> other parts of the US, even tech-heavy ones This is not comparable. SF is unique among other "tech-heavy" environments around the US in that we reward emplo

> other parts of the US, even tech-heavy ones This is not comparable. SF is unique among other "tech-heavy" environments around the US in that we reward employees with significant pre-liquidity equity here, and the chances are significantly above zero that those shares are worth something in many cases. When you factor that in, compensation comes out to ~$300-500k/yr. In other areas of the US, even where you have a density of tech startups, the culture is entirely different -- compensation is attractive to a more conservative profile. Likewise, the companies that inhabit those economies are not targeting the same kind of aggressive growth that companies in SF+SV. So to say that there is a choice between working in SF and, say, the research triangle, disregards crucial differences.