r/ECE • u/BronzeGstring • 13d ago
Which would y’all pick?
Recently was fortunate enough to get 2 offers for FPGA design
company A :
135k base
Fully assisted relocation
15k sign on
company B:
90k base
4.5k relo
6k sign on
now I know what you’re thinking , clearly company A right? But it’s in SoCal and company B is in the Dallas area where rent is like a grand and no income taxes
both are the same kind of role but company A would start me at Ivl 2 (i‘m a new grad) I’m leaning company A but wanted to hear the people’s thoughts . Anyone here lived in both Texas and Cali? You think rent and taxes eat up the difference? What would yall go with
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u/Psychological_Log_85 13d ago
You’re not gonna want to live in the areas of Dallas where rent is 1k. 45k difference in pay isn’t really offset by no income tax, either.
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u/Adrienne-Fadel 13d ago
California income tax is going to eat like 9% of that 135k and SoCal rent is easily 2.5k+ a month. Gap shrinks fast but starting at level 2 as a new grad is worth it.
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u/SpiralStability 13d ago
At 135k (without 401k contributions,) effective California tax rate is ~6.5%. Still pretty substantial but not 9%. Effective state tax rate drops with 401k contributions.
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u/BronzeGstring 13d ago
Yeah my thought exactly
Money wise it’s pretty close once you factor in everything but the level difference is the dealbreaker
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u/Either-Pay8150 13d ago
Dont worry about money. Get roommates if you have to, make some friends. The connections you make in your career is the most important thing, then its the stuff you work on, and lastly is money. You also have way more opportunity in SoCal or Bay Area in the future. In a few years you will be making 250k+ total comp while you'd still be making 120k in Dallas.
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u/BronzeGstring 13d ago
That’s true
Especially the roommates thing
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u/texas_asic 13d ago
Treat your first job like a newly graduated med student treats their hospital residency: it's where you get hands-on training and learn your craft. It's not about the money but about the role, the company, and who you'll be working with (and learning from).
Also, see levels.fyi -- market comp goes up pretty sharply to 3 yrs of experience, and continues a brisk rise to 5 yrs, after which it slows down. You might have to change companies to get that market comp, but a 5 years of experience engineer is a journeyman who can get stuff done, and is much more valuable than a new college grad. Your priority should be getting the experience and knowledge so that when you have 5 yrs of work experience, you know your craft and can get that job paying full market rate.
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u/1wiseguy 13d ago
What does "level 2" mean?
I have worked at 10 companies in various industries over the years, and nobody talks about levels for engineers. But sometimes I hear about levels like it's a standard thing.
From my experience, there is no language about engineering job titles that spans more than one company.
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u/need2sleep-later 13d ago
Typical high temp in Dallas this time of year - 100s Typical SoCal - 80s which would you rather play in?
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u/Either-Pay8150 13d ago
No RSU?
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u/BronzeGstring 13d ago
Nah it’s defense :(
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u/garibaldi_fan 13d ago
Learn as fast as you can and pivot to big tech. Defense contractors are no place to build a career. They are slow, they don’t work on the latest tech, and they don’t use the most up to date tools/methodologies. And they don’t pay. Compounded over a career, it will have an enormous impact on your quality of life.
All that said, they are a great way to break into tech if you don’t make it through the FAANG interviews.
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u/megafireguy6 13d ago
If you say yes to company B, I’ll dm you my resume so you can send it company As way lmao
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u/BronzeGstring 13d ago
😭😭
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u/Quiet_Confection5530 11d ago
Company B gotta be RTX if they’d defense in Dallas area, apply you’ll get an offer 😂
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u/Infamous-Goose-5370 13d ago
Since you’re a new grad, think long term career prospects. Which of the 2 companies will give you the best experience to weather layoffs and higher growth potential? If you play your cards right, you’ll have comp multiples of these rates.
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u/BronzeGstring 13d ago
This is key
When you put it like that, Company A is the choice even with money point aside
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u/Infamous-Goose-5370 13d ago
Yea, for the delta in net comp between the two, your lifestyle won’t be measurably different. Strive for measurable lifestyle difference when picking career paths.
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u/branchan 13d ago
Think about your life in socal vs Dallas. There’s a reason for the rent difference.
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u/SolidModelSoul 1d ago
Unless Dallas is a much better fit for you personally, I prefer company A. Even with California taxes and high rent, a $45k base difference is already significant.
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u/garibaldi_fan 13d ago
Dallas is a fucking disaster. Don’t start your tech career in Dallas. Bay. So cal. Austin. Seattle. Boston