[ArlenBales]

> For those who don’t know, a new grad going into any of the BigTech companies can make around $165K straight out of college

Maybe, if new grad is defined as:

- A remarkable programmer on their own time. i.e. Impressive Github profile, side projects, leetcode expert, etc. Just going through Comp Sci isn't going to get you hired at BigTech today.

- Someone with a fantastic network. Better hope you've got friends in high places or family with connections.

[scarface_74]

Go to salary.com and select any major city in the US and see what a senior software engineer makes.

Anecdotally, I spent my entire career between 1996- 2020 working local jobs in Atlanta. Which is not exactly a tech hub. Look at the compensation of your standard non tech well known companies that are either based in Atlanta or have a large presence like Delta, Home Depot, Coke, GE (GE Transportation), State Farm.

I’ve never studied a line of leetcode nor have I had a GitHub portfolio my entire career until 2021.

[ApolloFortyNine]

Amazon/Microsoft/Meta all hire new college grads, and all will have a total comp above 165k.

You do not need an impressive Github profile, these companies are almost entirely leetcode interview based.