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Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

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Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#71

Post by throwawaysv »

bsvalley wrote: post #56
throwawaysv wrote: post #46

Staff level at Google/Facebook/LinkedIn will give you ~200k base + stock + bonus without being 'specialized' like others claim here. E.g. for me at Staff level it's 200k base (>400k total with stock and bonus for last year) with ~5 years working as a Software Engineer. As a Senior at these companies you'll likely max out at 180-190k base but with stock + bonus you easily break 300k after your stocks starts vesting. T…

Of course, google has the highest salaries. If you're a staff at Google I'd expect $200k base. Same if you work in finance. Though, in most of the case you won't make $200k/y base salary with 10 years of exp in "java" or anything related to java technologies. Except if you're at the big 5 + financial/stock market related companies in NYC. There are way too many people doing Java... It's easy to find and most of the c…

Even at series A+ startups 180-190k base for 10 years of experience is not that unusual and if you get less in SV I would assume you should get a pretty big part of the equity. No matter what I wouldn't count stocks/options in these cases and there's likely no bonus. But you see that even then it's already pretty close to 200k. So at least in SV I would say this is pretty standard for at least the top 10% of companies and likely much more pay this.

Edit: I general I think people complaining about the high cost of living really don't know how much you can earn here in SV after working a few years for a company. Especially equity gets underestimated by most people and it's comparing 'normal' salaries with base + perhaps a small bonus with the salaries here in SV which are after a while mostly based on stock (at least half of your salary often more after a few years and as long it's a publicly traded company that means real money not fake hopes). The houses cost much more here if you don't waste salary it's not that hard to safe for it especially before you have kids. And as soon as you're in the game with some property you have a great salary and fixed costs for your housing situation. I would n't bet on it but it likely also appreciates in value much more than anywhere in the US which is a nice side-effect. Just wanted to add this to make it clear that I think it pays to be in SV salary + experience wise and outdoors in general are amazing here so the quality of life is pretty nice here if you get into one of the growing companies or found your own after you saved enough.

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#72

Post by aaronyy »

VSPrw3C1yK wrote: post #65
tsunamifury wrote: post #26

I make about $275k (145 base, 35 bonus, 90+RSUs) as a designer with strong technical and product management skills. For example I can write you a basic Android front end and also a PRD while tangling through legal and security. I am an individual contributor and just about to begin managing. However I unofficially lead a team of 20. There are still 4 levels above me that can be paid upwards of low millions dollars be…

> I am an individual contributor and just about to begin managing. However I unofficially lead a team of 20. How common is this? I'm in a similar position, albeit a smaller group. I've gotten pushback on a management title, but I think I've largely negotiated the unofficial duties into my salary, so I don't mind much. I make $250K (base and total) at a non-profit.

> I make $250K (base and total) at a non-profit.

This is pretty intriguing. May I ask how common this is? I have imagined non-profit careers to be in the <$150k range and not comparable (compensation-wise) to tech companies/startups.

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#73

Post by throwawaysv »

throwawaysv wrote: post #71
bsvalley wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, google has the highest salaries. If you're a staff at Google I'd expect $200k base. Same if you work in finance. Though, in most of the case you won't make $200k/y base salary with 10 years of exp in "java" or anything related to java technologies. Except if you're at the big 5 + financial/stock market related companies in NYC. There are way too many people doing Java... It's easy to find and most of the c…

Even at series A+ startups 180-190k base for 10 years of experience is not that unusual and if you get less in SV I would assume you should get a pretty big part of the equity. No matter what I wouldn't count stocks/options in these cases and there's likely no bonus. But you see that even then it's already pretty close to 200k. So at least in SV I would say this is pretty standard for at least the top 10% of companie…

Also there is a difference between 'doing Java' and being a Software Engineer writing code in Java (or whatever other language makes sense or makes you happy). For sure you can find people 'doing Java' but I wouldn't allow them to commit a single line of code into anything I care about or want to be associated with. It's not about how much code you produce (which 'doing Java' sounds like) but what quality you produce and how little code you write to make your project do what it should do. That's exactly where these two kinds of people differ. With 10 years+ I would hope a developer is in the second part and wouldn't hire someone still being in the first one.

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#74

Post by ta_googler »

Been a Googler for >8 years, currently among top 10% of engineers at Google.

Base: >200K, Total comp (w/ bonus + RSU): >500K

Total comp number counts RSUs which are going to vest in 2017, at the current GOOG price of 825+. If GOOG tanks, total comp would go down accordingly.

Didn't have to do anything special, neither I am a rockstar/ninja like Jeff Dean or Amit Singhal - just worked hard, made sure to be on a team with good people, avoided bad managers (lots of data sources within Google to figure out who is a good/bad manager).

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#75

Post by amagicalsunday »

whalabi wrote: post #50
anontalk wrote: post #18

I make $190k base: $190k base + $10k signing bonus + RSUs = ~$300k total comp > what your role/salary/experience is. Senior full-stack engineer. Located in SF. > How did you get your high salary? Interviewed at many companies and received multiple offers. Kept every door open, made sure the company/team knew I was excited to join, and moved the negotiations and base salary forward. It helped a lot to have an existing…

Are you sure you don't want to stay in your new job for 3 months?

hahahahahahaha

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#76

Post by aaronyy »

oblio wrote: post #33

I have the opposite question for people here: what drives you to more money? A very expensive house costs a few million dollars, which you should afford quite easily, especially if you have a partner making a decent amount of money. Children and their education cost quite a bit in the US, but even that shouldn't cost a lot. A few expensive holidays per year plus retirement money should be easily doable. So, basically…

I would be very interested to see an AskHN dedicated to this question.

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#77

Post by tomaha »

DDerTyp wrote: post #38
adventurer wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I assume we are talking about gross earnings before taxes.

Thank God, already thought about moving to the USA

If you want to earn more you should still move. In Germany base salary is pretty much your salary as the variable part is pretty limited. Here in SV it is just about half of your salary if you work for a while here. It will also pay with experience that will make you much more 'valuable' for companies outside of SV when you move back at one point.

Another option is to just go to Switzerland (e.g. Zurich). You still have German/similar culture but will earn salaries like here in SV with much less taxes. Similar cost of living but after you payed your basic needs everything else above is just a lot more to safe for your future or enjoy life with (and if you invest in stock you don't even pay a cent for long term gains in Switzerland which makes it even more attractive the more you accumulated over time).

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#78

Post by tsunamifury »

VSPrw3C1yK wrote: post #65
tsunamifury wrote: post #26

I make about $275k (145 base, 35 bonus, 90+RSUs) as a designer with strong technical and product management skills. For example I can write you a basic Android front end and also a PRD while tangling through legal and security. I am an individual contributor and just about to begin managing. However I unofficially lead a team of 20. There are still 4 levels above me that can be paid upwards of low millions dollars be…

> I am an individual contributor and just about to begin managing. However I unofficially lead a team of 20. How common is this? I'm in a similar position, albeit a smaller group. I've gotten pushback on a management title, but I think I've largely negotiated the unofficial duties into my salary, so I don't mind much. I make $250K (base and total) at a non-profit.

If you a natural entrepreneur this is pretty common. You also don't tend to care if it's official or not, as long as the product goals are met and you are compensated for making them happen.

Re: Ask HN: Do you make more than $200K? What did you have to do?

#79

Post by tsunamifury »

oblio wrote: post #33

I have the opposite question for people here: what drives you to more money? A very expensive house costs a few million dollars, which you should afford quite easily, especially if you have a partner making a decent amount of money. Children and their education cost quite a bit in the US, but even that shouldn't cost a lot. A few expensive holidays per year plus retirement money should be easily doable. So, basically…

Down payment.

You need 500k post tax which is almost 1 million in pre tax saved income to get a nice home in a decent neighborhood in the Bay Area. That is a huge chunk of change.

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