other than great pay, what does SV offer you that no other place in the US would? this is for US Citizens as im sure Visa holders are bound to a company
Visa holders aren’t bound to a company. Though, its true, we get more options once we get a green card. I’d move to San Diego even if I took up to a 30% pay cut. If there was tech in Hawaii I’d take a larger pay cut for that. I won’t move to the East Coast for even a 30-40% hike. Too much hustle there. West coast vibe is better suited to creativity.
Many visa holders (e.g., H1B) ARE bound to a company. The trick is that you can change that company
Weather.
Whether you work in Silicon Valley or some other tech hub does not really matter a whole lot for corporate employees if we take out pay. That said, there's an appeal to working at HQ because that's where strategic decisions are usually made. It matters more when you are a founder and need the network (i.e. investors, other founders). Or when you want to work at a specific startup in SV.
The ability for 50% of my comp to go to taxes.
1 gazillion
Flip it: what would it take for you to move to Sillycon Valley?
TC and TC only
Nothing. Family, friends, access to travel and culture, and weather is hard to beat.
I didn’t really like the weather in the Bay Area. Much happier with the variety of seasons on Seattle. I left SF a couple years ago. It’s just much cleaner and pleasant here in Seattle. Also housing is half the price.
I'm sure you say things that are not popular opinions all the time. Ever noticed this while in team meetings?
Lmao Google what Bay Area are you living in?
The same concentration of highly skilled tech talent, number of top tech companies, comparable pay and working hours, safe living environment, and temperate climate could induce a move. I don't know of anywhere else that can match SV in all these criteria.
Yawn
Honestly! I can vouch Socal is lacking a lot of brain cells and I feel like most people are very settled (married with kids) so they have no drive to advance their hard skills anymore at a time when tech doesn’t stop for anyone.