[occamsrazorwit]

I think there's a few other factors that impact visibility.

* The Bay Area is a place where you can make $100k a year and be classified as low-income [1].

* Tech employees tend to live low-key lifestyles that don't really show how much they're making. I know people who make $500k and still live with roommates.

* Income inequality and progressive politics combine to make people less reluctant to talk about their TC packages, unless you're also at a similar socio-economic level.

[1] https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/under-100k-low-income-s...