I think theres a point of compensation that you reach where you just stop caring about the work or the company. If I was being payed that much a year, I'd be thinking about retiring early and trying to leave the working stiff life in as short of time as possible since with that compensation, its actually realistic to become a feudal lord in a few years especially buying into the market in a recession and riding the wave in the following years. 2-4 years of experience tells me they are right out of college too, so if you are fine with that standard of living you could realistically be living off 20k a year or less and the rest is just banked. Then in the back of your head you think if you ever do get laid off, you now have a title that was compensated at that much on your resume and new doors open for you, which you can take time opening with your massive nest egg.
Living off 20k a year in a Hcol, where these salaries primarily occur, is next to impossible. Rent alone anywhere in SF area, for example San Jose, is 2k at a bare minimum for a 1BR, or 3k for a 2BR split between a roommate at 1.5k each. That means rent is 18k-24k, not to mention other living expenses (car, utilities, food, travel to visit family, etc.)
If you went to school at say UCLA you are already used to living with a roommate in your bedroom (sometimes four). That's $1000 in san jose. Say you have a partner, now it doesn't even seem so desperate. Now you are at $12k rent alone. Fly spirit and buy the airfare long out to visit mom and dad when tickets are like $200 (i get emails for $49 spirit fares sometimes). call it $13000 with five visits home a year. Food wise you can easily do $50 a week groceries buying basic ingredients like fresh produce and rice or tortillas and beans. Now we are at about $16000 with all your needs met and about $4000 left over for any oddball expenses. SF area has bussing too, and bike lanes if you didn't want to bother with car expenses.
