That wasn’t the question posed by the article, but let’s just say I’m able to easily support a family of 6 and live in a 3400sqft colonial brick house on a half acre, and I’m under 35 yrs old.

So while I might make a little more than half what typical FAANG engineers do, I get to work on IMO more exciting greenfield projects and live within minutes of the beach and 2 blocks from a river.

Tampa, FL checking in. I make at the low end of total comp for a FAANG engineer ($150k-200k/year) in security, and we can afford for my wife to be a stay at home mom for two kids, 2600sq ft 4 bed 2.5 bath home with a pool and three car garage (~$250k), a part time nanny, a used Tesla, and frequent travel.

It would be impossible for me to replicate this on the coasts.

Why do those jobs need to pay just as well?

There are jobs available which provide folks with a sustainable life and the ability to thrive. To me, having the job you want, in the location you want, near friends you want to be near, with the pay you want, with housing you can afford, is a luxury.

If you want a life that ticks all the boxes, you have to make yourself more competitive. But I don't believe anyone is entitled to getting the exact job or conditions they want, and they shouldn't expect cities to change to accommodate their list of demands.

31 year old Houstonian checking in. Just bought a nice 3 bedroom house in the heart of the city, and I'm not even making 6 figures. I could have bought it right out of college, probably, too.