4 ms·

Juniors definitely don't make ~250k. Mid level, maybe. Senior, definitely.

nphard85 7y ago
Some junior engineers do (most don't). There was this thread from a while ago [0] where someone negotiated a 300k offer. I believe they were a new/recent grad. Most of the time it's due to having some leverage (multiple FAANG+ offers). [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19057514 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19057514
novok 7y ago
If your not incompetent, its pretty much guaranteed you will reach sr in 5-8 years. It's the levels after sr that are the hard part.
- shawndumas 7y ago
  L4 to L5 is no cakewalk. you have to be rock solid in the core SWE disciplines and have excellent communication, organization skills, and very good leadership skills too. looking at the stats, promoted as a % of total for L4 to L5 just makes it into the double digits and only a little over a quarter of all SWEs are L5. the SWE ladder requires/expects for an L3 to get to L4 by makes no such requirement to ever get to L5.
  - novok 7y ago
    That is why you don't play the promo game and get promoted via interviews at other companies. When you reach staff, that is usually when you have to practically start playing promo games. Not everywhere is google with their slow promo processes. Also career and personal skill wise, it's good to see how other companies work. Pay is in many ways determined by your negotiation skills, and that is empowered by creating better BATNAs via interview skill.
Google234 7y ago
L3 won't, but L4 at Google will easily. And you can get promoted from L3 to L4 in a year in ideal circumstances.
- fsociety 7y ago
  Actually with another FAANG offer L3 can pull that salary if they compete hard enough
  - vonmoltke 7y ago
    Meanwhile, I got an L4 offer from Google last year that was below that.
  - Google234 7y ago
    Well, Amazon and MSFT will not provide offers for new grads that will even match the entry level Google offer. So that leaves FB who isn't paying new grads as much as they used to. There aren't too many companies that will give offers that will allow you to negotiate to 250 which is really high.

Some junior engineers do (most don't). There was this thread from a while ago [0] where someone negotiated a 300k offer. I believe they were a new/recent grad. Most of the time it's due to having some leverage (multiple FAANG+ offers). [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19057514 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19057514

novok 7y ago

If your not incompetent, its pretty much guaranteed you will reach sr in 5-8 years. It's the levels after sr that are the hard part.

shawndumas 7y ago
L4 to L5 is no cakewalk. you have to be rock solid in the core SWE disciplines and have excellent communication, organization skills, and very good leadership skills too. looking at the stats, promoted as a % of total for L4 to L5 just makes it into the double digits and only a little over a quarter of all SWEs are L5. the SWE ladder requires/expects for an L3 to get to L4 by makes no such requirement to ever get to L5.
- novok 7y ago
  That is why you don't play the promo game and get promoted via interviews at other companies. When you reach staff, that is usually when you have to practically start playing promo games. Not everywhere is google with their slow promo processes. Also career and personal skill wise, it's good to see how other companies work. Pay is in many ways determined by your negotiation skills, and that is empowered by creating better BATNAs via interview skill.

Google234 7y ago

L3 won't, but L4 at Google will easily. And you can get promoted from L3 to L4 in a year in ideal circumstances.

fsociety 7y ago
Actually with another FAANG offer L3 can pull that salary if they compete hard enough
- vonmoltke 7y ago
  Meanwhile, I got an L4 offer from Google last year that was below that.
- Google234 7y ago
  Well, Amazon and MSFT will not provide offers for new grads that will even match the entry level Google offer. So that leaves FB who isn't paying new grads as much as they used to. There aren't too many companies that will give offers that will allow you to negotiate to 250 which is really high.