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Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

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Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#101
post #12
post #2

A friend of mine just took a menial enterprise programming job (in Pittsburgh) that is paying 55k. And I mean menial, it's converting legacy systems from Cobol to Java.

Just write a cobol to java compiler and be done with it.

I talked to him, he said that there are a bunch out there already and they'll be using them to aid in the process. But there's still work to be done, there are a lot of legacy systems that need to have optimized/readable code.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#102
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

for a salary of $40K the taxes would be around 20-30% in the US depending on your family situation

Total taxes in the US on a $40K salary for a single person with no other income and no other deductions: about $4,200 (10.5%). The marginal tax rate is higher, of course, and state taxes will add a little, but not too much.

haha I actually make 40K... i think its significantly higher than that. All told I think i'll be paying around 12K. (MI.)

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#103
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Total taxes in the US on a $40K salary for a single person with no other income and no other deductions: about $4,200 (10.5%). The marginal tax rate is higher, of course, and state taxes will add a little, but not too much.

haha I actually make 40K... i think its significantly higher than that. All told I think i'll be paying around 12K. (MI.)

If you only make $40k and are paying 30% in taxes, you're doing something very wrong.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#104
post #8

For anyone wondering the other question, what about salaries for experienced developers, keep in mind the numbers others are sharing here are just what was asked for, -starting- salaries. After a few years, the salaries are much higher, but still under $150K. $130K plus options is pretty standard in the West Coast for an experienced developer with or without any degree. Seems to have jumped up some in the last couple…

100k plus options. 10 yrs experience. NM. Nice House in city center $800 a month. 20 min commute. But no comparable companies to move to in town.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#105
post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

haha I actually make 40K... i think its significantly higher than that. All told I think i'll be paying around 12K. (MI.)

If you only make $40k and are paying 30% in taxes, you're doing something very wrong.

You are right. It was quite an exaggeration on my part. Its more like 21.5%.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that's likely high (I'm in Dallas and have some experience in the last couple years with recruiting college people). I'd say the average is around 50k, only people with real experience getting more than that. Some companies are paying higher, but they are turning around and billing them out at a stupid high rate (EDS I'm looking at you).

I'd agree, the average is 50 but any decent grad should be able to grab 60-65

I'm an ms grad so probably you're right.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Moscow's supposed to be about as expensive to live in as the Bay Area or Manhattan from what I've read. Rents here in the Bay area are around $1400 for a 1 bedroom apartment. What are they in Moscow?

I pay around $1300 for a 1 bedroom apartment. This is a bit on the high side, but I like living in the city center, in summer it's almost European.

What do people in that part of Moscow tend to pay for food, utilities, taxes, transportation...?

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#108
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That $5-10k delta could be made up within a year or two for a good developer coming from a non-namebrand CS school who puts his/her nose to the grindstone.

That is true. Good engineers will always rise above the bad ones, regardless of what background they have. But we are talking about starting salaries here.

I understand that. And it's true that it is best to negotiate the highest starting salary as possible because most people, on average, will get a standard "cost of living" (whatever that means anymore) raise increase on an annual basis. But, I wanted to point out that there is definitely hope for non-namebrand CS program graduates, too.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#109
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I pay around $1300 for a 1 bedroom apartment. This is a bit on the high side, but I like living in the city center, in summer it's almost European.

Salaries for grads outside of Moscow are probably half that - I think PHP coders in Kharkov, Ukraine for example would be pretty happy with 12-15K. QA positions could be as low as 8-10K. And $1300 for a 1-bedroom in Moscow center...what can I say you got off light. All my friends had to go through realtors for $2K places (2-3 rooms through) near Kitai-Gorod.

How about $5K for 2 years experience PHP developer in Dnepr, Ukraine. I work for this now and my motivation is lost completely. May be I will try to relocate. Now i see even in Dnepropetrovsk salary for html coder for $10K and php dev $14K, but they require strong knowledge of all what can imagine, even speaking english. My bad, need better education.

Re: Ask YC: What are starting salaries for CS grads this year?

#110
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you only make $40k and are paying 30% in taxes, you're doing something very wrong.

You are right. It was quite an exaggeration on my part. Its more like 21.5%.

I've payed less than that in income tax on income much greater than that. Legally, that is. According to H&R's calculator, you should be paying under $5k, and thats with no dependents or other similar deductions.
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