[h1n99]

I’m one level ahead of you (L7) but, like, why does there need to be something “next”? I’ll make a seven-figure TC this year. That’s enough! I spent about $50k last year, and I live in New York.

My manager talks about getting me to L8 all the time and it’s exhausting. I’m done! I’ve won the income game! She is very career oriented and cares about climbing the ladder, I do not.

I’ve never actually cared about “career goals” or done “growth” really, I don’t think I’d actually be unhappy if I was stuck at L5 making a mere $400k forever. That’s a really high income, an integer multiple of what my parents ever made.

So my “what’s next” is keep throwing it into VTI and then retire in a few years.

FWIW there were very little politics involved in my L7 promotion, I just wrote a lot of good code and mentored some people to do the same.

[r2_pilot]

I'm not jealous (we've got a great work/life balance and a good mission), and I've heard of those compensation levels before, but something about the way you said "merely 400k" made me realize that those single salaries are more than my entire team(5 sysadmins and a manager)'s compensation.

[h1n99]

I mean that a bit sarcastically to be clear. It’s a ridiculously good income. If you read Blind, there are a lot of L5 that are so upset about not getting L6, I think it lacks perspective.

Yes I realize I’m saying this and I make a lot more, but if I was “stuck” at $400k I don’t think I would be upset.

The median household income in NYC is something around $75k.

[cebert]

400k isn’t that outrageous for higher level IC positions, especially in the NYC market.

[r2_pilot]

Oh I know, and usually I'm pretty jaded (I live in a lcol area so even tho I make less than than 75k I live comfortably). But tonight for some reason it really sunk in how cheap human labor in this area can be.

[sdiupIGPWEfh]

This makes me curious what the HN consensus is about reasonable salary ranges along the east coast.

[yodsanklai]

I'm an old L5 and I'm quite happy to stay at that level indefinitely. I make more than most people and I don't have the skills to handle pressure at L6.

[quickthrower2]

The $50k spend is interesting with NYC rents being so high, apparently

[h1n99]

1. We own at a low interest rate, so I don’t consider the principal part of payments to be spent. Barring NYC housing market crash, that money will come back. It’d be like counting money invested in index funds as “spent”.

2. Split completely evenly with partner. This also saves on “per household” things like internet, power, heating.

3. It’s still a big part of the spending, proportionately!

I just don’t spend that much. Don’t drink outside, don’t go out for dinner at fancy places, never order delivery (it doesn’t even taste good! Soggy food sucks!), don’t take Uber ever or even the subway much, ride a fixed gear bike around mostly. Exercise is using said bike rather than paying $300 for a fancy gym. Take vacations, but prefer camping and hiking to resorts or fancy expensive cities. Don’t stay in luxury hotels, have never considers paying for business class. My hobby is playing mostly cheap indie games that I still waited for a Steam sale on, and it’s all stuff like Rimworld that you play for 400 hours. Or watching free YouTube videos.

This is straight out of Mint (obviously rounded) so it’s not a lie!

[quickthrower2]

Nice, you are on “FIRE” by the looks of things. Impressed with both the income and that frugal setup!

[scsilver]

Would you like another mentee?

[h1n99]

I think I’m actually a pretty bad mentor!

I can’t really do the career or manager interaction stuff well because I don’t care about it personally and I don’t have any problems myself with my manager being incompetent or changing all the times.

I think that’s correlated with my somewhat unintentional success, but “have a better manager” or “don’t get reorged by directors playing game of thrones” isn’t actionable advice.

What I am good at is technical stuff, so if I have a person that is 1. technically competent and with the right attitude (IYKYK) and 2. good and technical manager then I and they do very well. But that’s very situational and also the technical stuff is very company specific.

[foobarian]

Well if not mentee how about some free money for referring a new hire :-D

[wyclif]

You should put your email in your profile.