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What does this article have to do with Europe? I know First Round is based in SF, but they don't state where the startups are located - the only mention of the
by cbcoutinho 10y ago
What does this article have to do with Europe? I know First Round is based in SF, but they don't state where the startups are located - the only mention of the US is when comparing demographics of the workforce with the US itself.
- demonshalo 10y agoWhat I mean is, Europe generally does not even come close to that level of pay/compensation. So I assumed that these are US based startups. I could be wrong though.
- shanwang 10y agoI guess the salary figures are largely influenced by US figures, $101k-$150k for mid-level engineer is definitely not the norm in europe.
- trymas 10y agoSomehow I do not think that US and European salaries are comparable.
- perseiden 10y agoLooks like there are only US based startupts. At least 39 % of the start ups were located in the Bay area, so that must distort the figure quite a bit I guess.
- jdavis703 10y agoYes but you (generally) get other things like universal healthcare, free or cheap university, retirement plans, no need for a car due to proper urban planning, etc. In the US you have to shell out for all these things, paying into a private 401(k) for retirement, paying back student loan debt, paying for your health insurance etc. And these are at well funded tech firms.
- taneq 10y agoSo basically, a mid-range profession in the US is comparable to a mid-range profession in the EU, a high-end profession in the US earns heaps more, and a low-end profession (or unskilled job) in the US means you're screwed?
- discordianfish 10y agoWhile true, that doesn't even come close to filling the gap. In Berlin "the silicon valley of Europe", as people here like to say, there are pretty much zero engineering jobs paying >$100k/year. There is some magical ceiling of around $90k/year, no matter how senior you are. This isn't only true for startups but pretty much any company. That's one of the reasons I work remote for Silicon Valley.
- Mahn 10y agoThere's also the fact that US in general has higher living costs, even if they are not immediately evident. Take for instance the price of renting a shitty one person flat in Berlin vs San Francisco. Not to mention that in most European countries you don't have to tip 30% over the price of a meal because waiter salaries here are actually enough to cover living costs.
- zoidb 10y agoI live and work in Berlin and have been thinking about doing the same. Mind if I ask you some questions over mail?
- dx034 10y agoOn the other hand, costs in SV are way higher than Berlin. Berlin has very low living costs, even compared to other European (and German) cities. With $90k/yr you probably have the same living standard as in SV with twice as much. Probably even a higher standard, with $90k/year in Germany you can afford a large appartment, eat out regularly, don't have to worry about retirement or health care. Of course living in a cheap area and being paid the salary of the high cost area is always better. But that's not specific to Berlin.
- tedmiston 10y agoKeep in mind how heavily we are taxed at higher income brackets, higher living expenses, and also that "US salary" is a huge overgeneralization. Startups in third and fourth tier startup cities might pay 1/3-1/2 of what's in SF, etc. Comp varies a lot.