I (40M) just got my last pay cheque for the year and my total earnings (salary, bonus, stock) was a hair over US$1,000,000.

I moved to the USA for work six years ago, getting a raise from US$80,000 (in local currency) to US$150,000 (no bonus, no RSU). Since then I have had several promotions, high performance bonus multipliers and done nothing to influence the market to keep going up.

My friends and peers back home are now earning in the US$150-180,000 range so it feels weird to share this with them. My dogs don't really understand either, so I am sharing here.

I am a software engineer in big tech, Seattle, WA, if you are interested.

  • Bonkers how much SWE income varies. Im a mid level engineer for a non tech company, I think my W2 will be something like 115k

    I gotta get out of here, but nobody will interview me lmao

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    For comparisons you need to normalize for stock appreciation (among companies that issue RSUs). It's one of my pet peeves about reporting on sites like levels.fyi.

    I want to know what your annual stock grant was, not its current value on vest.

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    My company doesn’t give any kind of equity lol

    I just have a base salary and a target bonus

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    I get magic beans (options in the startup), so I feel you. But it does distort market expectations when you see a Sr. SWE state their TC is $500k, but that includes $150k in RSU appreciation because they joined the right company at the right time. 

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    So it isn’t a FAANG company, am curious which other company in Seattle is paying this much for a SWE.

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    You’re replying to a separate guy who makes 115k. That kind of attention to detail may not make you a shoo-in for a faang gig

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    levels.fyi has a new offers only filter.

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    Agreed. That’s what I calculate…how many RSU’s were cashed in this year on the bearing schedule for 2025. That what shows up on my paystub as taxable in 2025…not the shares I’m awarded in 2025 but don’t vest for 4 years.

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    That's not what he means. RSU grants have a target value, if the stock triples they didn't intend to pay you that much and you don't get refreshers of that value.

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    The value of your RSUs when they vest is what shows up on your paystub.

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    I’d interview you! I’m not hiring, but still

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    For a job or for a podcast?

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    Purely academic

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    It's lovely up here. I am originally from Australia so I am very cold here. My dogs love it and I love them, so it works out.

    I do not know what I would do if I was laid off, probably move back home. I love my job but I don't know if I would love a different role.

    Best of luck with your career :)

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  • you can tell us. GOOD JOB

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  • Wow, that's a hell of a progression. Congrats!

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  • Congrats! Hopefully you will be graduating out of “not rich yet” soon with that income :)

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    Yes, the progression of income has been head-spinning. I bought a condo and have maxed out my retirement funds. My NW is growing, and I guess income-wise I am not HENRY, but there are many folks here with a higher NW and lower salary.

    With all the layoffs and whatnot who knows.

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    You are definitely HE! Super HE. Congrats

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    If you're not rich then your income makes you the definition of Henry. What do you think it means

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    No plans to move back to Australia?

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    It’s up in the air. Every time I step off the plane in the hot humid air at home I can’t believe I left. But after a week or so I start to remember what I didn’t like about it. No where is perfect and Australia is a beautiful country.

    I often wonder what living in Europe would be like. I like trains. Obviously the income would be much lower there.

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  • Keep it to yourself, not even your family. With MONEY, there is no friends or family

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  • Amazing! I am basically following in your footsteps, but a bit late lol.

    Came to this country in 2012 as a student.. and my total comp this year was around $700k. Big Tech. I am 36M , but striving hard to cross $1M in comp ( only if the stock markets were in my favor lol).

    American dream is well alive. I love this country a lot for the opportunities it provides to people like me ( literally coming for a 3rd world country ). God Bless America.

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    Your NW is far higher than mine - while I am probably outside of HENRY on income, it happened so rapidly.

    Good luck on your dreams here.

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    Same, immigrant kid, last pay stub showed YTD past 7 figures. The opportunities here are absolutely insane.

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    What level & company, if you don't mind sharing?

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    Since he mentioned big tech, an E6 at Meta makes about that and would be an appropriate level for someone with 10+ years of experience.

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    Meta, E5.

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    Thanks. How long as an L5?

    At Google, 700k is more for L5s with a long tenure, or L6s.

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    5 years

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    Cool. Congrats for a high income.

    I'm also grinding to get to $1M/yr soon. AI help us!

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    Involved in AI/ML or straight SWE?

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    Generic SWE. Although i have been wanting to get into one of these AI companies. Lets see if i can get to start leetcode anytime soon

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    If it's not a secret, what technology stack do you have? Are you a frontend or a backend developer?

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    Devices. Android Frameworks.

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    27 and at $260k here (~9yoe)... Hoping to double that by the time I'm thirty. We'll see.

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    I was 29 in 2019( with a TC of like $180k) when i started Leetcoding lol. By the time i got my Meta offer ( and other offers), i was 30 already. Took me 1.5 years of prep .

    Things may have changed now, but nothing beats grinding to get the offer you want.

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    Nice!

    That's too right. I was at my first job for way too long. Good experience, terrible salary, but I was stuck there in a few ways. Ended up doing a lot of leetcode earlier this year to land my current offer (non-faang, but big tech). Went from broke to HENRY, now making around 10x what I did last year... Leetcode and system design study helps a LOT!

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    Agreed! In big tech the dream is alive and well ; same for Big law but that's a hell of a grind.

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  • Dude from a fellow immigrant to this amazing country, congratulations! You have achieved what we intend to achieve when we made that crazy scary jump to come to the US! Proud of you and makes me happy that we can still achieve that amazing American Dream we grew up watching on movies from our countries across the planet!

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    Relax, mate

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    No, he’s right

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    you relax, mate. congrats op and internmammoth, you should be very proud

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    Relax why? These stories should be celebrated. I work with a few Indian immigrants who came from dirt and now are living the American dream.

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    Yes, it's great, but that's okay, no need to make it sound too glorious. Millions of people have done it since the 1800s. I am not down playing OPs's achievements. It's amazing. I agree. We are privileged. But relax.

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    What do you mean "privileged"? Privilege is like being born in the right family and right place.

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    Or being born in the right country?

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    Op said they are an immigrant who moved on a work visa?

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    OP is Australian. Wealthy and English speaking.

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    I’m an immigrant from much poorer country where nobody spoke fluent English and I gladly consider op self-made, no need to purity test that you must be from Somalia to be accepted as self made.

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  • Holy shit. I picked the wrong major 😅

    Congrats OP 🍻

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  • Facebook Staff? Google Staff/Senior staff with stock appreciation?

    Can’t imagine anyone under l8 getting this at Amazon

    That’s my aspiration, I’m a little bit under 500 and can’t exceed that until after 1-2 promos or a job hop that I can’t accomplish because of my background

    parent

    E6 @ Meta, SWE no specialty.

    I didn't think I would get to this level, but thanks to my manager he managed to sell me. I'm just an autistic dude who likes writing code and not wearing shoes.

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    Very nice! E6 at FB is an especially hard level so extremely impressive to succeed in it.

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    That’s an amazing description. Happy for you and what an amazing manager!

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    Exactly, credit to the manager who recognized the employee's value and mediated a package to keep that value within the organization.

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  • Welcome to the USA! While we have opportunity here, don’t forget YOU made it happen. Few get to where you are by doing nothing. You put in the effort and took the risks, you made it happen. Congrats.

    Where are you from?

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    Thanks - it is nice to be here. I did do a lot of hard work and 6-7 day weeks, but I am under no illusions that being in the right place at the right time for this sort of money involved a lot of luck.

    I did pass the interview and have demonstrated my value to the shareholders (lol) to warrant the rewards, but 10 years earlier, or in ten more years, maybe I would not have the same situation.

    I'm originally from Australia.

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    Yeah, there’s definitely some luck involved; just like there’s luck in the lottery, but even with the lottery, you still need to take action and buy that ticket. All the actions you took were equivalent to buying more and more tickets. It doesn’t guarantee a win, but it increases your chances.

    Congrats. It’s a tough thing to leave your home and family. I’m very proud of all the immigrants that come here and succeed.

    I hope to visit Australia someday.

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  • America 🇺🇸 🇺🇲 🌎

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  • Congratulations! Sharing moments like this is one of the values this reddit provides :)

    This is a very solid achievement.

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  • Hell yeah dude. Is it mostly stock appreciation, or are you in AI/ML, or is there some other secret mechanism? I just broke $300k for compensation this year for the first time, and getting from here to $600k or $1m seems impossible.

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    I am just a full stack engineer. I am very good at designing and implementing business software, and I am also good at tinkering with things - so I have become known as a problem solver with a lot of the infrastructure engineers. I don't like AI as it is today, but I don't pretend like its not going to make a huge impact on the careers of software engineers.

    It's mostly a matter of stonks go up. I think my take home is around $350,000. I don't mean to sound cavalier but I don't really keep on top of my finances. My budget is more than covered and when I am not working I just take my dogs for a bike ride.

    If there is one thing I can say - getting to a higher level is largely about presenting yourself well rather than having skill. (Not saying you don't have skills.) I got where I am because of my abilities to deliver and a manager who went to bat for me because I am shockingly bad at presenting my work in the way these performance reviews want it. The number of "engineers" at my level or above who are absolute idiots never ceases to amaze me. Try finding someone who seems happy with their work and is at a level you want to reach and see if they can mentor you. It's a game here, and I am still learning the rules.

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  • Damn that’s fantastic! We are considering moving to Seattle (from the its-always-sunny-in-Austin) - hoping to find some better hikes close to us. Hopefully you are taking advantage of that already!

    parent

    Be prepared to be floored. I moved here from TX a few years back and the socialability of folks can be crushing. It's a lot harder to make friends here..

    parent root

    I'm from Australia and it is very cold here for me! But it is a beautiful part of the world and it doesn't rain as much as everyone makes out.

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    Except for the last few weeks...

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  • Wow huge congrats! Amazing how much SWE in big tech can make!

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  • You better be spoiling your dogos with the best of the best, pawdicures and filet mignon steaks

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  • Hell yeah brother. Important to recognize your achievements and celebrate them 🥂

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  • Your dogs are proud of you 

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  • First GO YOU!!! :) Same !! I got my company in the black in just 3 years, paid off all my debt, and made 250K this year! And I had no one to tell. I need new friends In 42 F in NYC If anyone wants to be friends with a nerd please say hello :)

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    Nice! I couldn’t manage a business at all. My wife does and it’s hard work. So kudos to you.

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    Oh it's no joke and I'm still making mistakes haha but thanks for the kind words

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  • Congrats! Save and do something nice for yourself and consider making a donation to your favorite charity.

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    I earmark my annual bonus for travel, but the rest of it goes into savings. I am in a great place right now but the lay off and churn - who knows. I have been lucky that my job and moderate travel and my dogs keep me entertained so I do not have significant lifestyle creep. I will miss first class flights if I lose this job though lol.

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  • E6 or E7?

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    E6 since mid-2023.

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  • Congratulations!!!!!

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  • Congrats! Happy for you!!

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  • Congrats, we love to hear it! Don’t spend it all in one place

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  • How did you end up with that amount of income as a software engineer? What level are you? What’s the base / stock / bonus? What’s your timeline of job changes?

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  • Honestly congratulations. I work for one of those big tech companies on the west coast too but earn half as much but you sound like you deserve it!

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  • Well done.

    In the roughly translated words of my grandfather: purchase your peace of mind. Build a relaxation sanctuary attached to your home, or just build a custom home (ideally keep it under <$2M so others can affordably buy it later, in your area that number likely works).

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  • Congratulations! I laughed when you said ‘my dogs don’t really understand either’ 😂🐶 I’m sure they know how good they have it lol

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  • meta culture is brutal and unforgiving with all the office politics and layoffs . how do you survive all this chaos ? was it worth it ?

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    I don’t really get involved with anything needing politics. My track record for delivering features that are bug free, future proof and maintainable has been established and I’m pretty much free to do what I feel is right. I’ve written or taken over ownership of several company wide frameworks/features and I’m on several working groups which deliver a lot of internal tooling.

    I’m not safe from lay offs as some of my peers are gone. I came to the US with no assets and no debt and if I lost my job I’ll go home with a very nice nest egg.

    I really like my job so I mostly focus on that. I do work seven days a week and at last count I’d landed several hundred thousand SLOC (including generated LOC is in the multiple millions).

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    lol how can I find the conversation.

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  • Are you happy in life?

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    I am. My job is an amazing challenge, like a never ending book of puzzles to complete. The money is nice, but outside of buying a very nice e-bike and condo I don’t really want for much. I’m not sure about the future, I’m not a fan of this headlong tilt into “AI” and I’m not sure where I’ll be working in a year.

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  • Congrats, make sure you save as much as you can so that when the music stops you don't find yourself falling hard on the ground. Be very frugal. (tech worker that retired at 45 with 10m NW, mostly from stock options).

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  • It's immigrants like us who lead the pack often because we are forced to evolve and work more to stand out. America is a hustle, you either hustle or get out lol, so the best stay.

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  • Get the fuck out of HENRY. Too many delusional people making $1m calling them

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    It’s all good dude. I love to hear from successful people. He can hangout here.

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    you can make money and not be rich, stop gate keeping. plenty of 1m earners who aren't rich

    parent root

    How? Like how are you not rich if you make $1M a year? You owe the Mafia $900k?

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    If you make $1M in Seattle and net $650k after taxes, but you blow most of it on expensive housing, cars, etc, it's easy to stay NRY.

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    For me it is more about time earning. My total comp has increased significantly in a short amount of time. I have a NW of ~$1M at the moment. I am paying off a reasonable ($800k - now worth less than I paid lol) condo and I don't own a car. We save as much as possible. My portfolio growth is still less than my contributions, but I assume that will start to change in 2026 (assuming I am not laid off!)

    I don't know if I am rich or wealthy, but I know I am fortunate and lucky that my hard work is rewarded at this time in the way it is. Money is not a worry for me, so in that regard I am very wealthy.

    If I was laid off tomorrow I would probably see an 80% reduction in income.

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    Rich is about lifestyle and your spending. Wealth is about how much you have in assets. All wealthy are rich but not all rich people are wealthy.

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  • Congrats, that’s a helluva accomplishment!

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  • My friends and peers back home are now earning in the US$150-180,000 range so it feels weird to share this with them.

    If they're earning as much as you, why is it weird?

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    She was earning what they were earned 8 years ago and over time has increased salary etc with promotions and bonuses.

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  • Many congratulations!! Share it with your parents? They will be very happy for you. Parents want nothing but the very best for you.

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  • LFG. We know you can do 2 next!

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