Started asking for job offers in writing and it saved me from a bad pay cut in Denver

Denver is one of those markets where companies KNOW they can lowball you because everyone wants to live near the mountains. Getting the offer in writing does one more thing people miss: it locks in the exact job title and start date, which matters if they try to switch your role six months in. A verbal "we'll figure out the details later" is how you end up doing manager work for analyst pay.