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If you're well credentialed, tech-smart, greedy, and morally bankrupt, it's probably more lucrative to work for Google than the NSA.
by Mizza 7y ago
If you're well credentialed, tech-smart, greedy, and morally bankrupt, it's probably more lucrative to work for Google than the NSA.
- chronic37203 7y ago> If you're well credentialed, tech-smart, greedy, and morally bankrupt, it's probably more lucrative to work for Google than the NSA. Can confirm. Went to MIT for EECS. Lots of us went to Google or trading companies.
- rcchyssser 7y agoBest thing ever said on HN.
- gambiting 7y agoYep. GCHQ was recruiting on our CS course and the starting pay they offered was within £30-35k range. Working for literally any IT company in the region would pay more. (obviously there are perks working for the government that the private industry cannot match, so for some people lower pay is acceptable)
- 13of40 7y agoNot only that, but the senior technical role they hire for, Lead Software Engineer, maxes out at £56,984. I know a handful of people who've gone from GCHQ to my company, and they seem satisfied with forgoing the government pension in exchange for tripling their salary.
- jarbhuntah 7y agowhere in the uk can i make 170k as a software engineer? or even 110k?
- C1sc0cat 7y agoThe City as a contractor
- neuronic 7y agoDon't forget the (massive) tax benefits as government employee. To get the same net amount at the end of the month, in Germany you would have to make several thousand € more per year in the private sector. In the end, you are still right but it's still a factor.
- peteretep 7y ago> Don't forget the (massive) tax benefits as government employee. I’m lost, what are those in the UK?
- C1sc0cat 7y agoOnly a career average DB pension now though :-(
- C1sc0cat 7y agoI think the problem is that the civil service / defence industry think that technical "boffins" are some sort of cheery working class NCO who will work for tuppence ha'penny. the type who be played in the films by Normal Wisdom or George Formby "mr Oldfield, that Kims a wrong un - I saw him taking money from the from the orphans fund" M " I know lad I know"
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- cs02rm0 7y agoIt's probably more lucrative to work for the NSA then Google.
- uurrnn 7y agoWhy do you think that? It's typically more lucrative to work private.
- segmondy 7y agoNo it's not
- nostalgk 7y agoNot in good faith, at least.
- IceWreck 7y agoIts still a govt. organization and pay scales are capped.
- cs02rm0 7y agoI'm (still, despite the downvoting) suggesting one which I believe to offer a better route to gain experience, then the other which it seems everyone agrees generally pays better but perhaps more so in experienced roles.
- lohszvu 7y agoNSA has very low pay compared to any private company.