[Mandatum]

Seems to be a lot of no-content responses here which is a shame.

Realistically your best bet is to do consultancy/contracting work. With 2 years experience you could easily pick up a Jnr or Intermediate role at $40-80/hr. Over a month you'll have your 5K.

Pull 80 hour weeks on in-your-own-time contracts and you'll make it in a week.

You also need to cut living costs out entirely. If you wanted to go extreme, sell everything you own and live in your car, and take a free 7-day trial at every gym in your area over the next few months.

I did this before moving overseas for a few months, once a month I'd stay at a friends place for the weekend - definitely not for the faint of heart.

[aspdotnetvan]

I don't know if I am being ripped off, I am currently working at a small company in BC, Canada, doing ASP.NET with some front-end (recent college grad, working full-time 9-5). My salary is ~37k/year. "With 2 years experience you could easily pick up a Jnr or Intermediate role at $40-80/hr" - is it in the Valley?

[mattm]

Pay in BC is low compared to what you'll read about SV here. My first job in Victoria was around $45k but apparently I was lucky to get that as the standard junior level salary was around $36k (this was back in 2007).

If you want to make more money, you'll probably have to move south. If you live in Victoria or Vancouver (I'm guessing Van from your username), the cost of living isn't that much higher in SF but you'll be able to make a lot more.

Vic/Van seem to have a "nice place to live" tax. Companies pay less because people like living there. OTOH, there is less stress and 9-5 usually means that so it's a tradeoff.

[Mandatum]

For 2 years experience as a .NET dev if you're earning <50K you're either living in the boondocks/working remotely.

The rate I indicated was for contract work rather than full-time employment, however.

This sounds like your first job, your first job always sucks. If you're not learning anything new, or getting bored I'd suggest dusting your CV and putting yourself out there.

[aspdotnetvan]

Yes indeed, it is my first job! Despite the pay, I like it here though.

[kspaans]

For reference my first job was $70k/year at RIM/BlackBerry in Waterloo, Ontario. I was writing C code for the BB10 phone app (middleware, not UI or cellular radio stuff). Admittedly I had ~2 years work experience from UWaterloo's co-op program though.

[miguelrochefort]

Two years of mobile development (iOS and Android) experience in Montreal. I make less than you do.

Surely that's a Valley thing.

[Mandatum]

The pay in my city is relatively low compared to other cities worldwide.

I'd expect at least 50K USD in a major city if no longer junior-level, anything less and I would prefer to contract/bootstrap.

[icpmacdo]

Its sad you make that little as a dev in Montreal I would have loved to work there.