This is actually wrong! You tell yourself this lie to keep going I guess! As a software engineer in the south of France mi salary is 70% of what I would get in the San Francisco area but my purchase power is way higher! Goods and services cost way less here than in the US!
You can get $350-400k/yr total in San Francisco as a mid-career IC SWE. I have surveyed what SWEs make in Europe and it brought a tear to my eye. I guess that’s why most of the good ones are already here.
US health insurance costs about $13k a year for a family of 3, for a decent plan, and that’s if you pay for all of it yourself (ie you’re unemployed but wealthy, so don’t qualify for special rates). In-state tuition is also not too bad.
Glassdoor estimates are low, and they do not include equity, bonuses, etc, which can easily add up to more than the base. How do you think all those people are paying their insane rent? The best set up is to get Bay Area money without living there. It’s doable. :-)
Purchasing power is also better in the US seeing how we get to keep more of our money, and businesses are taxed less as well. This is reflected in per capita GDP.
San Francisco is just about the worst possible place to be. Almost anywhere else, cost of living will be far cheaper, and housing a fraction of Bay Area rates.
I wholeheartedly agree. You don’t have to live there to make SF-grade money though. And even if you do, even after all the expenses, you’re still very likely better off than most Europeans. You just don’t get anything for “free”.
I have not yet seen a remote friendly company that does not adjust for NOT living in SF. I’ve been remote for 10 years now.
The only scenario I can think of is to start in-office in SF, prove your value and then go remote after some time and maintain salary. I have not tried that yet.
