Currently at MSFT in bizops but have an offer from a startup to be a PM. It’s a huge pay cut (160kTC at MSFT vs 130k startup). Is it reasonable to be a PM for a year and upgrade comp after? What’s the typical PM salary over the years? Currently debating whether to stay at MSFT and attempt to internally transfer and keep my high comp + tech perks (along with paid for grad school) or if it’s better to do PM and hope to get comp later YOE: 2.5
$160k to $130k may seem like a big cut to you now, but it’s peanuts to the long term potential in PM. In the long run you can make $500k+ as a PM if you play your cards right. Even in the average case, you should be making 200k+ within 1-2 years as a PM. I personally took the plunge and gave up $220k+ TC at ~2 yoe in favor of a PM role at a startup (not Lyft) for 15% less base salary + non-liquid RSUs, because for me personally PM likely has the higher growth trajectory long term.
Lol really? "...Even in the average case, you should be making 200k+ within 1-2 years as a PM..." Please show me where that's true outside of FAANG.
Yeah I’m obv not including po dunk towns in that average lol. The point being is that it’s not hard to achieve $200k+ TC as a PM within a couple years at FAANG or top tier startup in a HCOL area. C’mon this guy is wavering between PM and bizops- this should be a no contest.
If your TC is $160K, and you live in an HCOL area, then your getting robbed. Your base salary is probably low.
1 - 40 2 - 60 3 - 80 4 - 110 5 - 150 6 - 220 7 - 300 8 - 360 9 - 450 I get about 30% every year. I can’t imagine that’ll continue. And that required aggressive promotions. But there you go.
Do you think stsying is better and just trying to move into pm internally?
Depends on your network. Moving into PM internally can be really good if you have support. On the other hand you can learn a lot from a startup and that can be quite fun so if you can handle the pay cut, it’s not a bad idea. It’s illegal to ask for salary around here so you can claim whatever you want on your next job and they can’t say shit. Take a few years, learn, have fun, and then go grab a higher up PM job somewhere else that pays you more. You’re already doing really well though. MS pays A LOT for early level PMs unlike other FAANG