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I realize California is very expensive cost-of-living compared to the Midwest, but as a developer in Michigan I'm shaking my head at these salaries. The low end
by headcanon 7y ago
I realize California is very expensive cost-of-living compared to the Midwest, but as a developer in Michigan I'm shaking my head at these salaries. The low end in Cali is high end here. Best I could hope for in Michigan even as senior is mid-100's. the highest number I've ever seen thrown around from recruiters was about $170k base, and pretty sure that was close to VP level. Can't complain about the low housing costs though.
- aluminussoma 7y agoThings have gotten crazy here but this information is useful even for experienced hires. A few years ago, I did not realize that new grads at companies were being paid more than I was! I switched companies to fix that. Yes, most of my check still goes towards rent but at least I have a little bit more left over to plan for the future.
- shredprez 7y ago> A few years ago, I did not realize that new grads at companies were being paid more than I was! I switched companies to fix that. To everyone chiming in with how wild the salaries are, this is really the point. If you're doing competent work for less than the local market average, you're paying your company for the "opportunity" to keep working with them. Sometimes that's the right call for both parties. Most times it's not, and OP's transparency helps workers protect themselves from exploitation.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- vonmoltke 7y agoI more than tripled my total comp in three years by leaving Dallas for NYC.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- Vadoff 7y agoGoogle and Amazon are in Austin and maybe Dallas, and pay pretty well.
- mattwad 7y agoYou probably tripled your living costs and taxes too. I also moved from Dallas to NYC, so can't argue, but it's not apples to apples.
- 7y ago
- sytelus 7y agoThe difference is whether your company produces software as a product or uses software for a product. In the later case, you are working in a typical IT department which is just supporting the main ship, important but only as essential as other non-IT departments and often strapped of budgets for cost savings. The main ship itself has a very different culture, typically not very ambitious growth or revenue expectations. So comps are not really comparable in these two worlds.
- headcanon 7y agoDefinitely - I've always chosen companies where I would be working on the money-making product, not in a cost center. Cost-center software devs around here in enterprise-land are lucky to break $100k.
- Vadoff 7y ago>was about $170k base, and pretty sure that was close to VP level You have to keep in mind that these are salaries for the largest tech companies in the world, it's not just about being in California. For comparison, being a VP at Google/Facebook equates to salaries with multi-million dollar bonuses and ridiculous equity packages.
- kyllo 7y ago$170k is top-end for base salary at most tech companies, though--past that point the increases in total comp are all from stocks and bonuses, which are tied to your performance review. And yeah, a $200K house in Michigan is probably about a $2M house in the Bay Area.
- xyzzy_plugh 7y agoThat is not the top end. Many senior engineers make north of 200k cash salary at non-FAANG corps in the bay area, and of course FAANG engineers are in that ballpark too.
- segmondy 7y agoNo it's not. You're comparing State to City. A $2M house in Bay Area is a $700k house in Detroit Metro area.
- brailsafe 7y agoI'd believe the parent, but have a different example. The difference between Toronto or Vancouver and Winnipeg. Vancouver you're looking at 1.5m at the low end and 300k in A Winnipeg for a nice one level. $600k in Van for a 1 bdr condo in the suburbs. Not to say I'd take the trade, but comparison is crazy
- bradlys 7y agoI'm not sure where you're getting that notion? Maybe if you're comparing a $2M home in east bay? In the peninsula, a $2M home just gets you a decent neighborhood. The home itself is meh. House I'm in has never been updated and is from the 1930's. It's about $1.7m. 1000sqft with 400sqft in-law unit. 4000sqft lot. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2833-Tramanto-Dr-San-Carlos-CA-94070/15557620_zpid/ https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2833-Tramanto-Dr-San-Carl... (San Carlos - under the radar suburb in the bay area) https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/811-Longfellow-St-Detroit-MI-48202/88192445_zpid/ https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/811-Longfellow-St-Detroit... (Second most expensive home between 2k-2.7k square feet in detroit)
- 7y ago
- tdowns 7y agoAmazon has an office in Detroit with 100s of SDEs.
- throwawayjava 7y ago170k base is high. Ive seen 3/4 million salaries with bases that didn't get over 200. Stock and signing/perf bonus accounts for anything over 130 or so for a new grad.
- segmondy 7y agoI'm in Michigan, I didn't even know seniors can hit mid 100's? really? Where?
- johnmaguire2013 7y agoIn Ann Arbor, this is definitely possible. I would be surprised if Senior Software Engineers at Duo were not making mid-100's.
- headcanon 7y agopretty much all the recruiters that have hit me up for senior dev positions in SE Michigan have thrown out $125-175 or so, and the salary websites I've looked up have estimated similar amounts for > 5y experience at senior level. Above $140 or so you'll have to hustle a bit and negotiate though, most likely.