[inboulder]

I'm not sure if you're just naive, but "rock star" programmers make a lot more than $100k/yr, try tripling that.

[flacon]

300K inboulder? Where do you live? 300K is like C-suite salary in most of the country.

[timcederman]

That's true, but a "rock star" engineer at Google Mountain View earns a base of ~ $150k-$200k. Add on a bonus/stock of $75k-$100k, yeah, upper bounds is $300k. Glassdoor also backs up what I've heard.

[flacon]

Options are pretty much worthless till you can execute them. Even then theres only a one time cash-in-hand situation. Believe me I have a ton of options right now and its not helping ;)

[timcederman]

Are you at Google? If you are, and aren't getting GSUs (fully vested stock units), you're missing out.

[flacon]

No and no. I have only had traditional stock options which are essentially funny money that are vested over a period of years. You still have to purchase the stock but after the stock is vested you just get the ability to execute once there is an equity event such as IPO or sale...

[timcederman]

Yeah. Google offer options and stock units, so are definitely a valuable component of the salary.

[akgerber]

Agreed. The median CMU CS undergrad started at $80k/year last year: http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/career/students_alumni/pos...

Add on bonuses & that puts smart but not necessarily rock-star kids at close to $100k/yr straight out of school.