How to compare offers from the Bay Area with offers from Seattle?
Assume I am getting the following numbers from Amazon/Microsoft in Seattle: How much compensation from Google/Facebook in the Bay Area I should expect to compete with this offer? Let's say the numbers are (Hypothetical numbers): 100 salary 30 Year 1 cash sign on 30 Year 2 cash sign on 40 RSU And both positions are the same level.
IMO, cost of living difference including taxes is around ~30% higher in Bay Area. But I notice Bay Area companies usually reduce their offers 5-10% for Seattle office roles, but some don’t to incentivize their offices up here. You probably won’t convince Bay Area companies to give you 30% more of your Seattle offers, though. So it really comes down where you want to live and what sacrifices you’re willing to make for that.
I just checked a couple of websites, including taxes, Bay Area is around 30% more expensive than Seattle. Definitely, Seattle is cheaper, but Bay Area has better weather and culture (personal opinion), but does that worth 30% salary, not sure. How should I negotiate with the company from the BA?
I guess it depends where in the Bay Area, yes I think SF has better nightlife/social scene. But the areas which have better weather are boring as hell. I felt no difference in weather between Seattle and SF. Seattle isn’t as rainy as people say, and SF has so much fog that it feels no different to Seattle’s cloud cover. I don’t know if you’ve lived in both, but that’s just my experience from spending several years in both places. I think you just tell them that disposable income is important to you. You can say I’m leaning toward them, but the numbers just don’t justify it. And ask if there is anything they can do. Honestly if it’s google and FB, they will probably just say we will put you in Seattle, as their offers usually arrive before team matching. So you probably have little leverage there.
Tax rates and cost of living should be main factors. Commute time might be another. I would say account for at least 40-50% higher. Whether similar roles would pay that much (or more) would be a different question.
How would you negotiate with the company from the BA? The offer that I get from Seattle is very generous, I know the company from the Bay Area does some matching of the competing offers.