Earlier quoted context omitted.
Taking objection to the N in “FAANG” Netflix engineer here. The portion of the company I work in has been hiring remote during the pandemic and we have a company wide permanent WFH policy (well guidance from HR) in place. The policy includes pay tiers depending on where you live, but the pay adjustment doesn’t take place until COVID WFH is lifted. I work on a team that, post covid, has engineers in two countries. I p…
Is the cost of living in the Bay Area really $100k+ more expensive than AZ? Or does the difference in state income tax offset that?
Yes. I’ve run the numbers several times. I have a 2 child family. Treating our house, child care, groceries, etc. as fungible I could take a 50% pay cut over SJC and “maintain” our quality of life on paper.
But details matter. I live in a community with 22 miles of maintained trail, some of the best school districts in the country (with no lottery system, we just pick a school), our grocery stores are better (better meat, better produce, better selection), etc.
After living both, I strongly suspect my current quality of life in PHX literally does not exist in the Bay Area no matter the price point.