Eh, you and I are probably in the same boat (semi-regular job hopping for raises) and I think at some point you just stop caring as much about maximizing salary

Eh, you and I are probably in the same boat (semi-regular job hopping for raises) and I think at some point you just stop caring as much about maximizing salary. I know my parents could have made more if they lived elsewhere when I was growing up, but they chose to stay because they had family and (later) because they wanted me/siblings to have a stable childhood. Personally I'm hoping to find a "good enough" job in a city with a largish tech community once I have kids, even if I might be able to make 30% more elsewhere after a few years