HACKER Q&A
📣 workDuringCovid

How to maximize income working as a SWE for 1 year?


tl;dr: if you were a mid-level software engineer looking for a new job, but you planned to work for only 1 year, what companies would maximize your income, and what would your expected income be for that 1 year?

Longer version:

In the fairly recent past I left my job as a software engineer to travel around and enjoy some time off. Due to the current pandemic, my travels have been paused since March and I don't expect them to return to full-form until at least summer 2021 (maybe borders will re-open towards the end of this summer and there'll be a short tourist season, but I'm not counting on crowded backpacker hostels, large cultural sites, or music festivals being the same this year). So, if I can't travel the way I like for the next year I figure I might as well get back on the saddle and try to maximize my income for the next 12 months.

So my question is: what are the best options as a SWE to make the most money in a year? And what is the expected income in that 1 year? A bit about me: some years as a software engineer at a well-known tech company and an undergrad degree from a top US university.

The most obvious answer to me seems to work at a FAANG, particularly Google, known to pay a high salary and without a 1-year cliff plus quarterly or even monthly RSU vesting, with an expected income in the $200-300k range. Start-ups might offer more equity, but I'm not planning to stick around long enough to make it worth it, and companies that backload their vesting too much (eg: Amazon) are also sub-optimal. Of course this is all assuming I can get the job in the first place, I just want to know what the best options are before I start applying.


  👤 zlast Accepted Answer ✓
Fintech / HFT firms are known to be the highest paying for SWE, even higher than FAANG companies.

I routinely get LinkedIn messages and emails for companies like Citadel, Two Sigma, Hudson River, Jane Street - new grads for these companies make around $250-300k, and I imagine you would make a good deal more if you can negotiate well.


👤 throw_this_one
How old are you, and how long have you been traveling?

Seems like FAANG is a good bet. You could also go for a top tier hedge fund and bust your balls for a year. They pay straight cash and a huge bonus. Prob the best bet if you have a 1 year time limit, since the FAANG vesting doesn't help.

I'm well-traveled but want to do the same thing. Idk if I'm good enough for the top tier companies though. Might just chill at my fairly easy banking job at 130k.


👤 probinso
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