[3pt14159]

$100k CAD is not the ceiling. Far from it. I've personally extended offers for $120k, and that was for a pre-series A startup. The larger guys pay even more. First company that comes to mind, Shopify, pays up to $150k:

https://angel.co/shopify/jobs/88003-software-developer?utm_s...

And it goes up from there, especially once you start looking at positions that include less sexy startups, less common technologies, or more responsibility (like being a team lead).

[turnip1979]

My data is from before Shopify's success ... I think you are right that Shopify might be helping to raise salaries (to be fair, their post says 70K to 150K). I'm curious .. the 120K offer, how experienced was the individual (in terms of years, etc.).

Just saying, average house price in Toronto is 1 million. It should not cost 10x a dev's income to buy a house in Richmond Hill. In the Bay area, total comp of 400K is not unreasonable ... that makes the 2.5 million dollar homes in MV seem reasonable ... an uncomfortable 6.25x of a dev's income.

[a-priori]

Just putting this out there that I personally make >$120k as a developer in Ottawa, and I doubt I'm all that rare seeing as there's people at my company with a more senior job title than I have.

I don't think Shopify being in town has anything to do with that, just that the ceiling is higher than you may think.

[stumac]

you're not rare, but I don't think you're common. I make <$55k as a dev in Ottawa and it doesn't feel surprising.

[a-priori]

I have no idea really, I only have my own experience to go by. But it sounds like you're really being underpaid. That's very low for a developer unless you're still in school or something. I know that I made $52k as a co-op student in 2009, for example, and I believe that was standard pay at the time.

[anonbanker]

if you look into the tax code, you pretty much max out at 150k. if you go higher, the tax rates eat all your wages alive.