Also, the cost of living in the Bay Area is significantly higher than Seattle; housing alone is a huge factor. Google employees are really paid peanuts compare

Also, the cost of living in the Bay Area is significantly higher than Seattle; housing alone is a huge factor. Google employees are really paid peanuts compared to Microsoft's: http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $491,600 (it was $252,100 in 2000) Seattle: $491,600 Washington: $308,100 Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Seattle: 126.5 (high, U.S. average is 100) http://www.city-data.com/city/Mountain-View-California.html http://www.city-data.com/city/Mountain-View-California.html Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $755,200 (it was $464,800 in 2000) Mountain View: $755,200 California: $467,000 Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Mountain View: 164.0 (very high, U.S. average is 100) Raw dollars, glassdoor says google pays more. Regionally adjusted, there's a lot more that raw dollars can't account for.