My guess is that a huge majority the software engineers in the Bay Area are making less than half those numbers. If you value pre-IPO options at the proper disc

My guess is that a huge majority the software engineers in the Bay Area are making less than half those numbers. If you value pre-IPO options at the proper discount, I would guess a majority make less than $250k. That’s a high total compensation, to be sure, but, given the cost of living, and the value a good engineer can create, it’s not absurd. Full disclosure: I work at a public company (not FAANG) and my TC is under $250k.