[paxy]

For a company with offices in the most expensive cities in the world $120K is likely closer to the starting salary than the median.

[djrogers]

There are a lot of people that work at tech companies that aren’t highly paid engineers. GP specifically called out engineers at a higher salary, so GP was obviously including receptionists, admin staff, etc. I’d be shocked to find that the starting salary anywhere around here is 120k.

[tptacek]

Ok, but you also seem to be doing math that assumes salary is fully loaded headcount cost; fully loaded cost is (rule of thumb) 1.5-2.5x salary.

[objclxt]

Most of Shazam's engineering is in London. Going rates for engineers in London are way below the valley. Facebook/Google/Apple pay UK engineers about 30-40% less than their US counterparts.

[Bahamut]

I have it from a first hand account that FB pays 25% less in London than in Menlo Park fwiw.