I recently joined hardware DV team at Apple(3 yoe). I got master’s degree in computer engineering. I like my work but I am more inclined towards money than work profile as long as the my work involves intellectual thinking. I saw a lot of posts with high TC(mostly software) and now I am contemplating if I should continue my career in HW, as my primary career focus is money. However, I want to do enough research before making the move because my past exp will go in vain and I will have to start from the scratch. There is also a possibility that the pay is actually equivalent to SW in my domain but because there isn’t good amount of compensation data from top tier companies’ DV engineers, I believe that there is a big compromise in pay in DV. Can someone let me know how will my TC grow 5-6 yrs down the line from now if I continue in this domain? Am I too early to judge a domain based on this data? How difficult it will be to make a shift into SW(I have basic coding skills)and will it actually solve my concern? Can someone share their experience if already made this kind of switch? Current TC: Around 160k(including base and initial RSU grant) Location: Cupertino Grade: ICT3 I will also get yearly bonus and refreshers which I haven’t received yet as i joined 3 months back.
I switched from hardware. I'm like you: HW was fun but SW still uses the same part of the brain. I'd say that I liked HW slightly more but the job prospects are much, much better in software, and that ultimately impacts my happiness more. IMO your YOE won't go to waste. You have certainly grown as a professional in your 3 YOE, and that will stick with you at the next gig. You may down level in responsibility you can probably get a raise and will be a quick riser if you can code. One caveat is that I did do a lot of coding as part of my HW role (probably 50/50 with circuit design) and I was certain that I had aptitude for it prior to making the switch. That may not be universal.
Thanks for the update. Are you satisfied with your decision now? What was your tc before and after?
~65k to 250k over 6 years. I'm not in California. I'm definitely satisfied, there is much more opportunity in SW and I see the gap growing in the future as hardware gets more and more commoditized.