[loeg]

I'll admit Seattle is where I have personal experience, and that it may not be representative of other non-SF cities.

I mean, my earlier analysis (another thread) just used the compensation figures from the fine article. Maybe those figures are an inaccurate comparisons of the two cities. If we can find a better data source, I'd be happy to re-run with those numbers. Ditto on the housing cost numbers.

It's certainly possible that one could put aside slightly more money in SF than Austin off a much bigger comp package for the same role.

Anyway, Google and Facebook are just two employers. Clearly the average junior compensation is somewhere lower. I made a lot less than that as a junior employee, but it was a few years ago, not in SF, and not for Google or Facebook.

[joshuamorton]

Unfortunately there's a lack of reliable data, but from the offers I've heard, of my guess would be that someone making 100K in Austin would be making 50% more in SF, and possibly making double if they got lucky. That may in part be due to my familiarity with the area though, but again, I know more people in SF making 200K as right-out-of-college-kids than I know people making 100K in Austin.

As far as Seattle goes, I think that the state tax makes up for most of the comp differences, and housing is cheaper there, so its a better value if that's all you're optimizing for.