What do you do?
Can you describe your education and work history?
Do you have to live in HCOL area?
How is your work life balance?
Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
1–10 of 14 posts
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#2I do, but I worked my way up to it over the past 30 years. I went to University back in 1989 in Munich, but was only there for a year and a half. My father was in the military and was deployed to the Desert Storm war so my mother had me come home. I did some night school classes while working during the day, but never did end up getting a degree. In ‘96 I went to a state sponsored training program started to train people in mainframe programming for the upcoming Y2K work. So I started as an assembler programmer on an IBM OS/360 system and eventually moved to COBOL. I started off at $26K living in Atlanta, GA. Still live here 28 years later, still a developer, current title was Analytics Architect, but company recently did title updates to match the industry, so I am now a senior staff engineer. I make a little over 200k base and get a COL adjustment and 10-15% bonus every year. I’ve been at my current company 20 years, currently enjoying a month long sabbatical to celebrate that. My area of Atlanta isn’t too HCOL, I live in the city of Decatur area. I’ve avoided leaving the perimeter and moving to the suburbs, trying to stay in the more democratic area away from the white flight. Since I‘be been at my job so long my work life balance is great. I do my 40hr weeks, 4 days at home, 1 in the office. I don’t work late or on weekends. I could have probably been making quite a bit more by now if I’d job hopped, but I like my job and my salary is more than enough to support me and my wife.
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#3Here’s some resources:
- https://Reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions
$200k is quite achievable both remote, IF you have experience. If you are brand new to the industry things have shifted and new grads are having a very tough time.
Double or triple that was easily achievable remote from 2020 to 2023, but now likely requires going in-office in NYC, SF, or Seattle.
The work life balance is not significantly different at different pay levels once you get to true tech companies (leaving aside companies where the tech doesn’t bring in the money)
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#4[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#5My job title is Senior DevOps Engineer. I have no high school diploma and what they call "some college" (less than 2 years). I've been working as a sysadmin since the late nineties. I've done stints as a Director of Operations, and entrepreneur (trainer/consultant). But mostly ops work. I've been working remotely for the past 3 years (thanks COVID!). I live in a rural area. I try to put in about 40 hours a week, it's been a bit under recently as we're moving and it's been a distraction. The job opening was posted for under 200K but I asked for a bit over and got it. I was told my experience and enthusiasm was far above the other candidates. Hope this helps! (I majored in biochemistry when I was at uni.) I'm in Texas now.
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#6I would fathom that the number 1 factor in how they made that much is by working in a HCOL area.
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#7Here’s some resources: - https://levels.fyi - https://Reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions - https://Leetcode.com $200k is quite achievable both remote, IF you have experience. If you are brand new to the industry things have shifted and new grads are having a very tough time. Double or triple that was easily achievable remote from 2020 to 2023, but now likely requires going in-office in NYC, SF, or Seattle. The work life…
I'd say it's a US-only number and most US shops hire US-only remotely.
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#8Graduated with a CS degree in 2012, worked at various small companies until I got referred to Google. Worked there for ~5 years, got promoted, and turned that into a pay raise in a field I actually care about. I also live in a HCOL in the US, which is sneakily the reason why I probably make what I do. If you are new to the industry, I have no idea; it looks like a warzone out there for junior recs. Work life balance is fine; I refuse to break 45 hours. I'd rather get fired.
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#9Three ways I know.
1. Grind leetcode and prep interviews and get into a large tech co as senior engineer. This is my path (need an uplevel now). Can be done outside the US.
2. Consult. This is my backup path. I get $100/h so I can bump up to 200k TC short term ... but more importantly connect and network to get higher rates.
3. Finally: finance/trading. You like C++ or OCaml?
Bonus option: indie hacker build the next levels.fyi
Re: Ask HN: To those making 200k+ how did you get there?
#10Three ways I know. 1. Grind leetcode and prep interviews and get into a large tech co as senior engineer. This is my path (need an uplevel now). Can be done outside the US. 2. Consult. This is my backup path. I get $100/h so I can bump up to 200k TC short term ... but more importantly connect and network to get higher rates. 3. Finally: finance/trading. You like C++ or OCaml? Bonus option: indie hacker build the next…
Are you saying that you’re using consulting to supplement your main job so that your total yearly earnings are $200,000+? Or are you saying that when you consult for $100/hour you’re technically at 200k TC “short term” because if you did it full time then you’d make $200,000 a year?