How do people who work in non-tech jobs sustain themsleves in the bay area or California for that matter? I am assuming the pay isnt the best.
They marry each other. Combined that's at least 2-3 hundred something.
The link I just posted is from a lawyer married to a SWE who could not make it in Palo Alto so they moved to Santa Cruz
Not everyone in tech can make it in PA too. Even with two household tech income
https://shift.newco.co/2016/08/10/Letter-of-Resignation-from-the-Palo-Alto-Planning-and-Transportation-Commission/#.xw31895r0 This letter, now kinda forgotten, is an eye opener
Seems like a gross exaggeration. SDE + lawyer couple should be making 500k+ which is a lot for a couple with no kids even in Palo Alto.
I don’t know where they each work, and have little idea what starting is for a company counsel lawyer. I know civil service lawyers make around $160k. I know some SWEs start less than that plus some modest RSU or a startup and make less with a small shot at riches down the road. Not everyone works at FAANG. Her point was to purchase that house in 2016 would cost about $150k a year out of their take home income . If they were making 500k, that would be affordable. Apparently, they were not.
It really depends on where they live and work in the Bay Area. Some counties and parts of counties are significantly more expensive than others. The same holds true for the rest of the state. Don’t extrapolate San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to the rest of the state.
I’ll be in that situation starting in a couple weeks. Comp more than makes up for the cost difference and I’m coming from O&G which already pays very well.
What kind of child care and general contracts do you mean?
Who will serve the food at restaurants and fast-food places? How do people who work at gas stations and convenient stores survive? Gas is expensive too - 2 hr+ round trip each day in gas costs?
They live in a house or apartment with 15 other people
I commute 1.5 hours one way from pleasanton to San Francisco. Only way to buy a affordable house.
I know somebody that does the same from Livermore to Campbell. That sounds horrible.
Depends on the job. Control spending?
They work two jobs and live in Gilroy or in an RV. It is not sustainable regarding public services for instance.
That’s unfortunate