99% of the time if you work almost anywhere in the core business of software in Calfornia or the US you will never see a dime in overtime pay. I don't think to

99% of the time if you work almost anywhere in the core business of software in Calfornia or the US you will never see a dime in overtime pay. I don't think too many folks consider overtime pay but when/if you have friends or family who are lucky enough to be in a profession where overtime is granted you'll realize that we are missing out a bit in our profession on this one. (Granted there are many other exempt professions as well.) After getting run through a few death marches over the years, I now work 9-5, politely decline pressure to stay late, and go home being that I'm not paid overtime to stay. (Note that I don't work for a startup and am trying to moonlight so those free hours matter a lot to me) Ive also learned that pressure to stay all the time is usually an indicator that something is going wrong in the business.