I hadn’t heard of this, what are some example companies I can look at?
I don't think this is true. There are only a handful of companies that pay $500k+ TC for senior+ engineers. The vast majority of companies top out at $250k, be it F500 or startups (not including their worthless "equity").
You can't afford a home, on your own, at $250k in the Bay Area. Realistically you need $500k+.