I've worked in both (Not SF necessarily but San Jose). San Jose definitely has way more start ups to choose from. I don't really know what you're looking for,

I've worked in both (Not SF necessarily but San Jose). San Jose definitely has way more start ups to choose from. I don't really know what you're looking for, but if I found an equally good job in both areas, I would rather stay in Seattle because the rent is much more reasonable and there's no state income tax. Weather in CA can't be beat though, unless you actually like rain or having seasons. There are significantly more start ups in the Bay Area though. In Seattle, it's very common to meet people who work at Microsoft or Amazon. In San Jose, almost everyone is working at some start up and knows how to program. It's both kind of neat and also a bit annoying. Every start up thinks it's going to be the next big thing. There's way too much kool aid for my tastes, and I found the lack of diversity not to my tastes.