(Obvious throwaway ;-)) I live & work in one of these cities and have my entire career. I currently work in a midsized tech company but my experiences and num

(Obvious throwaway ;-)) I live & work in one of these cities and have my entire career. I currently work in a midsized tech company but my experiences and numbers hold with my previous work at a non-tech enterprise. In general, the numbers I see: * Individual contributor salaries range from 80k to 120k, with a bonus structure from 6%-8% annually. * Upper-tier ICs and people managers tend to be around 110k-145k with 8-10% bonuses Currently as a principal engineer I make ~$165k with a 12% annual bonus target. Previously as an enterprise architect I was on around ~$155k with a 15% bonus. A friend at a senior director level is around $185k and I'm not sure about the bonus but I know it is 15%+. There are a variety of tech companies in the area, but many jobs are tech jobs at a "non-tech company": banking, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing. Even then, don't underestimate the size and scope of what is done; my last job had an IT department of around 200 and was responsible for running a ton of complex systems. You'll probably skew towards midsized companies to large enterprises. While there are some regional startup incubators you just don't have the same access to capital that you do in the Bay area. It's ludicrously affordable to live here: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/43-Fairfield-Way_San-Francisco_CA_94127_M25597-76882 https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/43-Fairfie... I could find a similar home for around $75k. There's plenty of cultural activities, dining, nightlife - I couldn't be happier. The biggest risk is likely the limited amount of "slots at the top": there are probably at most a few dozen top-tier positions to fill in this market, so job changes have to be carefully considered and planned.