But... couldn't any dev easily just move to San Francisco? This isn't 1900; it's easy to move to a new city.
Maybe we should start a service that lets everyone receive mail in SF, so you can put a SF address on your resume.
I live on the east coast. My family lives within 30 minutes of me. My closest friends live within 30 minutes.
Moving would require leaving that behind. That's not (emotionally) easy for myself nor my family.
Not all devs are in our..."tier" so to speak. They're not picking up full relocation packages or even a few grand upon signing to make the move easier. They'll need cash in hand to get a place.
Funding a move is hard enough as a new grad without many possessions.
It gets even harder (unless you keep sharp enough to get paid relo) to move as you add vehicles, maybe buy instead of rent a property, and gather stuff like furniture.
That's before factoring in how some people have social ties to their current town. SF is good for well-compensated mercenaries or the few lucky people that got to grow up there.
I find it ironic how you point out someone else as tone deaf elsewhere in this thread.
Is it expensive? Sure. But it's still pretty easy to move if you don't have a family tying you down. Moving anywhere is a pain, but people do it.
No, someone not already working at SF wages quite likely can't easily just move to SF.
I’ve seen companies that’ll reimburse all moving expenses, offer an upfront cash moving bonus, provide temporary furnished housing for the first couple months, and, if necessary, help handle immigration and other legal details. Sometimes companies even provide a moving consultant that the new hire can delegate tasks to like hiring a moving company or arranging for their childrens’ school transfer.