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I have had NASA tell me the max pay for a security engineer is $40k. I had to question if perhaps the job was for a security guard at one of their sites or some

by _8j50 4y ago

I have had NASA tell me the max pay for a security engineer is $40k. I had to question if perhaps the job was for a security guard at one of their sites or something.

ForHackernews 4y ago
I mean, it's fucking NASA. I'd probably work there for free just to be able to say I'd done it. "Oh, you got a lot of RSUs for your social media click-tracking? That's nice. I helped bullseye an asteroid 9.6 million km away, potentially saving every life on Earth. But yeah, that new infinite scroll is cool, too."
- _Wintermute 4y ago
  It's nice to imagine when you're not the one worrying about paying rent. I work in an interesting area (bioinformatics research) and as expected the pay is pretty dire to match. You do get the warm fuzzies now and again when strangers ask about your job, but the rest of the time is spent wondering if you should move into fintech so you don't have to worry about grocery prices.
  - ForHackernews 4y ago
    Fair, but I'm also sick of hearing Facegoogs whining on this app (and Blind, and elsewhere) about how they're only barely scraping by on $250k and how could anyone ever live on $100k poverty wages. They have to do adtech to survive, don't you see?
    - _8j50 4y ago
      250k in the bay area with family is ok but it isn't great. You can live on it but people want nice houses and schools for their kids,etc... so I get where they're coming from. Even for the single people they wanna retire early or whatever. Everyone has different goals I guess
      - ForHackernews 4y ago
        " but people want nice houses and schools for their kids,etc... Where they're coming from is greed. We don't need to indulge this nonsense. What if I told you I'm barely scraping by on $5 million TC because hey, do you know how much private jets cost? I can't even buy one outright, you know? I have to lease mine on a time share. It's absolutely embarrassing. My kids get made fun of when I drop them off in Geneva for their ski trip with a rented jet.
        _8j50 4y ago
        > Where they're coming from is greed Is it? I think having more money than you can spend might be greed but simply getting the best things for yourself isn't. Being rich and being greedy are not the same thing. No problem with having all your needs met. As of like 3-5yrs ago, you needed $7mil to be rich in the US. If you live off 50k/yr you need 35yrs to save up 7mil (without talking about inflation or bay area cost of living). I can see calling billionaires or even people with 10M+ just sitting their in their portfolio and assets greedy but this isn't the 90s, 250k is a lot but not in the bay area in 2023, it would be middle-middle class income, you need 150k more as a household income imo to be anywhere near upper middle class im costal cali. As for your last paragraph? So what? Do you know what you sound like to someone in africa who lost 3 kids to starvation and has never slept on a bed or eaten meat in years and lost family to preventable disease because the nearest medical care is days away and they have to carry clean water in a bucket from a dirty drying river a dozen miles away everyday? Flipping burgers at mcdonalds is rich for that guy. Also you mentioned being made of and embarrasing. That's not what I mean, I mean actual best schools and colleges. Safe neighborhoods and good houses with a large enough backyard for kids to play around in and have large pets. Affording good healthcare without relying on insurance claims being approved. Buying your parents and spouses' parents their own place and affording their healthcare. Even in the 90s middleclass families afforded yearly vacations and once every few years international vacation. Not having to burden your kids financially in case you get sick or when you get old. Heck, half marriages end because of money, improving those odds too. Kids not being forced to join the military to pay for college,etc... I think perhaps you still have a 90s or pre 08 idea of how far money goes. You're not skiing in geneva with your family with 250k lol.
- _8j50 4y ago
  If it was the NSA I'd agree with you but NASA?? Their not famous for their infosec lol, I prefer actual wages.
  - ForHackernews 4y ago
    https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2017/11/04/the-janitor-who-help-put-a-man-on-the-moon/ https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2017/11/04/the-janitor-who-...
    - _8j50 4y ago
      Are you saying you would rather be that janitor than make decent money to support yourself/family? If so, by all means. I don't think most people agree with you though. Or maybe they do, what do I know.
      - ForHackernews 4y ago
        I'm saying everyone who works at NASA, from the infosec people to the people scrubbing the floor contributes to the mission. Lots of worthless startups blather on about their "mission" (~~organize the world's info~~ sell more ads) but NASA means it.

by _8j50 4y ago

I have had NASA tell me the max pay for a security engineer is $40k. I had to question if perhaps the job was for a security guard at one of their sites or something.

ForHackernews 4y ago

I mean, it's fucking NASA. I'd probably work there for free just to be able to say I'd done it. "Oh, you got a lot of RSUs for your social media click-tracking? That's nice. I helped bullseye an asteroid 9.6 million km away, potentially saving every life on Earth. But yeah, that new infinite scroll is cool, too."

_Wintermute 4y ago
It's nice to imagine when you're not the one worrying about paying rent. I work in an interesting area (bioinformatics research) and as expected the pay is pretty dire to match. You do get the warm fuzzies now and again when strangers ask about your job, but the rest of the time is spent wondering if you should move into fintech so you don't have to worry about grocery prices.
- ForHackernews 4y ago
  Fair, but I'm also sick of hearing Facegoogs whining on this app (and Blind, and elsewhere) about how they're only barely scraping by on $250k and how could anyone ever live on $100k poverty wages. They have to do adtech to survive, don't you see?
  - _8j50 4y ago
    250k in the bay area with family is ok but it isn't great. You can live on it but people want nice houses and schools for their kids,etc... so I get where they're coming from. Even for the single people they wanna retire early or whatever. Everyone has different goals I guess
    - ForHackernews 4y ago
      " but people want nice houses and schools for their kids,etc... Where they're coming from is greed. We don't need to indulge this nonsense. What if I told you I'm barely scraping by on $5 million TC because hey, do you know how much private jets cost? I can't even buy one outright, you know? I have to lease mine on a time share. It's absolutely embarrassing. My kids get made fun of when I drop them off in Geneva for their ski trip with a rented jet.
      - _8j50 4y ago
        > Where they're coming from is greed Is it? I think having more money than you can spend might be greed but simply getting the best things for yourself isn't. Being rich and being greedy are not the same thing. No problem with having all your needs met. As of like 3-5yrs ago, you needed $7mil to be rich in the US. If you live off 50k/yr you need 35yrs to save up 7mil (without talking about inflation or bay area cost of living). I can see calling billionaires or even people with 10M+ just sitting their in their portfolio and assets greedy but this isn't the 90s, 250k is a lot but not in the bay area in 2023, it would be middle-middle class income, you need 150k more as a household income imo to be anywhere near upper middle class im costal cali. As for your last paragraph? So what? Do you know what you sound like to someone in africa who lost 3 kids to starvation and has never slept on a bed or eaten meat in years and lost family to preventable disease because the nearest medical care is days away and they have to carry clean water in a bucket from a dirty drying river a dozen miles away everyday? Flipping burgers at mcdonalds is rich for that guy. Also you mentioned being made of and embarrasing. That's not what I mean, I mean actual best schools and colleges. Safe neighborhoods and good houses with a large enough backyard for kids to play around in and have large pets. Affording good healthcare without relying on insurance claims being approved. Buying your parents and spouses' parents their own place and affording their healthcare. Even in the 90s middleclass families afforded yearly vacations and once every few years international vacation. Not having to burden your kids financially in case you get sick or when you get old. Heck, half marriages end because of money, improving those odds too. Kids not being forced to join the military to pay for college,etc... I think perhaps you still have a 90s or pre 08 idea of how far money goes. You're not skiing in geneva with your family with 250k lol.
_8j50 4y ago
If it was the NSA I'd agree with you but NASA?? Their not famous for their infosec lol, I prefer actual wages.
- ForHackernews 4y ago
  https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2017/11/04/the-janitor-who-help-put-a-man-on-the-moon/ https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2017/11/04/the-janitor-who-...
  - _8j50 4y ago
    Are you saying you would rather be that janitor than make decent money to support yourself/family? If so, by all means. I don't think most people agree with you though. Or maybe they do, what do I know.
    - ForHackernews 4y ago
      I'm saying everyone who works at NASA, from the infosec people to the people scrubbing the floor contributes to the mission. Lots of worthless startups blather on about their "mission" (~~organize the world's info~~ sell more ads) but NASA means it.