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Job 2: 47% raise from base (10 months in Job 1) Job 3: 30% raise from base (9 months in Job 2 - relocated to Bay Area) Job 4: 32% raise from base (3 months in

Job 2: 47% raise from base (10 months in Job 1) Job 3: 30% raise from base (9 months in Job 2 - relocated to Bay Area) Job 4: 32% raise from base (3 months in Job 3) Job 5: 10% raise from base (10 months in Job 4) Job 6: 0% raise from base, 25% raise from base in RSUs/bonuses (22 months in Job 5) This is spanning 4 1/2 years, and even turning down up to as high as $400k in total comp between job 4 and 5, which would have been a little less than 200% raise over job 4. Some of my friends have even better results from job switching. I currently make a little more than $200k in total comp (including RSUs). I could easily switch to get even more (I've seen as high as $250k base salary), but I am pretty satisfied with comp in the industry for myself, and don't really hurt for money. I like what I do, and I am happy with how things are going.

deleted 9y ago
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cableshaft 9y ago
I really wish it was as easy to get this outside of the Bay Area. I don't really want to move to the Bay Area (nor does my girlfriend) but I've been stuck making just over half of your current total comp out near Chicago after almost 10 years of experience in various tech stacks. I know in theory it should be possible out here although Glass Door salary averages for the region are about what I'm making currently, so I don't know.
- Bahamut 9y ago
  I will say that my route hasn't necessarily been easy either - I am the fastest coder most people I have worked with has worked with, and I have worked with few who match or beat my capability for strong scalable abstractions prior to my current job (and those handful are working/have worked for the big tech giants, i.e. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.). I also have had to work 60-80 hour weeks for 2 of my 3 years in the area. I have also seen many people not able to attain such compensation boosts as well - the market is fierce for developers here, where if you don't measure up to a certain level, it can be difficult. The number of extremely smart people I have encountered in the tech industry here dwarfs anywhere else I have been (although percentage-wise not as high as where I went to grad school, UIUC). However, those who spend a couple of years here (or even one if you choose right) can take those benefits with them when they relocate away from the Bay Area in compensation and knowledge. I once worked with a junior developer who spent a little under a year in the Bay Area - he used the opportunity to level up his skills, and when he moved back to NYC after the company fired him, he got into a unicorn and boosted his compensation dramatically (went from $130k base to over 100% increase in total comp - a little less than half in equity) since he was able to take the skills he learned working in code bases of various qualities at the company (very strong to very weak) and apply the knowledge to companies that have no concept of such knowledge or thought processes. Just food for thought - obviously many factors come into play in choosing what to do, foremost being personal situation.
- 0xffff2 9y ago
  What is your rent? How much does it cost when you go out to eat? I don't know much about Chicago, but a quick look online suggests that almost all of the difference would be eaten up by cost of living differences.
  - softawre 9y ago
    Maybe true. But if you save 20% of your income for retirement at either job, and would go retire in Florida or some constant place after you are done working, you'll have a lot more money to retire to if you work in a high COL area with high pay.
  - cableshaft 9y ago
    About $1600/month. We rent a townhouse in the suburbs. I know that's a huge difference (I've heard people claiming they'd happily pay $4500/month for a 2 bedroom apartment in San Francisco), and it has been a contributing factor to not moving out there. Usually out there's not even really a distinction between 'base salary' and 'total compensation' out here. It's practically one and the same. So that higher base salary in SV usually covers the higher living expenses, and in addition to that, they usually throw in additional forms of compensation as well, and that seems to make a big, big difference. Going out to eat is probably similar. We often spend ~$50 when we go out between the two of us. Although my girlfriend was recently in SF for her job and she said it cost her $18 for two tiny tacos out there, that were half the size of what you'd get here for like $6, which does seem pretty ridiculous.
  - sidlls 9y ago
    It wouldn't be, unless one just had to live in the city center. When I moved from the Midwest my housing spend doubled, but I also doubled my saving rate (started saving 30% of my previous gross salary annually). The increased cost of living is well worth it.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

cableshaft 9y ago

I really wish it was as easy to get this outside of the Bay Area. I don't really want to move to the Bay Area (nor does my girlfriend) but I've been stuck making just over half of your current total comp out near Chicago after almost 10 years of experience in various tech stacks. I know in theory it should be possible out here although Glass Door salary averages for the region are about what I'm making currently, so I don't know.

Bahamut 9y ago
I will say that my route hasn't necessarily been easy either - I am the fastest coder most people I have worked with has worked with, and I have worked with few who match or beat my capability for strong scalable abstractions prior to my current job (and those handful are working/have worked for the big tech giants, i.e. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.). I also have had to work 60-80 hour weeks for 2 of my 3 years in the area. I have also seen many people not able to attain such compensation boosts as well - the market is fierce for developers here, where if you don't measure up to a certain level, it can be difficult. The number of extremely smart people I have encountered in the tech industry here dwarfs anywhere else I have been (although percentage-wise not as high as where I went to grad school, UIUC). However, those who spend a couple of years here (or even one if you choose right) can take those benefits with them when they relocate away from the Bay Area in compensation and knowledge. I once worked with a junior developer who spent a little under a year in the Bay Area - he used the opportunity to level up his skills, and when he moved back to NYC after the company fired him, he got into a unicorn and boosted his compensation dramatically (went from $130k base to over 100% increase in total comp - a little less than half in equity) since he was able to take the skills he learned working in code bases of various qualities at the company (very strong to very weak) and apply the knowledge to companies that have no concept of such knowledge or thought processes. Just food for thought - obviously many factors come into play in choosing what to do, foremost being personal situation.
0xffff2 9y ago
What is your rent? How much does it cost when you go out to eat? I don't know much about Chicago, but a quick look online suggests that almost all of the difference would be eaten up by cost of living differences.
- softawre 9y ago
  Maybe true. But if you save 20% of your income for retirement at either job, and would go retire in Florida or some constant place after you are done working, you'll have a lot more money to retire to if you work in a high COL area with high pay.
- cableshaft 9y ago
  About $1600/month. We rent a townhouse in the suburbs. I know that's a huge difference (I've heard people claiming they'd happily pay $4500/month for a 2 bedroom apartment in San Francisco), and it has been a contributing factor to not moving out there. Usually out there's not even really a distinction between 'base salary' and 'total compensation' out here. It's practically one and the same. So that higher base salary in SV usually covers the higher living expenses, and in addition to that, they usually throw in additional forms of compensation as well, and that seems to make a big, big difference. Going out to eat is probably similar. We often spend ~$50 when we go out between the two of us. Although my girlfriend was recently in SF for her job and she said it cost her $18 for two tiny tacos out there, that were half the size of what you'd get here for like $6, which does seem pretty ridiculous.
- sidlls 9y ago
  It wouldn't be, unless one just had to live in the city center. When I moved from the Midwest my housing spend doubled, but I also doubled my saving rate (started saving 30% of my previous gross salary annually). The increased cost of living is well worth it.