6 ms·

That person could probably be making 500k+ at a FANG with less variance in the stock component.

by QIYGT 3y ago

moralestapia 3y ago
I read this here and there and don't doubt it, but then again I've never seen/met anyone IRL (outside of C-level) making this much money as an employee. Are they just extremely rare cases or am I just not aware of the valley and their customs?
- johnmyleswhite 3y ago
  Have you met any IC8+/D1+ working for Meta in the US?
  - moralestapia 3y ago
    Honestly, no. I mainly hang out w/ people from Europe and random parts of the States (like MA, they're paid good but not THAT good). Dumb question maybe, but now I'm curious. What does it really take to land a job like this one? Luck? Your network? Experience? All of it?
    - lumost 3y ago
      Mix of the above. It’s not dissimilar to investment banking or other highly compensated field. You need to get to the top of the top firms. The top of the top comes from the population of peer companies. The population of peer companies come from the population of lesser peers and top schools. It’s not as easy as some posters make it sound, but it’s still on the order of 20-50k engineers. If you wonder why these firms move faster than the rest of the industry, this is a major contributor.
    - sangnoir 3y ago
      Luck, experience, and lots of Leetcode. Networking can get you a referral for an interview, but you definitely need the former.
- derwiki 3y ago
  Before the pay cuts, staff at Lyft was making above 500k
- deanmoriarty 3y ago
  I believe you are just not aware. C-Level folks make many millions a year, either liquid or paper. I am at FAANG and virtually everyone at L6 (staff Eng level, many thousands of people) is paid at least $500k, with monthly liquidity (no cliff). With a bit of luck stock wise, it’s also not uncommon at all to get to $500k+ at L5 (senior eng level, many dozens of thousands of people). Everyone in my SF network (hundreds of people) virtually make above $500k.
  - moralestapia 3y ago
    >Everyone in my SF network (hundreds of people) virtually make above $500k. Wow, great to hear that. Do you know of any "outsiders" (people not living in the valley, working remotely) making that much money as well?
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      I know plenty of people in my department at BigTech - cloud consulting - working remotely who are making $350K+ a year in senior position. There are also people working in the office making that much as software developers working in Nashville, the DC suburbs, Dallas, etc.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - tayo42 3y ago
    Recently? That's wild. Work 4 or 5 years and retire lol
    - deanmoriarty 3y ago
      Yes, recently. That has basically been my strategy. After a bit more than a decade of working in the Bay Area, immigrating from Europe, I accumulated $4M in liquid net worth invested in fairly diversified assets, so I’ll be pulling the plug not too far into the future, and retire in Europe. I still cannot believe that these opportunities exist: in my own country, doing the exact same job I’ve been doing, I would probably have less than €200k saved up. I understand that people’s circumstances are incredibly different, but to the extent that one is willing to go through the discomfort of uprooting their lives, spending a few years in the Bay Area and making a lot of money is a no brainer arbitrage opportunity that is still wide open IMHO.
- bushbaba 3y ago
  See levels.fyi 500-900k comp For an IC isn’t that unheard of at FANG.
- 908B64B197 3y ago
  > Are they just extremely rare cases or am I just not aware of the valley and their customs? Not aware. That's not unusual compensation for key contributors. Especially in AI or other niche fields. Even outside the valley. We acquired something a while back in Montreal, Canada and it sure wasn't cheap. Salaries were in the same ballpark as our positions in the valley. We actually got most of the team to relocate to California on O-1s but still have some guys over there.
- nexus2045 3y ago
  No this is not rare at all. Meta offers E5 ("senior" level) new hires a 400-500k total package in the US (given that you negotiate, I know the levels.fyi numbers are a bit lower), and this isn't some exception. If your performance is good and/or stock appreciation happens, then that number goes even higher. I'm a very average engineer (probably way below average amongst the HN crowd) and I'm in that range.
  - foogazi 3y ago
    > If your performance is good and/or stock appreciation happens Stock appreciation is the key + performance for sticking around
- occamsrazorwit 3y ago
  I think there's a few other factors that impact visibility. * The Bay Area is a place where you can make $100k a year and be classified as low-income [1]. * Tech employees tend to live low-key lifestyles that don't really show how much they're making. I know people who make $500k and still live with roommates. * Income inequality and progressive politics combine to make people less reluctant to talk about their TC packages, unless you're also at a similar socio-economic level. [1] https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/under-100k-low-income-san-francisco-18168899.php https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/under-100k-low-income-s...
- glimshe 3y ago
  You are not aware. I have many personal friends, Engineers, making 600K+. These are old friends who have no reason to lie. I know a senior engineer who manages a small team who had a lucky take-home of over a million in a good year.

That person could probably be making 500k+ at a FANG with less variance in the stock component.

by QIYGT 3y ago

That person could probably be making 500k+ at a FANG with less variance in the stock component.

I read this here and there and don't doubt it, but then again I've never seen/met anyone IRL (outside of C-level) making this much money as an employee. Are they just extremely rare cases or am I just not aware of the valley and their customs?

johnmyleswhite 3y ago
Have you met any IC8+/D1+ working for Meta in the US?
- moralestapia 3y ago
  Honestly, no. I mainly hang out w/ people from Europe and random parts of the States (like MA, they're paid good but not THAT good). Dumb question maybe, but now I'm curious. What does it really take to land a job like this one? Luck? Your network? Experience? All of it?
  - lumost 3y ago
    Mix of the above. It’s not dissimilar to investment banking or other highly compensated field. You need to get to the top of the top firms. The top of the top comes from the population of peer companies. The population of peer companies come from the population of lesser peers and top schools. It’s not as easy as some posters make it sound, but it’s still on the order of 20-50k engineers. If you wonder why these firms move faster than the rest of the industry, this is a major contributor.
  - sangnoir 3y ago
    Luck, experience, and lots of Leetcode. Networking can get you a referral for an interview, but you definitely need the former.
derwiki 3y ago
Before the pay cuts, staff at Lyft was making above 500k
deanmoriarty 3y ago
I believe you are just not aware. C-Level folks make many millions a year, either liquid or paper. I am at FAANG and virtually everyone at L6 (staff Eng level, many thousands of people) is paid at least $500k, with monthly liquidity (no cliff). With a bit of luck stock wise, it’s also not uncommon at all to get to $500k+ at L5 (senior eng level, many dozens of thousands of people). Everyone in my SF network (hundreds of people) virtually make above $500k.
- moralestapia 3y ago
  >Everyone in my SF network (hundreds of people) virtually make above $500k. Wow, great to hear that. Do you know of any "outsiders" (people not living in the valley, working remotely) making that much money as well?
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    I know plenty of people in my department at BigTech - cloud consulting - working remotely who are making $350K+ a year in senior position. There are also people working in the office making that much as software developers working in Nashville, the DC suburbs, Dallas, etc.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- tayo42 3y ago
  Recently? That's wild. Work 4 or 5 years and retire lol
  - deanmoriarty 3y ago
    Yes, recently. That has basically been my strategy. After a bit more than a decade of working in the Bay Area, immigrating from Europe, I accumulated $4M in liquid net worth invested in fairly diversified assets, so I’ll be pulling the plug not too far into the future, and retire in Europe. I still cannot believe that these opportunities exist: in my own country, doing the exact same job I’ve been doing, I would probably have less than €200k saved up. I understand that people’s circumstances are incredibly different, but to the extent that one is willing to go through the discomfort of uprooting their lives, spending a few years in the Bay Area and making a lot of money is a no brainer arbitrage opportunity that is still wide open IMHO.
bushbaba 3y ago
See levels.fyi 500-900k comp For an IC isn’t that unheard of at FANG.
908B64B197 3y ago
> Are they just extremely rare cases or am I just not aware of the valley and their customs? Not aware. That's not unusual compensation for key contributors. Especially in AI or other niche fields. Even outside the valley. We acquired something a while back in Montreal, Canada and it sure wasn't cheap. Salaries were in the same ballpark as our positions in the valley. We actually got most of the team to relocate to California on O-1s but still have some guys over there.
nexus2045 3y ago
No this is not rare at all. Meta offers E5 ("senior" level) new hires a 400-500k total package in the US (given that you negotiate, I know the levels.fyi numbers are a bit lower), and this isn't some exception. If your performance is good and/or stock appreciation happens, then that number goes even higher. I'm a very average engineer (probably way below average amongst the HN crowd) and I'm in that range.
- foogazi 3y ago
  > If your performance is good and/or stock appreciation happens Stock appreciation is the key + performance for sticking around
occamsrazorwit 3y ago
I think there's a few other factors that impact visibility. * The Bay Area is a place where you can make $100k a year and be classified as low-income [1]. * Tech employees tend to live low-key lifestyles that don't really show how much they're making. I know people who make $500k and still live with roommates. * Income inequality and progressive politics combine to make people less reluctant to talk about their TC packages, unless you're also at a similar socio-economic level. [1] https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/under-100k-low-income-san-francisco-18168899.php https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/under-100k-low-income-s...
glimshe 3y ago
You are not aware. I have many personal friends, Engineers, making 600K+. These are old friends who have no reason to lie. I know a senior engineer who manages a small team who had a lucky take-home of over a million in a good year.