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Ask HN: Compensation in Austin area?

6 points by pm90 ↗ HN
Hey Everyone, After almost a month of preparation and a lot of rejections and disappointments, I finally reached the final stages of an interview for a mid size company based in Austin. I was making around 70k base in my previous job in Austin, and this is definitely a more profitable and established company. How much should I be asking for? I'm currently asking for 100k base. Is that reasonable?

I've lived in Austin for a year, and definitely its not super cheap. Just living base expenses come to $2000 per month, not including any splurging on electronics or travel. 70k was just about ok for me: I saved 20k of it, but I definetly want to save more and not have to think about whether I should buy a coffee everyday or not.

Anyways, what I'm trying to ask is: can you please advise me on what Salaries are reasonable to expect? I think I would be pretty happy with 100k in Austin. Is that too less or too much? Any inputs would be greatly appreciated :)

Thanks everyone! I love you guys.

edit1: A little bit about my background... The position I'm looking at is more of a backend-heavy but fullstack developer position requiring expertise in Python. No, not Django, but more OpenStack kind of applications. I graduated with a MS in computer Science from a top 10 univ for CS in US, I've had 1 year work experience with Python, but I've been using Python since college. I'm pretty solid with Python and Javascript.

9 comments

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dustyfresh
I live in Austin currently. Could you provide more information on your background and what you do, and what your skill set is like? Thats really what is the main factor when negotiating pay. There are a ton of opportunities in Austin, and the startup scene here is great. However, without knowing what you do is hard for me or others to really give you the answer you are looking for.
pm90
Hey dustyfresh, just updated the question with my background. Let me know if I missed something!
fooaway
Well, if the offer comes in around your previous salary you can ask for more or a signing bonus to get you where you want. Otherwise, you need leverage. Without an equal opportunity otherwise, sometimes you just have to say No to the offer, if it is not competitive and keep on interviewing. They may come back later and give you what you want. However, this strategy should be balanced against the 20k you have and how far and how many interviews you've had. Expect rejection and give yourself 1-2 months.

Also, always make your own coffee and if not possible, buy drip coffee.

pm90
I do have a final interview at a big and well-renown company soon, and its kind of acting as leverage. I didn't mean for it, but the recruiter asked me where else I was interviewing and I was honest about it. That sped up the interview process quite a bit.

I do feel like the place is a nice one to work at. I like many of the people i interviewed with. But honestly, I'm the kind of person who dedicates a significant effort to his job. And I just want to be compensated well for it.

Honestly, having an idea of the progression of salaries of good programmers would be something I would really be interested in, just to have something to compare against. Right now, I'm out in the dark: I have to ask friends, and they are very reluctant to disclose that kind of information.

fooaway
Check glassdoor.com -- also check the h1b visa reports for similar companies in the area. Then add 20% or more.
alain94040
Don't give your number. Let the company make you their standard offer.

We can't really tell how much you are worth without knowing the position, your experience level, etc.

pm90
Well, they asked me for what ballpark I was looking at before the first technical interview. And when I named the number, they still went ahead with the process. I don't know how else I could have answered that question..?