Ask HN: How much should I ask for?

by aashishkoirala on 12/12/2013, 6:34 PM with 11 comments

I am thinking of moving to the Bay Area (Sunnyvale and around). I'm currently making a base of $125K as a Principal Software Engineer in Boston. Does anyone know what the market rate for that position is in the Bay Area? Given the difference in cost of living and housing, I would hope it was much higher, but it does not seem so. Is it even worth moving to the Bay Area if that's the case given the higher taxes?

  • by gamblor956 on 12/12/2013, 7:57 PM

    The SF Bay Area is a lot more expensive than Boston, even before California and local taxes. There are cost-of-living calculators you can use, but most of them have not been updated to take into account the tech industry's effect on SF Bar Area COL. You should look for a job that pays at least the same after taxes and living expenses, unless you have non-economic reasons for moving to SF Bay Area.

  • by codegeek on 12/12/2013, 6:38 PM

    I am not familiar with that part of the world but you might want to give more information before others can try and give you some pointers. Salary is not just about market rate even though it is a benchmark to start. What do you do exactly ? What is your experience so far ? What kind of companies have you worked for ?

  • by collyw on 12/12/2013, 6:59 PM

    Sorry, a bit off topic but in Spain the top end of the salary range would seem to be a fair bit less than half of what you are on. How expensive is it to live in the States (Boston, rent for example)?

    And does anyone want to hire an experienced Django developer remotely?

  • by epicureanideal on 12/12/2013, 6:47 PM

    It should be significantly higher. I would think around $200k and possibly more depending on if you have highly specific relevant experience.

  • by on 12/12/2013, 6:41 PM

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  • by namenotrequired on 12/13/2013, 10:24 PM

    "Is it even worth moving"

    That depends solely on your motivations, which you did not specify.

  • by lingua_franca on 12/12/2013, 8:53 PM

    depends upon which companies u r going to. if it's Nextflix or Facebook, u definitely can ask for $200k. if it's a small startup, u won't get any number close to that.

    WARNING: Nextflix and Facebook r both sweat shops.