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Comment by itscodingtime | Hacker News Reader

Threads like this are not good for my mental health. I’m a public sector software engineer for the US government in the DMV. I have eights years in and I’m barely making 6 six figures. I’m considering getting out but it won’t be easy. It’s a weird feeling that at 31 I feel like I already screwed up career and income wise. Is there any chance I could make 200k plus before 40 ?

I have a coworker that believes we are paid well considering our benefits and pto compared to the average software developer. His argument is that outside of FAANG, salaries for the average developer aren’t that much higher than ours. And if they are, the working conditions are worst. He also believes FAANG employees are working more than 80 hours work, or they are super better than “public sector employees” so that’s why they command higher pay. I don’t buy the last one.

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I went to a FAANG at a similar point in my career to where you are now. More than tripled my pay. I firmly believe that any dev can get in if they practice enough leetcode problems. We are not special. I say go for it if you want it.

> I firmly believe that any dev can get in if they practice enough leetcode problems.

That’s the east part, but if your entire resume is non tech, then FAANG recruiters don’t reach out. (I’ve only ever had one FAANG recruiter ever reach out to me and that was Amazon when they were participating in the idiotic hiring spree during the pandemic). We know cold apps are worthless, and if you aren’t already in that scene, you probably don’t have close enough connections with someone to get a referral. So how do you even get a chance to do the leetcode interviews.

If this is something that’s really getting to you, you should move to the Bay Area, at least for a few years. Your “luck” will skyrocket. The opportunities in tech just aren’t present in other cities in the way they are in the Bay Area. I say this as someone who moved there from a mid-sized city and now moved back to that mid-sized city, taking my Bay Area job with me. The primary difference I’ve noticed between FANG employees (having been one) and public sector employees is not talent but rather that the former are willing to move across the country or world for better opportunities, whereas the latter are not.

Yup. It's not a fair game. Or at least it benefits young people or people with loose family ties. I had opportunities there but being from another continent, seeing my family once a year wasn't enough. With kids and a significant other that has even stronger ties to their family, it is impossible. I think it wouldn't necessarily hurt the kids...but my partner wouldn't find work in the US and it would be a dent in their career.

Long story short like what others above say: If your team is good and your working conditions are good and you make good money in your country...maybe look at the bright side and not be envious of others.

I realized I make good money for here, have no management responsibility. Can work from home and basically as flexibly as I want to. All this ALREADY is a great gift. Don't need to dream of some FANG salary. I'm a big part of my kids' early lives instead of studying leet code questions.

If you join companies like HPE, Dell etc you can probably double your pay and still have good WLB. FAANG are outliers with regards to pay. There are other tech focused companies like the ones I mentioned above which still pay above average and have good WLB.

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