Ask HN: Is it possible to make FAANG salaries without working there?

The gap between FAANG and non-FAANG salaries is quite substantial. For example, a Staff Engineer at an avg startup might get $250k base salary, in a HCOL area and maybe a 10-20% bonus.

But a FAANG Staff Engineer will get a similar base, and then $1mil in stock for 4 years.

-- Are there people outside of FAANG and Big Banks / HFT firms making those kinds of monies?

-- if So who are they? and what do they do?

28 points | by zer0sand0nes 46 days ago

10 comments

  • dboreham 46 days ago
    Look for organizations that have very large amounts of money, where software is critical to them continuing to make that money (or where their money was given to them to create something that in turn someone believes will be worth large amounts of money). Generally follow the money.
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    • antupis 46 days ago
      Also, look for those goldrush phases where there is lots of money thrown around eg now AI,
    • MrDresden 46 days ago
      > "..where software is critical to them continuing to make that money.."

      Having worked in the finance world, where the wheels are made out of software at this point, I never got the feeling that the old guard that still ran the place fully understood how crucial software was to their business, and how much it saved in labour costs.

      The software department was generally seen as a cost center, with the salaries and outsourcing of projects reflecting that.

      So I agree with the sentiment, just saying it doesn't always hold up.

  • padraicmahoney 46 days ago
    Yes. Some of the opportunities exist in odd corners of the software universe.

    To offer just one example, I'm aware of a software company that does nine figures in ARR making high performance computing software for very large financial institutions. There's basically no chance you've ever heard of them. They're very low key. The company hasn't grown headcount much in the last decade, and their employees don't really leave. But some of their people writing really low-level code are certainly making multiples of representative peers at FAANG.

    [-]
    • fleabagmange 46 days ago
      I used to work at such a place. Contracts with places large as BAML and other places you e never heard of…

      Unless you’re the low level wizard you’re just going to make an industry standard salary, maybe a bump but nothing special.

    • sa-code 46 days ago
      Do you have a name for said company?
      [-]
      • tetris11 46 days ago
        Note that the two accounts responding in this chain were made only a few days ago, and that this entire thread might be some kind of phishing/advert
        [-]
        • henryteeare 46 days ago
          It might be, though it also sounds like where I work, which is a company that has been mentioned a couple of times on HN (to a mixed reception).
          [-]
          • alfiedotwtf 46 days ago
            Yep can confirm - if you know who this is, then it’s obvious who they are talking about.
  • tayo42 46 days ago
    Any company that has rsu as part of their comp basically in the same range.
  • schmookeeg 46 days ago
    Using your own example, every "avg startup" engineer who is overemployed with only two gigs is matching FAANG money.
  • almostgotcaught 46 days ago
    you answered your own question

    > a similar base, and then $1mil in stock for 4 years.

    so are there firms with similar market caps and/or growth?

  • jmpman 46 days ago
    Yes, the top cloud customers of the big three cloud providers are making similar, if not more. Startups in the cloud space are similar.
  • jigneshdarji91 46 days ago
    I see levels.fyi has a good list of "top paying companies"[1]. Is that helpful?

    Side note: The difference at Staff Eng is slightly more wide. Eg. IBM Band 9 pays TC ~$250K while Meta E6 is ~$640K.

    Side note 2: From what I understand, Big Tech often brings in Staff Eng from smaller companies to a Senior Eng role. Reverse is also true, Sr Eng at Big Tech are often able to join Staff roles at smaller companies.

    [1] https://www.levels.fyi/leaderboard/Software-Engineer/Entry-L...

  • JojoFatsani 46 days ago
    AI/ML unicorns.
  • rvz 46 days ago
    > -- Are there people outside of FAANG and Big Banks / HFT firms making those kinds of monies?

    Yes.

    > -- if So who are they? and what do they do?

    OpenAI, Anthropic and crypto bug bounty hunters.

  • mlhpdx 46 days ago
    Are you counting the $1m in options as compensation? If so, plenty of startups will offer you that.