[maker1138]

They are not paying $250k per employee. You have to factor in payroll taxes, paying accountants to keep books and CPAs to do taxes, benefits, and a multitude of other regulation-imposed payroll costs.

All of this is to support salaries of around $125k - $150k.

The same goes for pretty much any employer. If a fast food restaurant hires someone at $8/hr, it actually costs them around $16/hr to hire the employee.

In a free market Let's Encrypt could probably cut its expenses to close to half what it's at now.

[the_duke]

The post says that the Linux Foundation handles administration and accounting for them.

But I assume payroll tax is by far the biggest amount.

[geofft]

In a "free market", I'd demand higher wages to cover medical expenses, my membership in the local road association so I could use the roads, etc. And I'd get it because I'd be in a union (as a programmer in this current non-free market, I don't feel super compelled to unionize, yet). But otherwise, yes, agreed.

[boodm]

In a "free market", I'd agree to do it for the same minus the local road association costs. Sorry, you're out of a job.

Edit: People downvoting reality. OK.

[geofft]

I'm only out of a job if you can successfully get to work without using the roads owned by the local road association. And if you can do that, so can I, so I wouldn't be paying that cost. But this is SF we're talking about, so that seems unlikely - transportation is extremely monetizable.

Alternatively, maybe you're taking a worse route to work and willing to suffer a worse commute, in which case fine, you're just willing to work for lower pay than I am. I'm only out of a job if you're an equal-quality employee despite being willing to work for lower pay, in which case one of us is being stupid (either you are undercharging, or I am overcharging) and could just choose to stop being stupid.

[callesgg]

In Sweden the head of state earns less money than the average Let's Encrypt employee.

[toomanybeersies]

The President of the United States earns less than some federal employees.

Same here in New Zealand, the Prime Minister earns less than several public servants.

[TazeTSchnitzel]

The Swedish head of state does not live in Silicon Valley (and I would be surprised if the Swedish state is spending less than $250k/yr. in total on its monarchy).

[callesgg]

My point was not that Sweden i great and cheap, it was that you can get allot for those sums of money.

[nzp]

Good, since LE employees are actually providing value to the world.