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>It makes me feel bad how many people see these figures and immediately start trying to find ways to rationalize why they must be overstated. Some of the numbe

>It makes me feel bad how many people see these figures and immediately start trying to find ways to rationalize why they must be overstated. Some of the numbers can be hard to comprehend... for example, tech salaries weren't great until about the last decade. And, it used to be that the eye-popping numbers were not for everybody, and certainly not for entry-level / new-grads. Heck, just the amount of transparency in compensation available now was completely foreign when I started my career. Likewise, what's interesting is that in our always connected digital world, location still matters. Thus, for someone not working at a FAANG and not in specific geographic locations, these numbers are other-worldly.

crispyambulance 7y ago
> for someone not working at a FAANG and not in specific geographic locations, these numbers are other-worldly. Yes. other-worldly is a good word for it. It's not so much that people don't believe these numbers, I think. It's more of a sense of disappointment and feeling left out. So many experienced professionals work their whole adult lives and end up maxing out at only a 1/10th of the compensation of a "principal" at a FAANG in Silicon Valley.
- jcadam 7y ago
  And the last few years I've taken to blowing off recruiters from SV (including FAANG companies). I'm earning very good money for a software engineer where I live, but... dang, "other-worldly" is a good term for the money you people make. OTOH, being forced to live in California is a huge downside to any FAANG job (for me, anyway).
  - exclipy 7y ago
    We need to cut the myth that these salaries only exist in Silicon Valley. Seattle and NYC also offer otherworldly packages. Google (and probably other FAANGs) also pay extremely well in Boston, Los Angeles, Boulder, Chicago, Austin and Zurich/Switzerland.
    - poulsbohemian 7y ago
      Yes - but try Des Moines or Missoula or Boise or even Portland, OR (a growing tech hub) and these salary levels are hard to hit. And, outside of the FAANGs the salaries are a step down just about everywhere.
      - exclipy 7y ago
        Was just responding to the "being forced to live in California" comment.
  - fletchowns 7y ago
    > being forced to live in California is a huge downside to any FAANG job (for me, anyway) You must not like being able to go snowboarding on a Saturday and surfing on a Sunday :)

crispyambulance 7y ago

> for someone not working at a FAANG and not in specific geographic locations, these numbers are other-worldly. Yes. other-worldly is a good word for it. It's not so much that people don't believe these numbers, I think. It's more of a sense of disappointment and feeling left out. So many experienced professionals work their whole adult lives and end up maxing out at only a 1/10th of the compensation of a "principal" at a FAANG in Silicon Valley.

jcadam 7y ago
And the last few years I've taken to blowing off recruiters from SV (including FAANG companies). I'm earning very good money for a software engineer where I live, but... dang, "other-worldly" is a good term for the money you people make. OTOH, being forced to live in California is a huge downside to any FAANG job (for me, anyway).
- exclipy 7y ago
  We need to cut the myth that these salaries only exist in Silicon Valley. Seattle and NYC also offer otherworldly packages. Google (and probably other FAANGs) also pay extremely well in Boston, Los Angeles, Boulder, Chicago, Austin and Zurich/Switzerland.
  - poulsbohemian 7y ago
    Yes - but try Des Moines or Missoula or Boise or even Portland, OR (a growing tech hub) and these salary levels are hard to hit. And, outside of the FAANGs the salaries are a step down just about everywhere.
    - exclipy 7y ago
      Was just responding to the "being forced to live in California" comment.
- fletchowns 7y ago
  > being forced to live in California is a huge downside to any FAANG job (for me, anyway) You must not like being able to go snowboarding on a Saturday and surfing on a Sunday :)