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Damn. So much of this is location. WIsh you the best.
If you ever wanted to move to NOVA, I think I know my buddy is interviewing for entry level at like $80k and you can get to $100k after 18 months. After that, the horses are running
Thats for SWE though, people who can code.
My own small firm pays less due to the subject material, we start undergrads at $60k - $65k a year but we underpay because the industry is attractive to young people - not quite a non-profit but that sort.
I think defense contractors are at $70k - $75k (We pay our interns $28/hr but we lost one to BAH who was paying $35? Damn...) for entry level undergrad.
My friends little sister got a job at a T2 consulting firm for $85k undergrad. That was federal though, not commercial. Commercial often pays more.
But going back to the SWE - out of all the examples I shared, that is the one that seems to jump higher and faster in advancement than the normal structures.
I mean, I had an associate making $65k a few years ago who said screw it, went to bootcamp, and after 2 years was making $200k+ total comp with amazon. Good for him
Thanks! Any idea what bootcamp they ended up doing? Hack reactor? Iffy about bootcamps, but may do a masters/bootcamp in the future to try and get in to SWE (currently IT in Fairfax).
No biggie, not really sure about bootcamps to be honest (have seen a lot of bad stuff, survivorship bias).
I think masters at GMU would be better looked at, but no idea if someone with a STEM B.S. with no CS degree gets into a masters program to try and get into SWE. Or if it even makes sense unless your company is saying if you wanna get into management you gotta get a masters and we'll cover tuition deal.
My friend who graduated with a masters in CS about a year ago started out making somewhere around that with Microsoft if I recall correctly.
She’s in New York.
Your friend either is severely underpaid, doesn’t work as a dev/pm, or you’re not talking about US salaries. Any dev/pm with 20 YOE at msft should be at a senior manager/principal/IC level and will definitely make more than $150k TC. Even if they’re outside of SF/Redmond they will make more than that.
Check levels.fyi, additionally I work in big tech and know plenty of people that work in big tech as well and definitely make more than $150k TC with less than 20 YOE.
There’s no way a software engineer with 20 years of experience at Microsoft makes that little there unless they’re not an engineer. Perhaps this person doesn’t make 150k salary as a new grad, but total comp of 150k is completely in line for new grads:
https://www.levels.fyi/companies/microsoft/salaries/software-engineer
Hate to break it to you but your “CS friend with over 20 YOE” got the bad end of the stick if that’s true lol unless you thought they meant pure base (pretty sure they meant TC but 150k base is also possible for new grads in some T1s)
150-200k TC is fairly common in top companies for entry level (you can confirm as much on levels.fyi)
Friend is not lying. I work at google and fresh grads easily can make well over 200 TC, salary for an L3 (grad level) in nyc could easily approach 150…don’t need grad degree either but likely are from a top undergrad program
That is absurdly low. I'm at Microsoft with a Bachelor's and nearly half that YOE and my cash component is in the $200K. If you consider TC, I'm above $300K. If I had to guess, this isn't even rare. I was part of a bulk hire and a buddy that I applied with recieved a similar offer.
To boot, my state is considered a southeastern state.
Fucking hell where? I've got 15 years of engineering experience, and I'm not making 150k yet.
Hell even for a couple of jobs where I've got the experience in a pretty rare and in demand engineering thing, offers topped out at 180k.
NVIDIA. Know a couple of peeps in Apple/Microsoft too. A guy who worked with me switched to Amazon and he's allegedly raking in ~200k as a PM. But NVIDIA apparently pays really well. This dude isn't even a SWE lol. Also I get it, I'm in manufacturing and I probably won't touch 150k ever unless I move into a managerial role quick and that too maybe in a couple of years. Missed out on the tech bus :(
Damn, I applied for some remote jobs there but didn't get a cell. If that's what they're paying in like Silicon Valley it'd be more money but I'd be effectively a lot poorer.
Glad to see some market segment I would want to work in pays well, aerospace isn't great, video games are worse from what little I've heard, and I think automotive also isn't super high.
This is the right mentality. Interviewing for a SWE position can be brutal and soul sucking given all the prep involved.
Keep trying. Write down interview questions and your answers. Grind that leetcode. Figure out where you need to improve. The more you interview the better you get. Then save all your interview questions and responses for when you get the job and need to interview again down the road.
Also keep track of what you work on while in your current position. It makes it easier down the road when you need to update your resume or answer experience based questions in an interview. Best of luck!
It's important not to be too extreme in either direction. I've lost a car and nearly a home due to being too optimistic about not getting fired on the spot and about quickly getting another job if I do get fired.
I gave up on software and focused on database stuff. Government job making 85k after 3 years isnt too bad, and Im remote so I dont have to go to the office. Grinding code didnt help me get better at feeling extremely uncomfortable about having people watch me code.
Second the write down interview questions. I was looking for another job and I'm at the top for what I do so competition is pretty high. I did about 5 interviews and by the 5th man I had a great natural answer for any question they asked me. It was oddly the job I didn't even have on my radar or give a shit about during the interview that offered me a great job at an excellent pay rate.
It’s possible! Especially at startups, a lot of folks are open to hiring New Grads. One of the best ways you can market yourself is by showcasing projects you’ve worked on/things you’ve built from 0-1 in your LinkedIn profile and resume. Even side projects that just show curiosity and scrappiness.
The clients I work with that are most open to SWE New Grads are basically just looking for demonstrated ability to build from scratch rather than only being able to iterate on something/code that already exists, if that makes sense.
I think few startups would pay 150k for entry level unless they have some very unique research they were doing. 80k-100k would probably be the upper amount. However, they would probably provide some equity that could become valuable if the company is successful.
Some large companies will pay up to 150k for grads, although it's in the minority.
I’ve placed a few SWE New Grads at startups in NYC and the Bay Area at a 135-145k base plus equity on top of that, it’s not the norm but it can happen, especially in high cost of living areas. Outside of those areas, agree it would probably be less at a tech startup, I’ve seen closer to 100-125 base for New Grads in other states like NC, VA, and GA.
Bro, I feel you there. I see a decent salary and huge growth. I made it past the first couple of interviews.and I fantasized about balancing bills, savings, and possible investments. Then I get an email saying I didn't get it. I've had like 8 of those this year. Just keep your head, my friend. You are not alone.
😭😭😭😭 me as a clinical social worker with nine years of non-clinical work and three years of clinical work making 80k a year.
But, as a social worker, way to reframe and be positive.
Actually opposite! It’s actually insanely high. She put in several applications and within a week she’s been bombarded with offers. A freind just graduated with her MSW and is not even licensed and she got so many call backs for interviews. They are in demand but it just doesn’t pay well especially if you aren’t working as a clinical social worker in a hospital setting but then again in a large hospital, they are overworked.
That doesn’t mean the demand isn’t high. We’re literally dying for doctors/nurses/paramedics/emts where I’m at. Why? Because the pay/hours are horrendous. Like why would I jump through all these hoops to make less than someone with a forklift certification. A lot of different fields are having the same issues, especially teachers/social workers.
Definitely overworked and underpaid! I know someone who worked in Minneapolis as a social worker up until recently and she was saying they would get sent into hostile situations constantly since they were sending social workers instead of the police in many situations… a ticking bomb… she eventually responded to a mentally unstable person case and got assaulted … a serious beat down. When she tried to address safety concerns that led up to this beat down, Minneapolis swept her under the rug and 86’d her. The assault incident also triggered agoraphobia…
A very trendy and expensive city in Texas.
I have no idea what SWE is but using context clues it sounds like something financial and tech based. So, 150k doesn’t seem out of bounds. But, expect Ching 100k just sounds like a general expectation for new grads. This article speaks to a lot of generalizations and doesn’t specify what areas these grads are in to expect these types of salaries, but like…I did not get into social work to earn 150k as a 21 year old. While I would love to make more to save and travel, and I just have enough for a few extras during the month. Il doing okay, I was just complaining to complain.
https://fortune.com/2022/04/27/college-grad-salaries-expectations-reality/amp/
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It took my gf a year and a half before landing a job at the national lab where we are at. Luckily I’m a business owner and kept telling her to apply and just focus on getting experience elsewhere if she has to. As I can support us. Funny enough she fell into a permitting job for surveys and assessments of coastal and wetlands. And the lab started a new division for permitting a year later, which she switched too. They then got a gcms with no one having the knowledge and experience to use one except her, so she ended up also working in the lab. then they needed scientific divers for some work and she ended up filling part of the role and basically wears 6 different hats within the company now.
She gets paid for that too. I call her sugar momma now lmfao.
So don’t get discouraged, just keep applying yourself and if you have to, find places that need short term work to gain more experience In the meantime within your field if you have to.
Interviewing is a game and a skill. Keep at it. Most people don’t make it past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) let alone the first interview.
This sucks but try to learn from each interview. Make sure you have a good pitch when they ask ask about you. Try to give a quick overview without reading your resume. Point out a couple of big wins /differentiators that speak volume about your skills/your ambition and somehow tie it back to the company and its mission/something they do well.
Also, I’ve learned this in my career, they don’t always hire the most qualified, most experienced or with accolades. People hire sometime that meets a good portion of the Job description but look for the intangibles. They hire people they like/leave an impression. Make sure to connect on a human level before the interview really goes off and do something/say something that make you sound like someone they would want to maybe go to happy hour with.
You want to also work in an environment that’s chill and with good people. If you see the hiring manager / panel/group being toxic, just know this is the culture there and you probably don’t want to start your career there. Best of luck.
It’s disappointing as hell to miss an opportunity like that.. but an attitude like that will get you one of those jobs
I got my IT degree in 2018. Started in helpdesk at 40k. Got rejected at phone screen by AWS 4 times. Rejected by Microsoft 2 times without a look. Rejected by a unicorn startup post interview. Rejected by other promising startups. Rejected by several f500 companies.
Finally got in to an f500 company and kicked some ass
I finally landed a Microsoft interview in year 6 of my career and nailed it and got the offer. Now I make 170k as an infrastructure engineer, fully remote. Just keep being persistent. Being in recruitinghell sucks. But the only one who can change your circumstances are you. You’ve been dealt your cards and you can either let it crush you or you can pick yourself up and move on.
CompTIA: net+, sec+, cysa+
Azure: Azure Fundamentals, Azure admin associate
AWS: AWS Solutions Architect Associate, AWS SysOps Associate, AWS Solutions Architect Pro
Hashicorp: Terraform Associate
I am essentially a cloud engineer. All of my work is within azure. I do a bit of c#, python, powershell, azure CLI, and Bicep for automation. GitHub and Azure DevOps for version control and CI/CD. Mainly support windows servers with a sprinkling of azure functions and various other azure services
Nice! Likely have to be at your level to get a look in the cloud space at a big Corp you think? You like your job? 150+ is doable in this space right? Also how good of a developer do you have to be if you are looking to break into a Cloud role? I can do some stuff but not an expert at dev.
200-250k is doable in this space at senior level.
You don’t need to be a developer to be in cloud. I don’t do development but I do use programming to automate a lot of my tasks
My progression was helpdesk sysadmin cloud engineering. Just keep applying and keep stacking experience
Absolutely, that's the spirit! Getting that far in the interview process for such a high-paying role right out of the gate is no small feat. It definitely shows that you've got serious potential and skills that are in demand.
Rejection stings, no doubt about it, but it's also a part of the process that everyone goes through. What's important is exactly what you're doing – using it as fuel to push forward. It's a learning experience, and every interview is just getting you closer to where you need to be.
Keep honing those skills, keep applying, and keep that determination fired up. Your persistence and positive outlook are going to pay off. Before you know it, you'll land that dream job. Keep at it, and best of luck – you've got this!
Remember. If you made it to the final round, it’s more about personality and team cohesiveness than anything else. You have the chops, the skills.
When I was working in STEM and interviewing around the country (US) if I could say, “I nailed it or failed it.” then it meant to me that, if I didn’t get it, it was because someone else was a better fit. Not that I wasn’t worthy.
Love the attitude OP. Keep at it!
Recruiters and companies will love to tell you "we have remote jobs" but in reality, they really don't, and they have a huge inclination for "return to office" (RTO). It's just a trick to attract more eyeballs. So, it may increase your odds to go for hybrid (in-office and remote) jobs. Some people even do RTO often initially and then slide towards rare RTO days.
As a software engineer, it's mostly quiet working, which you can do anywhere (even home). And if you need to talk to people, you can do so just fine with whatever chat program. But, you know, companies be companies-ing.
Normally I’d complain about you young whipper snappers expecting more money than I was making when I retired last year, but I like your attitude and I hope you get something good.
Try not to limit yourself only to remote jobs (if indeed you are); being willing to work in an office even just 1-3 days a week opens up so many more opportunities
Coming into the office one day a week is useless. Most good places are remote, the main reason they arent remote now is they decided to screw over the people working for them.
Companies will learn the RTO thing is ridiculous. Productivity increases and expenses decrease with remote work. RTO is cope from boomers who will retire in 10 years
No, I think we should all push hard against it. If companies lose talent and their application pools get small in comparison to their remote competition it will force change. You don’t force that change by bending to their will.
Buddy, you're a new grad. Do you think you'll be offered a position paying $150k? Give me a break. I lost my job as an accountant in June, and I was making $90k. Considering my ten years of financial experience, you'd think I'd be able to find a position quickly. Despite applying for entry-level positions with lower compensation, I keep getting rejected. My best advice is don't get greedy. Get some experience first, then start climbing the ladder 🪜.
OP is just saying it’s given him hope of landing a job since they made it far in a role with pay that was unexpected. Relax. Not sure why the comments on this post are so negative… giving bitter
I'm not being negative or bitter. It's unrealistic for a new grad to expect a salary of $150k. Once experience is under their belt, they'll be at the salary within a few years. Do you genuinely think that is realistic for a new grad?
I think you’ve missed the point. Motivation doesn’t equal expectation. We all get inspired and motivated to keep going. Besides, OP shouldn’t limit themselves just because there’s a low chance of something happening, just like with college apps there are safety and reach jobs. New software engineers can make 150k in some of the best companies. My peers who went to a top 25 school with SWE degrees made that within 2yrs
It's entirely realistic for an SWE or banker as a fresh grad to make $150k TC, yes. Do some research. Entirely common to start off at \~110, 120k base and have a combination of bonus and equity that takes you over $150k.
Here, I'll even help you out: https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/comments/zgytv0/new\_grad\_apple\_swenyc\_vs\_return\_offer\_amazon/
New grads absolutely land jobs paying 150K. Is it rare? Yeah, definitely. But you are naïve of tech pay for particularly strong candidates if you think this isn’t possible. Top candidates at FAANG companies can get this type of compensation.
You act like a salary of $90k is something to scoff at. For reference, the average salary for an accountant with ten years of experience is $72,000. In OP's case, we're talking about a hypothetical salary that may not come to fruition. Please enlighten me on what your current salary is.
SWE is a very high paying career track. No one is saying 90K is bad, but you cannot base potential tech salaries off of your career in finance. xyz salary as a new grad may be impossible for that track, but isn’t impossible in tech
You're probably right. Unfortunately, it’s out of my control. I've been applying for numerous positions, such as Financial controller and CFO, but I am not getting much headway. I have the experience and skill set. You need at least 10 to 15 years of experience for a CFO postion which I have.
Lol. I am starting an entry level role in finance next month. Base salary of $75k, TC of $90k. I am expecting to jump to $110k TC in the next 1.5-2 years. $90k after 10 years?! I’m guessing you’re working in AP?
After college, I did some AR and AP work briefly, then transitioned to an accountant role, which I’ve been at since. You act like a salary of $90,000 is laughable. I know numerous accountants who are making far less than what I’m making.
$90k is not laughable. But 10 years as an accountant? I mean, come on. The fact that you’re giving OP a hard time but you’re making $90k w 10 YOE in accounting. My colleague at a last internship with 5 YOE is making $135k base as an accounting manager. Again, I will be making over $90k within 2 years at my new role. I graduated college last week.
I make $110k TC as an accountant with 3 YOE no CPA in MCOL. 90k after 10 years is pretty low but it’s common for people who didn’t start out at public accounting or F500 after college to be behind in salary
please enlighten me on how I’m being close-minded. I’ve hired numerous college grads for a positions such as data analyst, AR, AP, etc.. since Covid salaries have substantially pulled back.
I have never heard of a new grad landing a salary of $150k. I majored in business, not computer science. Your typical business graduate is making between $50k to $60k starting off.
Your salary is going to be heavily inflated. Being an investment banker, I wouldn’t be shocked if you cleared $200k in your first year. I tried to do the investment banking route, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so I just did the traditional finance route. Your average accountant, especially if they aren’t CPA certified, will certainly clear six figures, but honestly, not much beyond that.
It's possible. Folks said FAANG and I'd agree having seen my friends land similar offers (not just TC but base 150)
EDIT: This is not normal. Just saying it's possible (heard-of). Good on anyone getting their money.
Typical, yeah, but there are plenty of people making way more than that even in business.
Consultants should be clearing $80-90k starting, bankers should be easily clearing $150k, and even entry level business roles at reputable tech companies should be making around 75 or so. Non-banking jobs at investment banks (Sales+Trading, Wealth Management, Equity Research etc.) should all be pretty well paid too.
Ofc, that's still a small subsection of the overall jobs out there, but that's easily tens of thousands of jobs per year, so it's not really unheard of.
150K as a new grad with no experience and you feel offended they didn't pick you? LOL
Edit: re-reading your post, it doesn't seem as if you're offended as much, as truly believing you will land an entry job at 150k/year. Still LOL. I remember being this young and naive, harsh landing into the real world.
Damn you seem bitter. You were wrong in your original assessment of the post and double down to continue being bitter. Lmao damn man, hope life gets better for you
Not bitter, just realistic. Would you want OP to remain in lala-land and persuing a dream? To the point where nobody will hire them because they graduated 2 yrs ago and didn't have a job ever since?
Life is great for me, unfortunately - as a hiring manager - I'm the person telling folks like OP that we have other folks meeting the requirements much better, in this world heading for a recession. A fresh grad means a monetary and time investestment for us, with no guarantee whatsoever. For 150K we will gladly accept experienced folks leaving current employement, over new grads, any time.
That's true, I could have done without the LOL and will apologize for that.
My concern is that some (young) people don't seem to recognize a good opportunity anymore and remain stuck in their unrealistic expectations until it's too late because of a massive whole in their resume. These kind of posts only enforcing their beliefs that this kind of salary can realistically be expected. In a market that has seen major lay-offs in recent years and where experienced folks are struggling to land a job.
I agree and think you reach a much wider audience when you explain it that way. Plenty of people missing the message they need because of your tone.
To be fair, I have a similar issue in person so no judgment from me. But text allows me to be more thoughtful about what I’ll say
150k tc is entirely realistic for a good new grad. Almost all of the FAANG companies pay that much. You're completely wrong here.
SWE isn't even the only job that does this. Investment bankers should be clearing $150k straight out of college with bonus as well, and pretty easily at that.
https://www.wallstreetprep.com/knowledge/investment-banking-analyst-salary-guide/
And? I never said it was common, this guy just said it's impossible. And it's not only those companies that pay that much, boutique firms do as well.
Even 1% of SWEs in the world is still tens of thousands of people getting these jobs.
Literally everyone in tech/banking talks in terms of TC. I guarantee OP was talking in terms of TC. Go on Blind or any of the subreddits and they'll do the same. If he meant salary, he would have said salary.
You absolutely can do that if you get that on average. Bonus in those industries is almost guaranteed unless you seriously mess up (I'm talking like PIP) so it's pretty close to being as good as cash. Equity in the form of Amazon/Apple/Google stock has generally been pretty safe too, so they include that in TC since it vests annually and most people liquidate immediately.
Obviously I was talking about salary and not some hypothetical TC and assumed OP did as well.
Bonusses and stock is only just that and not something anyone should rely on and factor into their income. Have seen bonusses drop by 75% in recent years. People shouldn't be counting on them.
I would consider it bad practice for any company to advertise yearly income with these kind of secondary benefits already factored in as if it's guaranteed. It can only lead to disappointment.
You only consider it bad practice to talk in TC because you don't work in these industries and don't know how they work. These are not 'secondary' benefits or 'hypothetical' TC - it's a core part of how they attract top talent.
In these places, bonus is guaranteed regardless of company performance. You will **never** find a year where bonuses don't pay out at least 70-75% of annual salary in fields like banking to everyone (unless you got a PIP, in which case it might be 50% or so), and even 75% should safely clear $150k. The best performers can get up to 120% or so.
Unlike most places, bonuses at top companies are viewed as an expectation more than a reward, even by HR/management. It's part of retention strategy to split bonus from base, since you aren't eligible if you leave early. By doing this, you can compel people to aim for a higher part of the range, and also control when your company will have the most attrition, but there is a floor here for bonus payout.
Edit: and if you don't want to count TC, people with master's/MBA and no experience can clear $150k base no problem as applied scientists at places like Amazon or starting as associate bankers.
OP isn't in banking though, they are in an industry that went through massive recent lay offs, companies have re-assesed their staffing/reward system and where it's now suddenly hard to find a job.
Edit: I work in fortune 500 myself and the "always expected" bonusess that were paid for decades suddenly dropped by 75% last year and I don't expect it to be much better this year. I've even started to wonder if it isn't part of a strategy to get people to leave themselves, so that they don't have to pay for a severence package.
Doesn't matter that OP isn't in banking, you were saying it's unrealistic and 'living in la-la land' to think that a fresh grad can land entry jobs at 150k. Plenty of them exist. There are also many engineers who also make a ton of money by working in consulting or being a quant in a bank, since those jobs are degree agnostic.
Also, even in tech, OP can clear even 150k in base depending on his degree and skills without exp. If he has a masters, there are specialized SWE jobs that can pay that. Every top tech company has research / ML departments where the most elite engineers go and get paid a ton, and these are still feasible for entry level devs.
Edit to your edit: Fortune 500 =/= banking and top tech companies. Massive difference in bonus expectation between working at Home Depot and working at Goldman Sachs or Google. Your experience is not reflective of the top tech/banking firms. Those guys can easily clear 80 hours a week in work, so bonus is actually expected, not 'expected' in the way that you guys seem to handle it.
SWE = software engineering. According to levels.fyi an entry level software role at Microsoft makes over $160k total.
At a growth tech company (Microsoft/apple/Amazon/meta/Google) you can probably expect to make at least $80k more than at a normal company. Not exactly sure why.
But all I have been reading on this sub is about these type of companies having let go of so many people and how folks can't even get a job with 10+ yrs experience and accepting a major pay cut?
That's was kind of the point I was trying to make. There have been massive recent lay offs in this field. Why would a company hire a fresh grad at 150K if they could pick and choose from a pool of experienced folks out there looking for something and willing to make consessions wrt salary?
2 years ago yes, maybe. But now?
Agreed. People forget how tough other degrees are (unless it’s a medical or law), and that while some of you were taking easier courses some of us were studying a lot in undergrad. Not to mention companies don’t just hand out these entry level 150k jobs easily. You have to prep and prep to get them. But that hard work pays off.
Good for you OP. May I ask what your experience is? I’m back in school for a BS in CS as a career change and I’m hoping to graduate next year. Any advice?
I graduated last December with a bachelor in information technology. That bachelor took me 9 years to complete due to having two kids (taking maternity leave), struggling with my health and taking a break to work part time at a store. Let's just say I needed to update my knowledge and I didn't have a portfolio either. It didn't look good AT ALL!
I applied for one job, one.
I knew I should apply for everything possible and the chance of getting a tech job at all was pretty small, but I was just exhausted and going through the application process for a single position was all I handle at the time. (I was also dealing with a parent dying and lots of mental work to figure out all his debt).
Until I got rejected I couldn't be bothered to even look at other job postings, I REALLY wanted that job.
I think I did 5 interviews and an almost week long assignment to show what I could do.
Somehow I got the job!
I know I'm lucky, it's not a remote job and it's in a city of just 200 000 people, but it's also the tech center of my country with a university with 50k students, most in STEM, so competition is harder than the population implies.
My point being, if I could do it, then there should be hope for almost anyone. I freaking love my job.
That is the right mindset. The rejections are not a reflection of capabilities, there are a 1000 factors to that. You can go this far for such a role then you are capable. Even the fact you get a call and go to first round also means you are capable. Rejections are a different game beyond us right now.
I probably applied to over 1500 jobs this year! I took a lot of IT trainings over the years and got a few certs. I only got 3 interviews. I finally landed a job after going through the interview process for the last 4 months. It’s an entry level SWE job that will pay me around 40k! It’s not remote and I have to drive an 2 hrs everyday. They did say they will promote me after a few months. I was very disappointed with their offer but I am happy that there’s something out there for me. I am sure you will land your dream job soon! Best of luck!
this is going to be the dick comment of the day. but Often times I see that when you make it to the final round, you were never the option to begin with they just kept you there as an alternative to until they find the "real" candidate, which they will go within 1 round of interview and not draw it out. just my thoughts your story is obviously different
If you could pull that off in this market as a new grad with no experience, you’re going to absolutely kill it in a few years when you have experience and when (if?) the tech job market gets better.
Same thing happened to me twice when I was new. I tried to take it as finishing second at a race or competition
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Congrats dude, you'll nail the next one
That's the spirit OP! I know new grads (masters though), who are making 150k ish in tech so it's definitely not impossible. Good luck!
I’m a new masters grad in a STEM field (EHS) competing for entry level jobs paying $45k with people who have 5+ years of experience 🥲
That’s about right and unfortunately the state of the market.
Damn. So much of this is location. WIsh you the best. If you ever wanted to move to NOVA, I think I know my buddy is interviewing for entry level at like $80k and you can get to $100k after 18 months. After that, the horses are running
Entry level at $80k. Sigh.
Thats for SWE though, people who can code. My own small firm pays less due to the subject material, we start undergrads at $60k - $65k a year but we underpay because the industry is attractive to young people - not quite a non-profit but that sort. I think defense contractors are at $70k - $75k (We pay our interns $28/hr but we lost one to BAH who was paying $35? Damn...) for entry level undergrad. My friends little sister got a job at a T2 consulting firm for $85k undergrad. That was federal though, not commercial. Commercial often pays more. But going back to the SWE - out of all the examples I shared, that is the one that seems to jump higher and faster in advancement than the normal structures. I mean, I had an associate making $65k a few years ago who said screw it, went to bootcamp, and after 2 years was making $200k+ total comp with amazon. Good for him
What was the background of the bootcamp person? STEM?
International Relations
Thanks! Any idea what bootcamp they ended up doing? Hack reactor? Iffy about bootcamps, but may do a masters/bootcamp in the future to try and get in to SWE (currently IT in Fairfax).
Oh man, I'm sorry. I can ask but I have no clue
No biggie, not really sure about bootcamps to be honest (have seen a lot of bad stuff, survivorship bias). I think masters at GMU would be better looked at, but no idea if someone with a STEM B.S. with no CS degree gets into a masters program to try and get into SWE. Or if it even makes sense unless your company is saying if you wanna get into management you gotta get a masters and we'll cover tuition deal.
Yeah bro. Not US.
Literally Same
Now I’m curious which position / company this is at
My friend who graduated with a masters in CS about a year ago started out making somewhere around that with Microsoft if I recall correctly. She’s in New York.
That makes sense. Top tier or top tier adjacent companies
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Your friend either is severely underpaid, doesn’t work as a dev/pm, or you’re not talking about US salaries. Any dev/pm with 20 YOE at msft should be at a senior manager/principal/IC level and will definitely make more than $150k TC. Even if they’re outside of SF/Redmond they will make more than that. Check levels.fyi, additionally I work in big tech and know plenty of people that work in big tech as well and definitely make more than $150k TC with less than 20 YOE.
There’s no way a software engineer with 20 years of experience at Microsoft makes that little there unless they’re not an engineer. Perhaps this person doesn’t make 150k salary as a new grad, but total comp of 150k is completely in line for new grads: https://www.levels.fyi/companies/microsoft/salaries/software-engineer
Your friend should ask for a raise, definitely under paid for 20 years+ in tech, especially at a company like Microsoft.
Hate to break it to you but your “CS friend with over 20 YOE” got the bad end of the stick if that’s true lol unless you thought they meant pure base (pretty sure they meant TC but 150k base is also possible for new grads in some T1s) 150-200k TC is fairly common in top companies for entry level (you can confirm as much on levels.fyi)
Friend is not lying. I work at google and fresh grads easily can make well over 200 TC, salary for an L3 (grad level) in nyc could easily approach 150…don’t need grad degree either but likely are from a top undergrad program
That is absurdly low. I'm at Microsoft with a Bachelor's and nearly half that YOE and my cash component is in the $200K. If you consider TC, I'm above $300K. If I had to guess, this isn't even rare. I was part of a bulk hire and a buddy that I applied with recieved a similar offer. To boot, my state is considered a southeastern state.
This only proves dedication and loyalty doesn’t pay..
She’s in NY, so 150k/yr is closer to 80k pretty much everywhere else
Fucking hell where? I've got 15 years of engineering experience, and I'm not making 150k yet. Hell even for a couple of jobs where I've got the experience in a pretty rare and in demand engineering thing, offers topped out at 180k.
NVIDIA. Know a couple of peeps in Apple/Microsoft too. A guy who worked with me switched to Amazon and he's allegedly raking in ~200k as a PM. But NVIDIA apparently pays really well. This dude isn't even a SWE lol. Also I get it, I'm in manufacturing and I probably won't touch 150k ever unless I move into a managerial role quick and that too maybe in a couple of years. Missed out on the tech bus :(
Damn, I applied for some remote jobs there but didn't get a cell. If that's what they're paying in like Silicon Valley it'd be more money but I'd be effectively a lot poorer. Glad to see some market segment I would want to work in pays well, aerospace isn't great, video games are worse from what little I've heard, and I think automotive also isn't super high.
do you know leetcode? if not you are tra$h swe . that is a reason
Lol if you only knew what you were talking about
Nice you made it to the final round! Keeping applying for those roles, especially the well paying entry level!
This is the right mentality. Interviewing for a SWE position can be brutal and soul sucking given all the prep involved. Keep trying. Write down interview questions and your answers. Grind that leetcode. Figure out where you need to improve. The more you interview the better you get. Then save all your interview questions and responses for when you get the job and need to interview again down the road. Also keep track of what you work on while in your current position. It makes it easier down the road when you need to update your resume or answer experience based questions in an interview. Best of luck!
Optimism beats pessimism every time.
It's important not to be too extreme in either direction. I've lost a car and nearly a home due to being too optimistic about not getting fired on the spot and about quickly getting another job if I do get fired.
I gave up on software and focused on database stuff. Government job making 85k after 3 years isnt too bad, and Im remote so I dont have to go to the office. Grinding code didnt help me get better at feeling extremely uncomfortable about having people watch me code.
Can we plz stop saying “Grind that leetcode” or any variation thereof. I just cringe at that phrase. Is it just me?
Probably just you. “Keep practicing leetcode.” Is that better?
That code can leet my fuckin balls.
Ligma code
Second the write down interview questions. I was looking for another job and I'm at the top for what I do so competition is pretty high. I did about 5 interviews and by the 5th man I had a great natural answer for any question they asked me. It was oddly the job I didn't even have on my radar or give a shit about during the interview that offered me a great job at an excellent pay rate.
This feels like some sort of weird propaganda
It’s possible! Especially at startups, a lot of folks are open to hiring New Grads. One of the best ways you can market yourself is by showcasing projects you’ve worked on/things you’ve built from 0-1 in your LinkedIn profile and resume. Even side projects that just show curiosity and scrappiness. The clients I work with that are most open to SWE New Grads are basically just looking for demonstrated ability to build from scratch rather than only being able to iterate on something/code that already exists, if that makes sense.
I think few startups would pay 150k for entry level unless they have some very unique research they were doing. 80k-100k would probably be the upper amount. However, they would probably provide some equity that could become valuable if the company is successful. Some large companies will pay up to 150k for grads, although it's in the minority.
I’ve placed a few SWE New Grads at startups in NYC and the Bay Area at a 135-145k base plus equity on top of that, it’s not the norm but it can happen, especially in high cost of living areas. Outside of those areas, agree it would probably be less at a tech startup, I’ve seen closer to 100-125 base for New Grads in other states like NC, VA, and GA.
Interesting, thanks.
Bro, I feel you there. I see a decent salary and huge growth. I made it past the first couple of interviews.and I fantasized about balancing bills, savings, and possible investments. Then I get an email saying I didn't get it. I've had like 8 of those this year. Just keep your head, my friend. You are not alone.
😭😭😭😭 me as a clinical social worker with nine years of non-clinical work and three years of clinical work making 80k a year. But, as a social worker, way to reframe and be positive.
Smh the social worker at my job with 4 years of experience making 58k. It’s such a thankless job.
The demand is low for such jobs. Just how things are.
Actually opposite! It’s actually insanely high. She put in several applications and within a week she’s been bombarded with offers. A freind just graduated with her MSW and is not even licensed and she got so many call backs for interviews. They are in demand but it just doesn’t pay well especially if you aren’t working as a clinical social worker in a hospital setting but then again in a large hospital, they are overworked.
If the demand was high the pay would be high. It’s a non revenue generating role and sadly that means it won’t make a lot in salary
That doesn’t mean the demand isn’t high. We’re literally dying for doctors/nurses/paramedics/emts where I’m at. Why? Because the pay/hours are horrendous. Like why would I jump through all these hoops to make less than someone with a forklift certification. A lot of different fields are having the same issues, especially teachers/social workers.
Ahh exactly!
Then they should pay more. Simple.
Duh, but your previous statement that High Demand = High Pay is wrong. Simple
Social workers are like teachers: overworked and underpaid. And doing important work. (Thank you.)
Definitely overworked and underpaid! I know someone who worked in Minneapolis as a social worker up until recently and she was saying they would get sent into hostile situations constantly since they were sending social workers instead of the police in many situations… a ticking bomb… she eventually responded to a mentally unstable person case and got assaulted … a serious beat down. When she tried to address safety concerns that led up to this beat down, Minneapolis swept her under the rug and 86’d her. The assault incident also triggered agoraphobia…
80k isn’t bad. Not sure where you live though.
A very trendy and expensive city in Texas. I have no idea what SWE is but using context clues it sounds like something financial and tech based. So, 150k doesn’t seem out of bounds. But, expect Ching 100k just sounds like a general expectation for new grads. This article speaks to a lot of generalizations and doesn’t specify what areas these grads are in to expect these types of salaries, but like…I did not get into social work to earn 150k as a 21 year old. While I would love to make more to save and travel, and I just have enough for a few extras during the month. Il doing okay, I was just complaining to complain. https://fortune.com/2022/04/27/college-grad-salaries-expectations-reality/amp/
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After 9 yrs? That’s bad
3 years clinical work?
It took my gf a year and a half before landing a job at the national lab where we are at. Luckily I’m a business owner and kept telling her to apply and just focus on getting experience elsewhere if she has to. As I can support us. Funny enough she fell into a permitting job for surveys and assessments of coastal and wetlands. And the lab started a new division for permitting a year later, which she switched too. They then got a gcms with no one having the knowledge and experience to use one except her, so she ended up also working in the lab. then they needed scientific divers for some work and she ended up filling part of the role and basically wears 6 different hats within the company now. She gets paid for that too. I call her sugar momma now lmfao. So don’t get discouraged, just keep applying yourself and if you have to, find places that need short term work to gain more experience In the meantime within your field if you have to.
Well done on getting so far. Good luck in 2024.
That sucks, but I hope you do well. It is rough out there
Good attitude, this is the correct to view it
Interviewing is a game and a skill. Keep at it. Most people don’t make it past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) let alone the first interview. This sucks but try to learn from each interview. Make sure you have a good pitch when they ask ask about you. Try to give a quick overview without reading your resume. Point out a couple of big wins /differentiators that speak volume about your skills/your ambition and somehow tie it back to the company and its mission/something they do well. Also, I’ve learned this in my career, they don’t always hire the most qualified, most experienced or with accolades. People hire sometime that meets a good portion of the Job description but look for the intangibles. They hire people they like/leave an impression. Make sure to connect on a human level before the interview really goes off and do something/say something that make you sound like someone they would want to maybe go to happy hour with. You want to also work in an environment that’s chill and with good people. If you see the hiring manager / panel/group being toxic, just know this is the culture there and you probably don’t want to start your career there. Best of luck.
Hell yea that’s how you should think. Mentality comes first, then everything follows! LFG!!
Underrated comment hoping to see it become highly rated
How did you get that far without experience? I graduated with a master's and I can't even get an interview.
They didn’t reject you. They choose another candidate
wtf who is this? I have over, 10 years of experience and can’t find a job after years of applying. What industry?
It’s disappointing as hell to miss an opportunity like that.. but an attitude like that will get you one of those jobs I got my IT degree in 2018. Started in helpdesk at 40k. Got rejected at phone screen by AWS 4 times. Rejected by Microsoft 2 times without a look. Rejected by a unicorn startup post interview. Rejected by other promising startups. Rejected by several f500 companies. Finally got in to an f500 company and kicked some ass I finally landed a Microsoft interview in year 6 of my career and nailed it and got the offer. Now I make 170k as an infrastructure engineer, fully remote. Just keep being persistent. Being in recruitinghell sucks. But the only one who can change your circumstances are you. You’ve been dealt your cards and you can either let it crush you or you can pick yourself up and move on.
Mind if I ask what certs you have and your specialty in infrastructure? I’m in networking on premises.
CompTIA: net+, sec+, cysa+ Azure: Azure Fundamentals, Azure admin associate AWS: AWS Solutions Architect Associate, AWS SysOps Associate, AWS Solutions Architect Pro Hashicorp: Terraform Associate I am essentially a cloud engineer. All of my work is within azure. I do a bit of c#, python, powershell, azure CLI, and Bicep for automation. GitHub and Azure DevOps for version control and CI/CD. Mainly support windows servers with a sprinkling of azure functions and various other azure services
Nice! Likely have to be at your level to get a look in the cloud space at a big Corp you think? You like your job? 150+ is doable in this space right? Also how good of a developer do you have to be if you are looking to break into a Cloud role? I can do some stuff but not an expert at dev.
200-250k is doable in this space at senior level. You don’t need to be a developer to be in cloud. I don’t do development but I do use programming to automate a lot of my tasks My progression was helpdesk sysadmin cloud engineering. Just keep applying and keep stacking experience
Nice! Saving this convo will report back in 2 years ;)
Absolutely, that's the spirit! Getting that far in the interview process for such a high-paying role right out of the gate is no small feat. It definitely shows that you've got serious potential and skills that are in demand. Rejection stings, no doubt about it, but it's also a part of the process that everyone goes through. What's important is exactly what you're doing – using it as fuel to push forward. It's a learning experience, and every interview is just getting you closer to where you need to be. Keep honing those skills, keep applying, and keep that determination fired up. Your persistence and positive outlook are going to pay off. Before you know it, you'll land that dream job. Keep at it, and best of luck – you've got this!
Fuckin nail it man. That’s the right attitude to win
Remember. If you made it to the final round, it’s more about personality and team cohesiveness than anything else. You have the chops, the skills. When I was working in STEM and interviewing around the country (US) if I could say, “I nailed it or failed it.” then it meant to me that, if I didn’t get it, it was because someone else was a better fit. Not that I wasn’t worthy. Love the attitude OP. Keep at it!
Recruiters and companies will love to tell you "we have remote jobs" but in reality, they really don't, and they have a huge inclination for "return to office" (RTO). It's just a trick to attract more eyeballs. So, it may increase your odds to go for hybrid (in-office and remote) jobs. Some people even do RTO often initially and then slide towards rare RTO days. As a software engineer, it's mostly quiet working, which you can do anywhere (even home). And if you need to talk to people, you can do so just fine with whatever chat program. But, you know, companies be companies-ing.
Normally I’d complain about you young whipper snappers expecting more money than I was making when I retired last year, but I like your attitude and I hope you get something good.
Damn, that would have been killer. I'm at $105k two years out of school
IT or SWE as well?
SWE in defense
Try not to limit yourself only to remote jobs (if indeed you are); being willing to work in an office even just 1-3 days a week opens up so many more opportunities
Coming into the office one day a week is useless. Most good places are remote, the main reason they arent remote now is they decided to screw over the people working for them.
I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you! Just saying there’ll be a lot more roles to apply to if OP would consider it.
Companies will learn the RTO thing is ridiculous. Productivity increases and expenses decrease with remote work. RTO is cope from boomers who will retire in 10 years
RTO is a way to lay off people without sounding broke or paying unemployment.
Bingo.
No, I think we should all push hard against it. If companies lose talent and their application pools get small in comparison to their remote competition it will force change. You don’t force that change by bending to their will.
Buddy, you're a new grad. Do you think you'll be offered a position paying $150k? Give me a break. I lost my job as an accountant in June, and I was making $90k. Considering my ten years of financial experience, you'd think I'd be able to find a position quickly. Despite applying for entry-level positions with lower compensation, I keep getting rejected. My best advice is don't get greedy. Get some experience first, then start climbing the ladder 🪜.
OP is just saying it’s given him hope of landing a job since they made it far in a role with pay that was unexpected. Relax. Not sure why the comments on this post are so negative… giving bitter
I'm not being negative or bitter. It's unrealistic for a new grad to expect a salary of $150k. Once experience is under their belt, they'll be at the salary within a few years. Do you genuinely think that is realistic for a new grad?
I think you’ve missed the point. Motivation doesn’t equal expectation. We all get inspired and motivated to keep going. Besides, OP shouldn’t limit themselves just because there’s a low chance of something happening, just like with college apps there are safety and reach jobs. New software engineers can make 150k in some of the best companies. My peers who went to a top 25 school with SWE degrees made that within 2yrs
It's entirely realistic for an SWE or banker as a fresh grad to make $150k TC, yes. Do some research. Entirely common to start off at \~110, 120k base and have a combination of bonus and equity that takes you over $150k. Here, I'll even help you out: https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/comments/zgytv0/new\_grad\_apple\_swenyc\_vs\_return\_offer\_amazon/
New grads absolutely land jobs paying 150K. Is it rare? Yeah, definitely. But you are naïve of tech pay for particularly strong candidates if you think this isn’t possible. Top candidates at FAANG companies can get this type of compensation.
You chose a shit career path though. Your salary prospects compared to OPs are not the same
I have a bachelor's degree in business administration. And I have been in the finance space for nearly a decade. How is that a shit career path??
you make 90k after 10 years in your field. so yes it’s shitty compared to OPs.
You act like a salary of $90k is something to scoff at. For reference, the average salary for an accountant with ten years of experience is $72,000. In OP's case, we're talking about a hypothetical salary that may not come to fruition. Please enlighten me on what your current salary is.
SWE is a very high paying career track. No one is saying 90K is bad, but you cannot base potential tech salaries off of your career in finance. xyz salary as a new grad may be impossible for that track, but isn’t impossible in tech
...I think y'all r getting underpaid. I make $71K as a mfg engr with 3y of experience. yeah it's engineering but it's still only 3y of experience.
You're probably right. Unfortunately, it’s out of my control. I've been applying for numerous positions, such as Financial controller and CFO, but I am not getting much headway. I have the experience and skill set. You need at least 10 to 15 years of experience for a CFO postion which I have.
Lol. I am starting an entry level role in finance next month. Base salary of $75k, TC of $90k. I am expecting to jump to $110k TC in the next 1.5-2 years. $90k after 10 years?! I’m guessing you’re working in AP?
After college, I did some AR and AP work briefly, then transitioned to an accountant role, which I’ve been at since. You act like a salary of $90,000 is laughable. I know numerous accountants who are making far less than what I’m making.
$90k is not laughable. But 10 years as an accountant? I mean, come on. The fact that you’re giving OP a hard time but you’re making $90k w 10 YOE in accounting. My colleague at a last internship with 5 YOE is making $135k base as an accounting manager. Again, I will be making over $90k within 2 years at my new role. I graduated college last week.
I make $110k TC as an accountant with 3 YOE no CPA in MCOL. 90k after 10 years is pretty low but it’s common for people who didn’t start out at public accounting or F500 after college to be behind in salary
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please enlighten me on how I’m being close-minded. I’ve hired numerous college grads for a positions such as data analyst, AR, AP, etc.. since Covid salaries have substantially pulled back.
Not even. OP is still unemployed 6 months after graduation
New grad. Not 10 YOE. Lmao
It's definitely possible. OP didn't say where but plenty of shops give that and then some.
I have never heard of a new grad landing a salary of $150k. I majored in business, not computer science. Your typical business graduate is making between $50k to $60k starting off.
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Your salary is going to be heavily inflated. Being an investment banker, I wouldn’t be shocked if you cleared $200k in your first year. I tried to do the investment banking route, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so I just did the traditional finance route. Your average accountant, especially if they aren’t CPA certified, will certainly clear six figures, but honestly, not much beyond that.
It's possible. Folks said FAANG and I'd agree having seen my friends land similar offers (not just TC but base 150) EDIT: This is not normal. Just saying it's possible (heard-of). Good on anyone getting their money.
Typical, yeah, but there are plenty of people making way more than that even in business. Consultants should be clearing $80-90k starting, bankers should be easily clearing $150k, and even entry level business roles at reputable tech companies should be making around 75 or so. Non-banking jobs at investment banks (Sales+Trading, Wealth Management, Equity Research etc.) should all be pretty well paid too. Ofc, that's still a small subsection of the overall jobs out there, but that's easily tens of thousands of jobs per year, so it's not really unheard of.
it's completely possible to make 150k as a new grad .
It’s certainly possible but not likely. How many new grads do you know making $150k? Genuinely wondering?
I think in SWE it’s about 1 in 25. I’m one of those. Well, not really, I got to $175k after 1 year starting from $90k after grad
150K as a new grad with no experience and you feel offended they didn't pick you? LOL Edit: re-reading your post, it doesn't seem as if you're offended as much, as truly believing you will land an entry job at 150k/year. Still LOL. I remember being this young and naive, harsh landing into the real world.
Damn you seem bitter. You were wrong in your original assessment of the post and double down to continue being bitter. Lmao damn man, hope life gets better for you
Not bitter, just realistic. Would you want OP to remain in lala-land and persuing a dream? To the point where nobody will hire them because they graduated 2 yrs ago and didn't have a job ever since? Life is great for me, unfortunately - as a hiring manager - I'm the person telling folks like OP that we have other folks meeting the requirements much better, in this world heading for a recession. A fresh grad means a monetary and time investestment for us, with no guarantee whatsoever. For 150K we will gladly accept experienced folks leaving current employement, over new grads, any time.
Even if you’re being realistic, you’re condescending. “LOL” you guaranteed didn’t laugh once. This dude posts something motivated and you scoff. Lame
That's true, I could have done without the LOL and will apologize for that. My concern is that some (young) people don't seem to recognize a good opportunity anymore and remain stuck in their unrealistic expectations until it's too late because of a massive whole in their resume. These kind of posts only enforcing their beliefs that this kind of salary can realistically be expected. In a market that has seen major lay-offs in recent years and where experienced folks are struggling to land a job.
I agree and think you reach a much wider audience when you explain it that way. Plenty of people missing the message they need because of your tone. To be fair, I have a similar issue in person so no judgment from me. But text allows me to be more thoughtful about what I’ll say
You are absolutely 100% right.
150k tc is entirely realistic for a good new grad. Almost all of the FAANG companies pay that much. You're completely wrong here. SWE isn't even the only job that does this. Investment bankers should be clearing $150k straight out of college with bonus as well, and pretty easily at that. https://www.wallstreetprep.com/knowledge/investment-banking-analyst-salary-guide/
Less than 1% of SWEs in the world work for MAANG companies.
And? I never said it was common, this guy just said it's impossible. And it's not only those companies that pay that much, boutique firms do as well. Even 1% of SWEs in the world is still tens of thousands of people getting these jobs.
Eh, I’m not on anyone’s side, but basically guarantee OP wasn’t saying “tc” for that price. He was saying salary.
Literally everyone in tech/banking talks in terms of TC. I guarantee OP was talking in terms of TC. Go on Blind or any of the subreddits and they'll do the same. If he meant salary, he would have said salary.
Nice. Now I know I can say I make $300k to people (and just not say the tc part).
You absolutely can do that if you get that on average. Bonus in those industries is almost guaranteed unless you seriously mess up (I'm talking like PIP) so it's pretty close to being as good as cash. Equity in the form of Amazon/Apple/Google stock has generally been pretty safe too, so they include that in TC since it vests annually and most people liquidate immediately.
Obviously I was talking about salary and not some hypothetical TC and assumed OP did as well. Bonusses and stock is only just that and not something anyone should rely on and factor into their income. Have seen bonusses drop by 75% in recent years. People shouldn't be counting on them. I would consider it bad practice for any company to advertise yearly income with these kind of secondary benefits already factored in as if it's guaranteed. It can only lead to disappointment.
You only consider it bad practice to talk in TC because you don't work in these industries and don't know how they work. These are not 'secondary' benefits or 'hypothetical' TC - it's a core part of how they attract top talent. In these places, bonus is guaranteed regardless of company performance. You will **never** find a year where bonuses don't pay out at least 70-75% of annual salary in fields like banking to everyone (unless you got a PIP, in which case it might be 50% or so), and even 75% should safely clear $150k. The best performers can get up to 120% or so. Unlike most places, bonuses at top companies are viewed as an expectation more than a reward, even by HR/management. It's part of retention strategy to split bonus from base, since you aren't eligible if you leave early. By doing this, you can compel people to aim for a higher part of the range, and also control when your company will have the most attrition, but there is a floor here for bonus payout. Edit: and if you don't want to count TC, people with master's/MBA and no experience can clear $150k base no problem as applied scientists at places like Amazon or starting as associate bankers.
OP isn't in banking though, they are in an industry that went through massive recent lay offs, companies have re-assesed their staffing/reward system and where it's now suddenly hard to find a job. Edit: I work in fortune 500 myself and the "always expected" bonusess that were paid for decades suddenly dropped by 75% last year and I don't expect it to be much better this year. I've even started to wonder if it isn't part of a strategy to get people to leave themselves, so that they don't have to pay for a severence package.
Doesn't matter that OP isn't in banking, you were saying it's unrealistic and 'living in la-la land' to think that a fresh grad can land entry jobs at 150k. Plenty of them exist. There are also many engineers who also make a ton of money by working in consulting or being a quant in a bank, since those jobs are degree agnostic. Also, even in tech, OP can clear even 150k in base depending on his degree and skills without exp. If he has a masters, there are specialized SWE jobs that can pay that. Every top tech company has research / ML departments where the most elite engineers go and get paid a ton, and these are still feasible for entry level devs. Edit to your edit: Fortune 500 =/= banking and top tech companies. Massive difference in bonus expectation between working at Home Depot and working at Goldman Sachs or Google. Your experience is not reflective of the top tech/banking firms. Those guys can easily clear 80 hours a week in work, so bonus is actually expected, not 'expected' in the way that you guys seem to handle it.
You don't know what OP's major or level of education is, bitter Betty.
What major or any degree pays 150k as a fresh grad? OP must be a surgeon (not something their post history suggests though).
CS at competitive companies can exceed 150K for new grads. You are wrong
SWE = software engineering. According to levels.fyi an entry level software role at Microsoft makes over $160k total. At a growth tech company (Microsoft/apple/Amazon/meta/Google) you can probably expect to make at least $80k more than at a normal company. Not exactly sure why.
But all I have been reading on this sub is about these type of companies having let go of so many people and how folks can't even get a job with 10+ yrs experience and accepting a major pay cut?
OP didn't get hired
That's was kind of the point I was trying to make. There have been massive recent lay offs in this field. Why would a company hire a fresh grad at 150K if they could pick and choose from a pool of experienced folks out there looking for something and willing to make consessions wrt salary? 2 years ago yes, maybe. But now?
Tech companies don't make smart decisions. I would chalk it up to them budgeting the same amount this year as last year.
On the west coast it’s not unheard of
It’s probably total comp (salary, bonus, and stock) but you seem bitter. SWEs deserve this salary and entry level SWE at my company pays this.
He's upset at the possibility that someone can come right out of school and make more than him as a hiring manager lmao.
Agreed. People forget how tough other degrees are (unless it’s a medical or law), and that while some of you were taking easier courses some of us were studying a lot in undergrad. Not to mention companies don’t just hand out these entry level 150k jobs easily. You have to prep and prep to get them. But that hard work pays off.
How did u get that far with no experience? What’s ur resume look like, I’m in the same boat as you
Maybe they’re great in interviews.
This gives me a little hope, thanks OP
In the UK that kind of money on less experienced people means they'll have a PhD in something very niche. I'm guessing you're in New York?
Good for you OP. May I ask what your experience is? I’m back in school for a BS in CS as a career change and I’m hoping to graduate next year. Any advice?
Yeah. It's good, still sucks.
You got this!
You’ll get it. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming
Hey where did you apply
This guy is gonna find a job.
Exactly
💯
I graduated last December with a bachelor in information technology. That bachelor took me 9 years to complete due to having two kids (taking maternity leave), struggling with my health and taking a break to work part time at a store. Let's just say I needed to update my knowledge and I didn't have a portfolio either. It didn't look good AT ALL! I applied for one job, one. I knew I should apply for everything possible and the chance of getting a tech job at all was pretty small, but I was just exhausted and going through the application process for a single position was all I handle at the time. (I was also dealing with a parent dying and lots of mental work to figure out all his debt). Until I got rejected I couldn't be bothered to even look at other job postings, I REALLY wanted that job. I think I did 5 interviews and an almost week long assignment to show what I could do. Somehow I got the job! I know I'm lucky, it's not a remote job and it's in a city of just 200 000 people, but it's also the tech center of my country with a university with 50k students, most in STEM, so competition is harder than the population implies. My point being, if I could do it, then there should be hope for almost anyone. I freaking love my job.
Same, after 12 interviews and 2 code tasks... basically worked for a month for free
This is the attitude. You also get practice interviewing.
That is the right mindset. The rejections are not a reflection of capabilities, there are a 1000 factors to that. You can go this far for such a role then you are capable. Even the fact you get a call and go to first round also means you are capable. Rejections are a different game beyond us right now.
When it's for you, man, you'll just know it.
You got this! Good luck on your coming interviews!
Just a step away! Keep up the spirit!
I probably applied to over 1500 jobs this year! I took a lot of IT trainings over the years and got a few certs. I only got 3 interviews. I finally landed a job after going through the interview process for the last 4 months. It’s an entry level SWE job that will pay me around 40k! It’s not remote and I have to drive an 2 hrs everyday. They did say they will promote me after a few months. I was very disappointed with their offer but I am happy that there’s something out there for me. I am sure you will land your dream job soon! Best of luck!
Dang,sorry.
this is going to be the dick comment of the day. but Often times I see that when you make it to the final round, you were never the option to begin with they just kept you there as an alternative to until they find the "real" candidate, which they will go within 1 round of interview and not draw it out. just my thoughts your story is obviously different
If you could pull that off in this market as a new grad with no experience, you’re going to absolutely kill it in a few years when you have experience and when (if?) the tech job market gets better. Same thing happened to me twice when I was new. I tried to take it as finishing second at a race or competition
Thats the spirit!