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Comment by VirusNewbie | Hacker News Reader

Because most of them are asking for senior developer and offering 150k and some equity...

I don't think many of the comments would have positive things to say.

How to tell you’re US-based without saying you’re US-based.

All kidding aside, 150k is a lot of money where I come from (around Amsterdam). I lead the engineering department of 30+ people in a 3 year old startup and I earn less than that.

Right but that's less than half of my comp right now.

Can you share how many employees are at your company and your YOE? I definitely feel underpaid, but not so terribly that I'm actively searching for another job. I know FANG pays well, but it isn't easy to get into those either.

I'm at a FAANG, and have ~17 YoE.

I made considerably less at smaller companies. But there's good money to be made at F500 companies that are non FAANG as well, if you're willing to climb the IC (or management) ladder.

You probably have access to better social services and vacation time etc that partially bridge the gap.

Absolutely! Honestly, I wouldn't trade my job for a US job 3x the compensation. I enjoy top health care, unlimited paid sick leave, unlimited vacation days with a soft-enforced minimum of 30 days per year etc.

Am I sometimes jealous when I see US tech compensation? Sure! But like you say, it's about much more than money + stock.

The healthcare in the US is excellent for people with good insurance, which the jobs offering 3x the compensation will provide. I would never trade the quality of my healthcare with the healthcare my German family gets. But you definitely significantly better vacation/sick leave terms over there and it’s not even close.

You work at a FAANG as you commented elsewhere. Of course it is low for you. 150k however is not a low salary on an average even in US.

Why? Because that's too low? Or because it's too high?

way too low.

It seems like plenty for all the set of "senior developers" who are three years out of college.

Just wondering, what do you consider a fair salary for a Sr developer? BLS says the median salary for US developers (I think this means junior and senior and staff, so it might be diluted) is 124,000 USD.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/...

"Fair" is what the market pays. Presumably though, YC companies aren't the average and should want top talent, so I think at least 200k plus some heavy equity for top tier talent. (In the US. If they're hiring from other countries obviously the market might be different).

Hiring for top talent is overrated when most of the services/products offered are pretty straightforward technical implementations. For most of the companies, what's need is competent engineers, good management, and exceptional sales/growth teams. Top tier hiring for engineers in commodified businesses where engineering isn't the market differentiator is a quick start down the path of lighting money on fire.

Can you point to highly successful software companies that just hire “good enough” talent?

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