[RickS]

> median tech salary of $300k

Mean is probably better than median here, right? Because salary isn't quite a normal distribution. The high end is super high. 300k is normal for FAANG, but that class of tech employee is in the top 10% of the wider tech salary pool, at least.

Interesting that you call out being single. I've had the opposite experience – the trick seems to be a salary like that and a spouse that is at least pulling down a normal salary as well. If they're also making engineer money, then you're super set. If I'd have been splitting rent and groceries for the past 10 years, my finances would look a lot better.

That's not an excuse, I could have gotten a roommate with the same effect. Just to say that it seems being single raises expenses because you lose the little collaborative economies of scale.

[randomacct3847]

I would put DINKs in the same group, yes (double income no kids). Kids are a very big expense, even for high earners, and actually especially in pricey areas like Silicon Valley because housing near good schools commands an even higher premium than average for that area.