When I was a new grad on a FAANG salary, and I had to move out there, I couldn't believe the low quality of the places that I could afford to rent, and the way other people working in tech lived.
The QOL of a $200k/year tech worker, and the nasty little apartment they were able to afford (or share with another tech worker), was about the same QOL as that of someone making $50k/year back home.
I still can't believe that "highly paid" tech workers are okay with living in those conditions. As someone from a middle class family who lived in a very big and comfy McMansion with air conditioning and a washer and dryer, it felt like a massive downgrade in my lifestyle.
The cycle I've seen for people 30yo+ in the SFBA is this...
1. Take a job and move, start by renting
2. At 5-10 years, start thinking about buying
3. By year 10, either determine you can purchase a home or not
If you can or cannot buy a home will determine your general quality of life. Partly due to owning a home but also because it signals how much wiggle room you have financially.
4. If you can't afford to buy a house then you end up frustrated because there's a life you see others living it and you can't. You end up moving back bitter.
5. If you can afford to buy a house then it's a sign that you could likely have a good life.
I warn folks coming to SFBA that if they don't see a path to a $400k yearly household income that they should plan to stay for <5 years before deciding to move.
When I was a new grad on a FAANG salary, and I had to move out there, I couldn't believe the low quality of the places that I could afford to rent, and the way other people working in tech lived.
The QOL of a $200k/year tech worker, and the nasty little apartment they were able to afford (or share with another tech worker), was about the same QOL as that of someone making $50k/year back home.
I still can't believe that "highly paid" tech workers are okay with living in those conditions. As someone from a middle class family who lived in a very big and comfy McMansion with air conditioning and a washer and dryer, it felt like a massive downgrade in my lifestyle.