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San Francisco, is 85k even worth considering for java dev?

1 points by devs1010 ↗ HN
I hate to be so blunt in asking a question like this but I have been doing a lot of research and trying to gauge whether I should even consider a potential offer for a job in S.F. of 85k (salary) to work as a java dev, they want someone with about 2 years java exp. It seems too low to me for cost of living (would be moving from out of area), I know this is highly subjective but I'm just trying to get a base here to basically decide if this is a reasonable-ish offer and, if it is, perhaps I need to look at moving to a different area than the Bay Area as basically I know I can get something similar in other areas where the cost of living is less (although probably as a contractor, not salary).

8 comments

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John94102
Depends on the company and the location. Post more info and I'll advise. I live in San Francisco.
devs1010
SOMA near AT&T.. I guess I'd say its a 'conservative' company (been around for decade + ), probably not a real 'cutting edge' job, def not a startup
anigbrowl
You can luve comfortably in SF on $85k and you'll have excellent networking opportunities. Is it a good price for your skills? Only you can say.

Edit: check the benefits package. Health insurance etc. matters too.

devs1010
Its a good package, basically I'm fine with this just about anywhere else but if I move near SF my housing cost almost doubles from what it is now out of state, (I have pets, fiance, etc so I can't just share a place with roommates), probably would have to commute into the city from further out using public transit
anigbrowl
We bought a place in the East Bay recently, although you need to be selective about what neighborhoods you want to live in (well, true anywhere). The funny thing is that that from North Oakland I can be downtown in 30 minutes including walking time to BART, whereas from the sunset district (west SF, where I am moving from...slowly) it takes an average of 70 minutes.
kls
2 years of Java is a junior role, if you have other programming experience other than Java then you may be a higher than that in pure technical skills, and may bump you over a junior in Java just by the sheer fact that you have seen other similar problems in different languages. That being said if you truly only have 2 years in Java and that is the extent of your experience then 85k sounds about right for a junior to me. The thing is, in development the line from junior salary to senior salary is pretty steep, while a junior may make 85-90k an senior with a little as 5 years can be north of 150k. The reason being is due to the fact that a quality senior can do the work of 4-5 juniors. In this field the economics favor the experienced.
devs1010
Ok, I think I see the situation then more clearly, the jump you speak of (from 85-90 to 150k) doesn't happen in some other areas as much, from what I can tell in my current location its much more linear and the quality of dev's overall is lower with less supply (thus someone in my shoes could be in higher demand), so perhaps I'm better off staying in a lower cost area until I do have more experience as my purchasing power is substantially higher.
kls
Well there are two sides to that coin, if you are good with technology you are going to become a senior much more rapidly in an environment like the valley. Because you are working in an area that attracts top talent as such you are going to get the benefit of learning under people that can advance and improve you. If you can try to find a company out there that will entertain a remote developer employee arrangement, it is the best of both worlds, you get to work with a team that is pushing technical innovation but you get the financial benefit of not living in such an expensive market.