They pay quite well if you measure that by how many hours of work you must do to pay a mortgage on a nice home. This is because: 1. It's typically a 40-hour we

They pay quite well if you measure that by how many hours of work you must do to pay a mortgage on a nice home. This is because: 1. It's typically a 40-hour week. They legally can't make you work 48 or more without paying overtime, and many will start paying overtime after 40. 2. You don't have to live in an expensive place like San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, or New York City. The worst cases are usually the DC area and San Diego, but typical locations are far cheaper. Instead of $2,000,000 for a house, you might pay $120,000 for a better house. Everything around you is cheaper too, from food to electricity. Gasoline is half the cost. The choice is pretty clear if you hope to raise a family.