[TheTrotters]

The cost of life argument makes no sense. By this logic we should be seeing janitors, or translators, or piano teachers in SV being paid much, much more then they are. If there was a coal mine near San Francisco I suppose the miners would be paid 100k/year as well?

[Johnny555]

Glassdoor says that a janitorial salary has a national average of $21,060; compared with $31,200 in San Francisco & San Jose CA; and $24,000 in Wichita KS.

Sounds like Janitors are being paid more in SV.

[qq66]

Since the average starting salary of a coal miner is $60-70k in the rural geographies where coal is mined, I'd say that yes, a coal mine in San Francisco would likely pay $100k.

[walshemj]

And for experienced pit deputies in the UK the going rate for a single 12 hour shift in a deep coal mine at the weekend was £2K and that does count towards your final salary pension

[ivemadeahugem]

Probably closer to $75K? If coal miner had a choice (most don't) of whether to work in Ohio for $50k or SF for $75k, I'm assuming they'd pick Ohio.

Thats why someone wouldn't start a coal mine near SF.

People are only going to be paid up to the point where a company still makes money from them. This has a high ceiling for software devs, a low ceiling for janitors.

[rootsudo]

If being a dev is the new coal mining.

Yes.

[astrange]

Adtech and social media are basically coal mining for people's attention spans. It poisons the atmosphere and eventually it'll run out.