[Bahamut]

As someone who used to work in tech in DC who relocated to the Bay Area, pay in the DMV is really bad for a tech hub. I got a near 100% raise just by leaving for the Valley, and at all but one of the companies I've worked for here, almost everyone is out the office before 6, if not before 5 (or even earlier - I'll sometimes leave the office between 2:30 and 3:30 & nobody blinks an eye). One of my own teammates works from home anywhere from 2 days a week to the whole week from home.

There's this myth that all companies here are 12+ hour a day grinders, but while there are some startups like that, there are a lot of companies here that advertise work-life balance being an important thing.