topher@cyb-eng.UUCP (Topher Eliot) (01/31/85)
> The current issue of "UNIX Review" has a comparison of starting > UNIX salaries: East coast vs. West coast, by years of experience. > According to the chart, the worst West coast UNIX people are as > well paid as the best East coast people. I just read that article, too. The author gives utterly no clue as to where he came up with his numbers. Judging from how puffed-up the article is with anecdotes and long-winded allegories, I would tend to distrust the information presented in his little bar chart; I suspect he did little research. The author is a manager at Gnostic Concepts; does anyone know if that group is reliable? Cheers, Topher Eliot Cyb Systems, Austin, TX {gatech,ihnp4,nbires,seismo,ucb-vax}!ut-sally!cyb-eng!topher
del@wuphys.UUCP (Dave de Lake) (02/05/85)
> research. The author is a manager at Gnostic Concepts; does anyone know if > that group is reliable? > Gnostic Concepts is a consulting group where the authors of The_Unix_User's_Manual used to work before they took the information that the company provided and started their own company!!! I find the book very handy if my keyboard is about 2" too low, but useless otherwise... The firm seems to do good consulting work in general (they certainly charge enough for their reports), and has had people studying UNIX* for a while. As someone who is actively involved in the UNIX* job market I could believe that the salaries on the west coast are 20-30% higher than on the east coast, but the take home pay: cost of living ratio seems only about 5-10% higher in CA. Does anyone concur?????? Dave @Compton Sanitarium
mike@amdcad.UUCP (Mike Parker) (02/07/85)
> As someone who is actively involved in the UNIX* job > market I could believe that the salaries on the west > coast are 20-30% higher than on the east coast, but > the take home pay: cost of living ratio seems only about > 5-10% higher in CA. > > Does anyone concur?????? > > Dave > @Compton Sanitarium Having read the postings describing homes for sale on the east coast, and tried to buy a home in silicon valley, I have to disagree with you. The take home pay:cost of living ratio may well be lower in CA. For food and clothing you may be right, but for shelter you are dead wrong. Mike @ AMDCAD P.S. - Rent is worse!
del@wuphys.UUCP (Dave de Lake) (02/09/85)
> > Having read the postings describing homes for sale on the east > coast, and tried to buy a home in silicon valley, I have to disagree > with you. The take home pay:cost of living ratio may well be lower > in CA. For food and clothing you may be right, but for shelter you > are dead wrong. > > Mike @ AMDCAD > > P.S. - Rent is worse! Is rent really worse? I'm probably going out there soon and will be looking for an apt. in the east bay area which is supposedly a bit cheaper than silicon valley. I also know that Cal. state taxes are high, but starting salaries (that I have been shown) seem to compensate for these. How's food prices?? I hear fresh stuff is actually cheaper than in the midwest...I imagine heating bills and such are also less. Then there's the quality of life factor. All things considered, employment opportunities on the west coast are usually more attractive to me. Dave @Compton Sanitarium