Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!


How much money do tech people make in your area?
New on LowEndTalk? Please Register and read our Community Rules.

All new Registrations are manually reviewed and approved, so a short delay after registration may occur before your account becomes active.

How much money do tech people make in your area?

lentrolentro Member, Host Rep

Legit question. Answer in US dollars. Please comment where you are.

Yes, salaries vary a lot, but if I were to guess the median of what people make around the Northeast US (where I am) for doing tech-related work, I'd say $120k/year-$200k/year. I know plenty of people who make >$300k/year, but those are the top senior software engineers at big tech companies.

I'd be comfortable making $500k/year by my mid-40s, but I've heard of top L9-like fellows at top tech companies making 7-figures. (We operate TensorDock like we're selling $1m/month of compute, because those are the numbers we need for our margins to be able to pay us an equivalent amount to what we'd be making at "regular" SWE jobs)

Reason I ask is because I don't know if my personal sample of U.K-based tech people ($30k-$50k/year) is real or wildly underestimating the true amount that Europeans make. If my job offer was that low, I'd walk right out of the interview. One of my U.S.-based friends pays more in rent than what a European tech worker I know makes.

(This poll is not meant to be scientific. Just gauging sentiment)

Tech total compensation
  1. How much money do tech people make in your area?119 votes
    1. $0-$30k/year
      32.77%
    2. $30k-$50k/year
      18.49%
    3. $50k-$80k/year
      15.97%
    4. $80k-$120k/year
      14.29%
    5. $120k/year-$200k/year
        5.04%
    6. $200k/year-$350k/year
        4.20%
    7. $350k/year+
        9.24%
«1

Comments

  • devpdevp Member

    Situation is extremely difficult and complex

  • LeviLevi Member

    Situation is very bad,. But potential for profit is insanely high. Way better before crysis.

  • raviravi Member

    You should add first option as:
    $0-$10k/year or $0-$15k/year

    This is where most tech people fall here in India.

  • devpdevp Member
    edited May 2022

    @ravi said:
    You should add first option as:
    $0-$10k/year or $0-$15k/year

    This is where most tech people fall here in India.

    For that reason i opted to remain unemployed and to take into consideration any projects from last 27 months.

    In that interval i created by own iot products line that are concepts fully build from scratch.

    I designed :

    • Firmware: software based on non-rtos sdk for embedded system.
    • Motherboard: Generic Circuit board for my iot products
    • API: To interact with iot products over the network both local and remote.

    I can control these devices even from Pebble 2 watch.

    Interested to have a view. Here is the link:

    Thanked by 1ravi
  • CConnerCConner Member, Host Rep

    30-50k is a pretty common tech salary here in the Netherlands. Though, keep in mind that it costs the employer about twice as much to pay you that in taxes and contributions.

    In return, the government is able to, for instance, provide universal* healthcare coverage.

  • BlaZeBlaZe Member, Host Rep

    @devp said:

    @ravi said:
    You should add first option as:
    $0-$10k/year or $0-$15k/year

    This is where most tech people fall here in India.

    For that reason i opted to remain unemployed and to take into consideration any projects from last 27 months.

    In that interval i created by own iot products line that are concepts fully build from scratch.

    I designed :

    • Firmware: software based on non-rtos sdk for embedded system.
    • Motherboard: Generic Circuit board for my iot products
    • API: To interact with iot products over the network both local and remote.

    I can control these devices even from Pebble 2 watch.

    Interested to have a view. Here is the link:

    Great!

    Were you able to monetize it in any way?

    A fresher from an average engineering institute roughly makes $5k/yr (the fresher has to be trained!)
    From there, considering promotions and if the person is good/skilled then it can go more than $10k with a senior software developer role.

  • $30-60k would cover many tech jobs here in New Zealand

    Thanked by 1lentro
  • ralfralf Member
    edited May 2022

    This is an impossible question to answer. "tech" covers a lot of different sectors, with wildly differing rates of pay, and of course you haven't asked about seniority. Finally, even within the UK location plays a huge part. I added 50% to my salary by moving from the Midlands to London just before lockdown (and then moved back and have been working remote ever since!)

    Last time I looked (a while ago), there were still entry level PHP jobs earning £25k per year ($31k), and I've worked with people earning over £100k ($125k) in the UK too.

    I turned down an offer to relocate to the US bay area, which would have more than doubled my salary. That was $180k base although actually, by the time I considered the cost of housing, healthcare, etc, I'd say it would have been roughly equivalent to taking home $100k in the UK. I know this was considered low for the bay area too, even though with annual bonuses it'd probably have been more like $250k.

    So basically, I could tick every answer except the last two, and that's just because I don't personally know anyone in those ranges in my area. Some of my colleagues in the US were certainly in the penultimate option and probably the last one when considering bonuses, given that one once commented that some years his bonus was more than his salary.

  • 10k-1M here

  • devpdevp Member

    @BlaZe said: A fresher

    I started these in 2009.
    In the path to become expert and simple in something takes relative frames.
    Better to be standalone and keep sharing experiences.

  • jarjar Patron Provider, Top Host, Veteran
    edited May 2022

    It's fairly low around here, probably around the 50-80k range.

    Cost of living is everything though. If you wanted me, here, to have the same quality of life as someone in San Francisco you might pay them 5 million a year and pay me minimum wage, for example.

    Cost of living is important because if you hire someone in an area where your average pay rate turns them into a warlord well you're going to lose them when they overthrow their government. A lot of people think the numbers should be the same across every location but if you have an apartment and they have three vacation homes, that's not equal pay because the cost of living can actually vary that much.

  • The average salary for a technical manager is $95,179 per year in the United States

  • Daniel15Daniel15 Veteran

    I currently live in Silicon Valley, so total compensation (salary + bonus + stock) is easily $400-500k+ at the bigger companies. You can see some example salaries for various tech companies at https://www.levels.fyi/

    @lentro said: Reason I ask is because I don't know if my personal sample of U.K-based tech people ($30k-$50k/year) is real

    UK software developer salaries tend to be quite a bit lower.

    Thanked by 1lentro
  • servzenservzen Member, Host Rep

    Recently, In Pakistan tech people even can earn up to $300k+ in different type of tech fields. but average salary of an employee here is $400/m which is quite low comparing to other countries.

  • HxxxHxxx Member

    Friends keep in mind that even thought it sounds high, a 100K-200K salary in some parts of the US, the cost of life varies greatly. I.E. California and NY usually cost of life is high.

    The company that you work for will adjust the salary depending on where you live. Is **not common **to work in a top tech company that pay's 200K in California, but you are remote where cost of life is low and earn that same 200K. Doesn't work that way.

    Unless business to business.

    Thanked by 2jar devp
  • armandorgarmandorg Member, Host Rep

    Here it's like from 9k$ - 25k$ range.

  • AlwaysSkintAlwaysSkint Member
    edited May 2022

    Salary means nothing; it's quality of life that really matters. ;)
    I doubled my salary, moving to Arizona, USA but health care, housing (rent) and "social" eating costs almost offset that. Add in longer "working" hours (what is it with some USA workers taking long lunches?) and less holidays and things level off. Couldn't beat the weather though (for a heat seeker).
    I raised my salary again, back in UK, though with slightly longer working day, high mortgage costs and more stress, things weren't too rosy.
    Just as well my recent surgery wasn't in the USA, that'd wipe out all savings!
    Some people "live long & prosper", others don't. :|

    P.S./TLDR; your opening post is far too wide ranging, to give any real sense of salaries. As a lab. tech. I was paid a pittance, as a senior computing tech., a relatively comfortable wage, as a computing consultant, a 'good' package.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • Daniel15Daniel15 Veteran
    edited May 2022

    @Hxxx said: The company that you work for will adjust the salary depending on where you live.

    Depends on the company.

    Spotify announced that employees can work from anywhere in the USA while still paying San Francisco / New York salaries. This is tricky though. I feel like it'll eventually result in lower salaries, as over time they'll try to reduce the median salary (smaller bonuses, smaller raises, hiring more people at the lower end of the salary bands, etc).

    If you work remotely within the USA, Facebook/Meta's adjustment based on where you live is only -10-15% max at the moment. There's a lot of discussion on Blind about this. As far as I know, Google is similar. A much lower cost of living could easily offset a 10% reduction in salary.

    Thanked by 2lentro devp
  • Eh, there's like 0.8% tech positions available in my area so $0. Freelance guys like me make $0 or $200 in a day depending if someone near needs computer tech work to be done.

    Thanked by 1coreflux
  • Not sure why anyone would come to LET for an answer like this instead of a service dedicated to this like glassdoor. "Tech people" is just too ambiguous and what everyone's location is irrelevant to your earning power at TensorDock. It comes across as a weird flex ("I'd be comfortable making $500k/year by my mid-40s").

    Thanked by 1AlwaysSkint
  • lentrolentro Member, Host Rep
    edited May 2022

    @TimboJones said: Not sure why anyone would come to LET

    Apologies that I didn't word it well. I'm just stunned that my personal experience showed a 3-5x pay difference from Bay Area/Northeast vs Europe-based, for similar skills (and for what I thought were very similar economies), and I wanted to know that I wasn't going crazy.

    @TimboJones said: $500k/year

    $400k+ total comp has been doable where I am since the pandemic started. I have friends who are in this range. My previous thinking is that this would be realistic/doable. So that's why hearing sub-$75k/year salaries in Europe was so shocking to me.

  • @lentro said:

    @TimboJones said: Not sure why anyone would come to LET

    Apologies that I didn't word it well. I'm just stunned that my personal experience showed a 3-5x pay difference from Bay Area/Northeast vs Europe-based, for similar skills (and for what I thought were very similar economies), and I wanted to know that I wasn't going crazy.

    @TimboJones said: $500k/year

    $400k+ total comp has been doable where I am since the pandemic started. I have friends who are in this range. My previous thinking is that this would be realistic/doable. So that's why hearing sub-$75k/year salaries in Europe was so shocking to me.

    No, you're crazy for thinking the sample size, position, experience and time period had any correlation. I had a coworker (in Vancouver area) that worked for Motorola in the UK in the late 2000's as an embedded software developer that made 180k/year with bonuses and said the annual Christmas parties were lavish and the expense accounts fat. But that came to an end even before he was let go and Motorola shit the bed. 10 years later, he's making $60k/year living near Vancouver, Canada (insane housing market like London).

    Then there's pre-covid and post covid, given the hardcore worldwide part shortages seriously affecting tech. It's resulted in several cancelled projects ($$$) for me due to part unobtanium.

  • devpdevp Member
    edited May 2022

    @servzen said: average salary of an employee here is $400/m which is quite low comparing to other countries.

    Providers at LET have a purpose.
    Good Service Space for your business at competitive pricing both vps and dedicated servers.

    @Hxxx said: Unless business to business.

    Thats relevant.

    @AlwaysSkint said:
    Salary means nothing; it's quality of life that really matters. ;)
    I doubled my salary, moving to Arizona, USA but health care, housing (rent) and "social" eating costs almost offset that. Add in longer "working" hours (what is it with some USA workers taking long lunches?) and less holidays and things level off. Couldn't beat the weather though (for a heat seeker).
    I raised my salary again, back in UK, though with slightly longer working day, high mortgage costs and more stress, things weren't too rosy.
    Just as well my recent surgery wasn't in the USA, that'd wipe out all savings!
    Some people "live long & prosper", others don't. :|

    P.S./TLDR; your opening post is far too wide ranging, to give any real sense of salaries. As a lab. tech. I was paid a pittance, as a senior computing tech., a relatively comfortable wage, as a computing consultant, a 'good' package.

    Agreed.

    @Daniel15 said:

    @Hxxx said: The company that you work for will adjust the salary depending on where you live.

    Depends on the company.

    Spotify announced that employees can work from anywhere in the USA while still paying San Francisco / New York salaries. This is tricky though. I feel like it'll eventually result in lower salaries, as over time they'll try to reduce the median salary (smaller bonuses, smaller raises, hiring more people at the lower end of the salary bands, etc).

    If you work remotely within the USA, Facebook/Meta's adjustment based on where you live is only -10-15% max at the moment. There's a lot of discussion on Blind about this. As far as I know, Google is similar. A much lower cost of living could easily offset a 10% reduction in salary.

    Thats relevant.

    @TimboJones said:
    Not sure why anyone would come to LET for an answer like this instead of a service dedicated to this like glassdoor. "Tech people" is just too ambiguous and what everyone's location is irrelevant to your earning power at TensorDock. It comes across as a weird flex ("I'd be comfortable making $500k/year by my mid-40s").

    Lots of LET members and other members at popular forums have this query.
    Sharing and discussing with professionals and members often provides much indepth topics to discuss.

    @TimboJones said: t's resulted in several cancelled projects ($$$) for me due to part unobtanium.

    Is those projects were in embedded systems. Lots of projects have to revise their designs to add space for available components.

    For projects that requires specific component that varies based on availability.

    Thanked by 1servzen
  • @devp said:
    Is those projects were in embedded systems. Lots of projects have to revise their designs to add space for available components.

    For projects that requires specific component that varies based on availability.

    Are you part human, part bot? The bot seems to be winning.

    Thanked by 2devp miu
  • VoidVoid Member

    @ravi said:
    You should add first option as:
    $0-$10k/year or $0-$15k/year

    This is where most tech people fall here in India.

    It is the Ok to Decent salary range of an average corporate employee, after direct currency conversion. To put it in perspective, this would be the USD equivalent range of 80-150k

  • If I post my employee number will you double my salary?

    Thanked by 1bulbasaur
  • bikegremlinbikegremlin Member
    edited May 2022

    In Serbia, the employer pays about 50% on top of what the worker's pay is (obligatory pension and health insurance, taxes etc.).

    Junior developers and testers start with around 500 euros per month.
    1000 euros per month is generally considered an OK pay. Mid-tier developers, sys-admins, experienced tech. support etc.
    2000+ euros per month is way above average (senior developers, very few sys-admins etc.).

    Many IT companies here provide outsourcing services to foreign companies.

    Also, many people do freelancing work. There, you have to pay about 50 to 30 % of what you earn as government taxes (pension, health insurance and taxes). For these (100% remote usually), competition is global and huge. Reputation and clients affect how much one can charge and it varies a lot. I'd say most people won't go with less than $15 per hour, while very few can charge over $30 per hour.

    Psychologically, 1000 euros (per month) is considered a dream pay, since over 50% of the people here (generally, not just IT-related jobs) earn less than 400 euros per month.

    Renting a 50 m2 flat in major cities costs about 200-300 euros per month.
    Bills (heating, electricity, Internet and other) for such a flat are about 150 euros per month.

    Most professional services (plumbers, mechanics, dentists) cost about 10 to 30 euros per hour.

    As @jar said - I'd say that the quality of life in my city (Novi Sad) with 1000 euros per month is better than living with 3 times more money in most northern and north/western European countries.

    Thanked by 2cpsd bulbasaur
  • zcorpszcorps Member

    hmmmm interesting seems like high salaries in USA , but why google engineers sleeping in their van in park LOL to save money.

    Thanked by 1miu
  • brejskibrejski Member

    200 BilohBucks/year

  • JioJio Member
    edited May 2022

    @zcorps said: hmmmm interesting seems like high salaries in USA , but why google engineers sleeping in their van in park LOL to save money.

    Each meal is $15-25 per person, rent for 30m2 0 bedroom is $6000/m

Sign In or Register to comment.