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

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Where FAANG-level pay shows up outside FAANG

  • Multiple comments say “yes”: AI/ML unicorns (OpenAI, Anthropic, others), some crypto roles (including bug bounty hunters), HFT/quant and certain hedge funds, niche high‑performance computing vendors for finance, some fintech and cloud/startup firms, and FAANG-adjacent big tech (e.g., Uber, Block) can match or exceed FAANG total comp at senior levels.
  • A few concrete anecdotes: staff/principal roles at non‑FAANG/public tech or late‑stage startups offering ~$450–650k TC; HFT in Switzerland at ~$450k; consultants and sales/presales roles with uncapped commissions.

Equity, RSUs, and risk

  • FAANG comp heavily relies on RSUs in liquid public stock; seen as much more “cash‑like” than startup options.
  • Startups can offer $1M+ in options on paper, but commenters stress high risk, late valuations, and frequent dilution.
  • Hedge funds and some finance roles pay mostly in cash and bonuses, sometimes with mandatory deferral into the firm’s fund (analogous to vesting).

Levels and compensation reality

  • Thread stresses that $1M+/yr comp is mostly for very senior levels (e.g., Meta E6+, Google L6+); most engineers top out around $200–400k TC.
  • Disagreement over salary sites like levels.fyi: some say “very wrong,” others say “highly accurate” for certain ladders but note differences between grant vs. realized value.

Geography and sector differences

  • US big tech pays far more than most of Europe, UK, or Canada; UK/Ireland/Belgium pay relatively well for Europe but still below US FAANG.
  • Civil service and defense/cleared roles in the US top out around ~$200k plus strong pensions/benefits.
  • Legacy tech niches (COBOL, MUMPS, mainframes, airline/healthcare/banking systems) sometimes support a few extremely well‑paid experts, but most such jobs pay modestly.

Alternative strategies: overemployment, consulting, business ownership

  • Some report making FAANG‑like income by holding 2–3 fully remote $100–150k jobs (“overemployment”), but note burnout and risk.
  • High‑end consultants/contractors, especially in niche or cost‑plus environments, can bill into FAANG territory.
  • Several argue that owning a successful business or SaaS can far exceed FAANG pay; many others counter that most small businesses fail or earn less than a solid big‑tech job.

Beyond money: tradeoffs, values, and ethics

  • Many emphasize work‑life balance, health insurance (especially in the US), PTO, job stability, and supportive culture as decisive, sometimes worth 20–30% less pay.
  • Stories highlight “unsexy” but humane employers (e.g., credit union software) and European-style protections.
  • Some warn that the highest pay is often in ethically gray areas (gambling, porn, predatory finance/crypto); others note reputational risks when leaving such sectors.

Meta: skepticism and opacity

  • Multiple commenters doubt unverifiable “I made millions” claims and note that the rarest, best‑paid roles are often never publicly posted.
  • General consensus: FAANG‑level (or better) comp outside FAANG exists, but is rare, highly selective, often risky, and usually tied to seniority, specialization, or entrepreneurship.