3 ms·
Top tech talent, even in software, weren’t making the kind of money they are today. Top new grads going to the hottest employers could hope to make $50,000 all
by bradleyjg 6y ago
Top tech talent, even in software, weren’t making the kind of money they are today. Top new grads going to the hottest employers could hope to make $50,000 all in (not counting stock options paying off down the road). $100,000 in guaranteed comp was all but unheard of for ICs. Programming was not yet at the doctor/lawyer level, much less the banker one.
That started to change in the dotcom frenzy but that was still a couple of years away at that point.
- icedchai 6y agoYep, my first year out of college (1998) I was making 50K at a local public tech company. Anyone in tech would laugh at that nowadays, but that was considered a "good" starting salary.
- harryh 6y agoWhen I started at Microsoft in 2000 I believe my initial salary was 62k just as another reference plus some stock options (honestly I can't remember the details of that part). This was a very good comp package for a new college grad.
- throwaway123467 6y ago> Anyone in tech would laugh at that nowadays There was a reset between then and now: The Great Recession around 2008. Starting salaries were below 50K, and I was really surprised when a few years later I got an offer at that amount (also right out of college) - I remember looking around for what to expect, and it was more like 35K.
- dougabug 6y agoI wonder to what extent the private “no poaching agreements” between major tech companies held down SW Engineer compensation.
- dboreham 6y agoIt started to change when the salary cartel was busted.