Live data from Hacker News

Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

spectrum.ieee.org

261–270 of 272 posts

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#261
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do realize it’s the price of a lot? That house is a teardown

I'm under impression everything is a teardown yet people live in those. Same in Vancouver and Toronto.

Pretty much every single family property in Silicon Valley is waiting to get torn down and replaced with a 3-4 family property or more.

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#262
post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I left Germany in 2007, I was making 52000 Euro per year. Crazy to hear that salaries remained practically flat. When I went to Silicon Valley, my pay practically doubled overnight, and now 13 years later I make 10x as much (and my job hasn't really changed much). Curious though how your house cleaner is making more than a software engineer?

You make half a million Euros a year as a software engineer?

Not unreasonable if the parent a senior engineer or is counting stock appreciation.

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

H1-B are not that easy to get, but it might get better after the required minimum salaries were raised. Heard mixed things about intra-company transfers from Europe to the US. Otherwise it's rather difficult to get to SV.

Wouldn’t low engineer salaries encourage more startups in Germany? Relatively cheaper labor pool if the talent is good enough for Silicon Valley companies.

Funding is rather limited

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're confining your thinking to well-known companies you can name. For every company you can name, there are 20 you've never heard of and they sure as hell aren't paying average developers $200k.

I am refuting the blatantly false claim that only FAANG compensate like this. I agree that some employers lowball like crazy, and that some engineers don’t know better, have reasons to live in low-productivity regions that are worth six-figure opportunity costs to them (family, etc), or couldn’t pass the interviews. But it is worthwhile to remind people that this whole world is out there and they could pursue it if t…

The quote was "FAANG tier", which I think encompasses "the tech companies that pay outrageously above the norm for engineers".

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#265

One of the founders of Levels.fyi here – wish we were cited on here too! But we also did a pay report for 2020 with a breakdown of companies and locations which was covered in another IEEE post: https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/at-work/tech-... In our report, we account for total compensation including equity. Feel free to check it out: https://levels.fyi/2020/

Just looking at this data I question why even bother working for a startup. Getting paid 200k at a startup is a rarity, usually with poor health benefits. Lots of work and a hope that you can make up the difference in case of a huge sale. Am I looking at it wrong?

I've worked at a bunch of startups (20 years) and what I've learned is:

Do not work at an early stage startup!

- Shitty experience because you won't have to do things right. Initial system will turn out like crap because you are rushed to build it. - You will be in constant firefights once live. You will feel like a hero but in reality you're just burning yourself out to make the leadership rich. - No customers so won't learn about scaling, - Little to no process. - Pay is crap - Equity is a complete scam. Company will do everything they can to keep you from capitalizing on them. 90 day exercise after leaving. 8-10 years before there's a market to sell and you won't last that long. Company won't buy them from you. Common shares instead of preferred. Dilution, etc. - Management is inexperienced and a lot of times abusive. - Once the company starts to succeed, a new wave of management will be hired. They will bring their own direct reports who blame you for creating the initial crappy system and your career will essentially be over at the startup.

I could go on.

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Money? What money? AFAIK degree programs in German public universities are nearly free.

In public universities yes, but not in private universities. You will also have other expenses as well when you study (rent an appartment, food etc.)

Don't do that then?

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#267
post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just looking at this data I question why even bother working for a startup. Getting paid 200k at a startup is a rarity, usually with poor health benefits. Lots of work and a hope that you can make up the difference in case of a huge sale. Am I looking at it wrong?

I've worked at a bunch of startups (20 years) and what I've learned is: Do not work at an early stage startup! - Shitty experience because you won't have to do things right. Initial system will turn out like crap because you are rushed to build it. - You will be in constant firefights once live. You will feel like a hero but in reality you're just burning yourself out to make the leadership rich. - No customers so wo…

This is spot on to my experience as well. Startup employees seems to move in waves and being the first wave of employees at a startup usually means working the hardest and getting burnt out. In my experience it's the second and third wave employees that have it easier, get to reap the benefits.

(Also, your bullets didn't format properly, you may want to edit your response to fix that)

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#268
post #214
post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Let say 120k CAD, that's 80k eur. Getting 80k euro in Germany is as hard (or as easy if you wish) as 120k in Canada.

A raw currency conversion isn't meaningful. It doesn't account for cost of living.

CoL is often mentioned, but what's not is the saving rate.

Saving the same percentage in a higher CoL place gives you the option of moving out or retiring anywhere, including a high CoL location. You don't have these options if you make a lower wage at a lower CoL place.

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#269
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So why move to Canada? Get Canadian citizenship after 3 years, and become eligible for TN visa, which is not subject to any lotteries or quotas.

Not that easy! TN visa is kind of automatic if one have engineering degree from Canada or related job offer. Even for 'software developer' it can be tricky. Also Canadian citizenship after 3 years is in reality 3 years + 1-2 years of the wait time. Source https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/se...

> Even for 'software developer' it can be tricky.

That's not been my experience when hiring. Serious candidates from serious schools don't seem to have any issues getting it.

Re: Silicon Valley stays on top as tech salaries climb across U.S.

#270
post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make half a million Euros a year as a software engineer?

Not unreasonable if the parent a senior engineer or is counting stock appreciation.

I make what I consider OK money in the UK, but the US is on a totally different level. I can only assume we're undervalued here!
Post reply on HN