[rpmcmurphy]

This ^^^^. I have lived in San Francisco for 25 years now. While I could reduce my cost of living dramatically by moving, I have spent my entire post-college life here. Nearly all of my friends and professional network are here, so I have approximately zero interest in moving, even if it would be cheaper, it would not be worth it.

[abalashov]

And arguably wouldn't make financial sense. There's a benefit to being within driving distance of 900 of the world's top 1000 tech companies, or whatever it is.

You might be able to afford a better lifestyle on a modest paycheck in Sioux City, Iowa, but what happens when that company, the approximately ~1 serious tech employer in town, lays you off? In the Bay Area, you just go across the street.

Lest anyone think I'm a cheerleader, I live in northeast Georgia and have no intention of moving to the Bay Area. :-)

[scarface74]

Well if you live in northeast GA (as do I) you know that a software developer with 5-10 years of experience can easily make $110-140K and that easily affords you to live in some of the nicest part of Atlanta.

True. We aren't around "900 of the world's top 1000" companies, but in the 20 years I've lived here, I've never found there to be a lack of development jobs.

As a single person, you could easily live comfortably in parts of metro Atlanta making 70K.

[abalashov]

My impression of the top end of typical developer salaries in Atlanta doesn't quite go that high, but it's possible they're crept up since I last took a look.

I agree that metro Atlanta is not an especially high-cost area, though parts of it certainly are; ITP in general is getting overheated. I lived in Midtown for the better part of ten years and by the end of that, rents seemed on par with Brooklyn and Chicago, though I did have to upgrade from single-person housing on account of a short-lived marriage.

Nowadays, I've moved back to Athens. Where are you?

[scarface74]

Forsyth County. I've lived in Marietta,Decatur, And Johns Creek before. And yes the salaries are accurate. This is from both my own experience as both a job seeker and a hiring manager (not really a "manager" more like a team lead who has hired contractors)

Salary.com is seems pretty much in line with my experience.

[nunez]

Not everyone wants to work for a huge corporation, where most of those jobs with the salaries that you cite are located.

[scarface74]

I have only worked for a large corporation for two out of the 21 years I've been working. I'll never do that again.

Benefits may be better at a larger company but salaries are about the same.

Even so, don't complain that you can't live off of 100K. They are purposefully making lifestyle choices that the median household making 70K a year can't make.

[nunez]

> Even so, don't complain that you can't live off of 100K.

I agree!