For someone who is way out of this loop, what does a typical day look like for someone who make $300k at a "tech" job? $600k? Is it actually programming intensive? Like the guy who wrote the default calculator app on the iphone was making that kind of a salary? Or are you managing teams of programmers? Architecing? Is it something like 16 hour days are the norm?
Honestly it is not too different than working at a small product shop or consultancy. Except:
- typically less stress and fewer hours since everyone you work with is much more competent on average (def still have some dumb dumbs or the occasional psycho though)
- You have a deeper “bench” so if you are an elite performer (which you tend to be if you go small tech co to bug tech co) then there are more like you and you are not single threaded on everything. (Downside: you are much more replaceable and being “the guy” is much harder, very noticeable at the Sr/staff/+ levels)
- You code way less. Much fewer “at bats” a lot more reading, researching, working across teams, figuring out the best solution, having it reviewed and then a relatively quick implementation.
Note: the 300k to 600k jump can happen shockingly easy (without promo) if RSU grants appreciate well and refreshers are generous. Doing it the “hard way” (assuming RSUs stay flat) is hard. You need to design, convince others to build, and help build truly impactful systems AND make sure you get a big chunk of the credit.
I worked at Google. $300k is a few years out of college if you do ok and get promoted once. You write code and maybe onboard a junior now and then. 8 hour workdays, but nobody checks so you can work less if you want. So it is just a regular coding job.
Your mistake is thinking these are substantially different jobs than any other. Don't fall into the Just World fallacy where you try to justify why compensation is so high by assuming there must be some hidden tradeoff. The tech job market just isn't very efficient.
At Google making 300k total comp means you're probably a high-performing L4 or a new L5 (senior). Your day can look like absolutely anything.
I know people making 300k that are writing hundreds of lines of high-quality code in important systems every single day for years in a row and also doing code reviews, system design, etc. Very productive engineers doing traditional tasks.
I also know people at that level who spend their days watching YouTube videos and hoping nobody notices. On many teams, nobody ever does. It's easier to hire one extra person at these big companies than to fire one.
All these two people have in common is that they can pass an interview and they know how to write an email.
(Aside: the latter category makes me pretty angry because I know so many good programmers in India, Eastern Europe, etc who could change their whole families' lives with that kind of money but can't get it from a lazy American)
