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* 2018 $1,155,000 * 2017 $1,259,000 Senior Staff Software Engineer * 2016 $661,000 time off 2015 $1,543,000 * 2014 $1,465,000 * 2013 $1,241,000

* 2018 $1,155,000 * 2017 $1,259,000 Senior Staff Software Engineer * 2016 $661,000 time off 2015 $1,543,000 * 2014 $1,465,000 * 2013 $1,241,000 * 2012 $876,000 Threatened to quit, got a bunch of stock * 2011 $368,000 * 2010 $318,000 * 2009 $244,000 * 2008 $192,000 Staff Software Engineer * 2007 $167,000 * 2006 $165,000 * 2005 $157,000 Senior Softare Engineer, Norcal * 2004 $246,000 stock sale 2003 $80,000 * 2002 $76,000 Software Engineer II * 2001 $102,000 * 2000 $59,000 * 1999 $55,000 Software Engineer, Northern VA

minhaz23 8y ago
Still in VA? Is it typical for senior SWE to make 1.2 million? How can one reach that point faster?
- salta2019 8y ago
  Says he moved to NorCal in 2005. I’d wager this is not typical, even for the Bay Area.
- throwaway031419 8y ago
  Staff Engineers at FAANG typically make 400-500k/pa. What made the difference was a retention grant. I got a competing offer and they gave me millions in stock, which I accepted and stayed. After I was fully vested, I basically got lucky and found another big company that had a department that was doing some pretty undisciplined hiring and brought me in at Senior Staff. I'm not really doing the job at that level, but they don't want me to leave, so we're in stasis. After the initial grant runs out this will stabilize at ~700k. I don't know how to repeat what I did. I think retention grants are rarer than they used to be. However, once you get to Staff, you have a lot of negotiating leverage. I received multiple offers with initial grants over 2 million. Build relationships, progress your career, get good at whiteboard interviews, and change jobs more often to make progress.
  - bitcoinmoney 8y ago
    How often you changed jobs? And what kind of work do you do?
    - throwaway031419 8y ago
      I've only changed jobs three times. I should have changed a lot more. I do iOS dev these days.
  - jonnycoder 8y ago
    Any advice on changing jobs faster in Cal but not bay area? For example, remote positions?
  - minhaz23 8y ago
    Do you think it's possible and that your advice is still applicable if one doesn't have a degree? Is there a glass ceiling?
burlesona 8y ago
Woah. I’m assuming this comp is mostly stock but wow this still seems insanely high. I suppose “threatened to quit” is the key here?
throwaway031423 8y ago
Here's mine. Bay Area the entire time, and similar promotion history. Based on pretax W2 (hence, including all cash bonuses and stocks/options): 1999 65K 2000 86K 2001 90K 2002 107K 2003 101K 2004 110K 2005 117K 2006 166K 2007 223K 2008 226K 2009 256K 2010 269K 2011 310K 2012 356K 2013 588K 2014 518K 2015 532K 2016 792K 2017 1118K 2018 1278K I think your retention stock made the biggest difference compared to mine. Maybe it's time for me to try threatening to quit :D

minhaz23 8y ago

Still in VA? Is it typical for senior SWE to make 1.2 million? How can one reach that point faster?

salta2019 8y ago
Says he moved to NorCal in 2005. I’d wager this is not typical, even for the Bay Area.
throwaway031419 8y ago
Staff Engineers at FAANG typically make 400-500k/pa. What made the difference was a retention grant. I got a competing offer and they gave me millions in stock, which I accepted and stayed. After I was fully vested, I basically got lucky and found another big company that had a department that was doing some pretty undisciplined hiring and brought me in at Senior Staff. I'm not really doing the job at that level, but they don't want me to leave, so we're in stasis. After the initial grant runs out this will stabilize at ~700k. I don't know how to repeat what I did. I think retention grants are rarer than they used to be. However, once you get to Staff, you have a lot of negotiating leverage. I received multiple offers with initial grants over 2 million. Build relationships, progress your career, get good at whiteboard interviews, and change jobs more often to make progress.
- bitcoinmoney 8y ago
  How often you changed jobs? And what kind of work do you do?
  - throwaway031419 8y ago
    I've only changed jobs three times. I should have changed a lot more. I do iOS dev these days.
- jonnycoder 8y ago
  Any advice on changing jobs faster in Cal but not bay area? For example, remote positions?
- minhaz23 8y ago
  Do you think it's possible and that your advice is still applicable if one doesn't have a degree? Is there a glass ceiling?

burlesona 8y ago

Woah. I’m assuming this comp is mostly stock but wow this still seems insanely high. I suppose “threatened to quit” is the key here?

throwaway031423 8y ago

Here's mine. Bay Area the entire time, and similar promotion history. Based on pretax W2 (hence, including all cash bonuses and stocks/options): 1999 65K 2000 86K 2001 90K 2002 107K 2003 101K 2004 110K 2005 117K 2006 166K 2007 223K 2008 226K 2009 256K 2010 269K 2011 310K 2012 356K 2013 588K 2014 518K 2015 532K 2016 792K 2017 1118K 2018 1278K I think your retention stock made the biggest difference compared to mine. Maybe it's time for me to try threatening to quit :D