A lot of the pay inflation in recent years comes from inflated stock values; cash comp at big companies tends to plateau after 200k and a larger portion of your

A lot of the pay inflation in recent years comes from inflated stock values; cash comp at big companies tends to plateau after 200k and a larger portion of your comp is in stock. Hot stock market + stacked refreshers calculated from previous lower values = programmers making $1m a year temporarily, but it doesn't last; new refreshers will be calculated at market highs, and when the market inevitably recedes, the stacking effect works in the opposite manner. On the plus side, the techtok trend died a quick and ignoble death.