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Comment by yummyfajitas | Hacker News Reader

A good chunk of the cool kids probably want to make more than $125k/year.

I haven't worked as a "programmer" or "software engineer" for a few years, but looking at GlassDoor.com for evidence, $125K seems like a pretty good salary. Is that an unrealistic salary for a programmer today? Are you referring to the greater rewards of being an entrepeneur/founder?

For experienced database engineers, $125k isn't an impressive number, and it's the highest salary listed at rethink -- meaning that you're unlikely to get that number without being judged so "senior" by the rest of the company that you merit the highest salary possible.

I've always thought that their choice to post those salary numbers was a bit foolish. Far better to negotiate a low-ball offer for an experienced candidate after selling them on your company during the interview, than to have them avoid interviewing at all because your salary ranges are fixed and low for the industry.

Again, Glassdoor.com doesn't seem to have a lot of data showing that database engineer salaries above $125K are widespread. I'm interested in any evidence supporting that view (relates to some other conversations I've had recently).

I have friends in the database industry who make far more. I also know a number of people who make rethink's highest salary. It's not an exceptional number.

I think you're assuming too much about the data on Glassdoor -- it's not necessarily reliable or precise, especially for positions that require experience. The numbers you'll find there are rough guidelines of average salaries for people who are willing to post to glassdoor. That set is not necessarily representative of software engineers as a whole.

I agree, GlassDoor may not have good data. That's why I'm interested in other evidence. With due respect to you and your acquaintances, it would be helpful to have better public data against which one could make comparisons.

I can say that GlassDoor's data for the jobs I am currently familiar with seems fairly close to my own observations.

I'm referring to wages, not rewards of being a founder. As for glassdoor.com, I don't think it's very accurate. I'm guessing "database engineer" == DBA.

$125k/year is what you would give to a decent coder with 3 years of experience. At Rethink, it looks like they want to pay him $80k/year. Some people will take the job just because the company and problem domain looks fun, but not everyone will.

$125k/year is what you would give to a decent coder with 3 years of experience.

You're living in a dream world.

I'm just working for a company trying to hire. Competent people are hard to find (as rethinkdb noted, 95% of applicants == fail), and when you find them, you pay for them. They are worth it.

I realize that experiences vary, particularly if you are comparing different types of software development (e.g., shrinkwrap vs. departmental IT), but I have to say that $125K/year for 3 years of programming experience does not correspond to what I see being paid in the Seattle area. In fact, I recently had a conversation with a VP about whether $120K was too much for an experienced systems architect.

Please understand that I am not making any statement about whether talented programmers are worth $125K/year - I am simply reporting what I see on the ground.

I'm familiar with NYC, not Seattle. This is not particular to any type of development - at a startup in the publishing space, a hedge fund, a marketing company or big bank, these are low salaries for the caliber of developer rethink is trying to hire.

But it's important to note, I'm not talking about the average developer here. I'm talking about the top 5% who think "reverse a linked list" actually is a warmup question, and can maybe even explain how a binary tree speeds up finding ordered objects.

I just graduated from a decent CS program, but I find it hard to believe that most people applying for a programming job couldn't explain binary search trees or quickly think through how to reverse a linked list.

It's definitely a gamble. Especially since they only have 1.25m capital. I say only because we can glean a lot from the published salary structure. Throw a senior, 2 juniors, an intern, CEO, CTO and some admin people and you probably don't make it to 2 years.

It'd be a step up from what I'm making with contracting (and comparatively expensive), but this is Europe, and I'm clueless with regard to cost of living in the bay area.

Besides, where else do you get to work on problems like that? But judging by the other responses on this thread, my idea of fun doesn't seem to be widely shared.

That makes me sad because I've never made more than 1/3 of that as a developer in Vancouver.

You're not hurting with that salary and look to the right... 2% of a company for a hacker at the seed stage is amazing.

Its about benefits. 125k is quite low for high risk jobs for the awesomeness you require. My job offers the same salary with significantly more stability and not so insane requirements.

And what percentage of the company does your job come with?

Zero. Its not a startup. But you can't really get a better healthcare plan, retirement benefits, life insurance, and stability anywhere (most of which is included in your salary already). For example they don't match your 403(b) contributions, they just give you a few grand a year regardless. TONS of PTO. In any case, my point is that for the requirements they should probably pay appropriately, or they just might not attract the people they hope to. Remember not everyone cares about the startup mentality, many just want the job/pay, especially if the job does not want overtime and such. Then again you take no risk, you get no percentage.

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