific libraries, extensions, platforms, etc. that it removes the truly talented manager/programmer from the pool, because version xyz of library x.x.x is what they use, and not the ability of the truly talented to use experience and logic to assure a hiring manager that out of a pool of 200 people, you are the best qualified.

It's not that you have seen it all, it's that you know how to utilize this language, that script, etc. and are good enough to hit the ground running.

Salary is the key, and I don't need 300K or a promise of options that either may or may not come to have any value, based on the decisions of others, whose strategy may not be in my best interest, thus turning my 40 page options agreement into very inexpensive fire-pit starter. What I want is a job that when I sign up, has a longevity, or a parachute if the company changes its mind. I may cost less, but I want to be there or paid, regardless.

My most important form of compensation would be acknowledgement of a job done well. 25 years in the same place and I cannot remember a hand shake, pat on the back, or "Well done". But I got my reward in the end. I retired and they have to pay me at least about what I made while I was working for the rest of my life + yearly cost of living increases. And I don't have to do anything for them now.

Ability to flex my schedulae to meet out of work needs and still keep up my "40" hours. We all know its more than that, so flex becomes really important to not burn up PTO for vacation and sick leave.

How about "all of the above"?