More than in the Bay is hard to believe for Texas considering software engineers can get >400k these days if you know where to look. I'm assuming it's an oil company?

No, it's not oil; it's related to shipping, and not tied to the region. (see my HN profile) I won't of course disclose my income, but I'm not picking extremes when I make that comparison. After all, I'm sure there's junior devs somewhere in Houston making $30k. I'm really just challenging the notion that success in software means accepting the reality of life in the Bay.

Engineers in the bay can make $1 million or higher, if you know where to look. You will likely never get that in Texas.

Both you and the parent comment are saying "if you know where to look". I'm sure those positions exist for specialized needs, where they'll pay anything. I'm not talking experts in middle-out compression here but rather up the middle developers. The kind who will interview for below market in exchange for equity, or at best, get market rates even though their living will cost 3x what it would cost in Houston.

You're unlikely to get it there either.

I will never draw a Bay Area salary. But I have a great house and a kid in a good private school for <50% of the cost to live in SFO.

> considering software engineers can get >400k these days if you know where to look

That is far above average.

please do share where to look or examples. I run my own company (flair.co) and have no interest in looking for another job as long as we are continuing to make money. But I find the idea of 400K+ as an engineer to be crazy. Is it for some particular/niche experience or academic background? Is it execution speed? I feel like I can whip up whatever software I need and fast barring super deep academic bits but can't imagine who would pay my 400K.

> I feel like I can whip up whatever software I need and fast barring super deep academic bits but can't imagine who would pay my 400K.

I don't know about the 400k specifically, but I hope you might want to change your attitude: you don't need to sell for what you believe is reasonable and can imagine; you want to be selling to people who have more money than sense.

because they dont want you to change companies.

You can make that at Google without becoming a manager, if you know something they really want (or are otherwise technically senior enough).

I find Houston to be ever more appealing as a number of my friend move over there and buy giant condos/houses for what would barely get you a box 2 hours south of San Jose.

Yeah, real estate is great. However, it doesn't have a culture that someone from San Jose would find appealing. Even though it's only a 3 hour drive, Houston isn't Austin. (though there's pockets, like Montrose) The heat is miserable in the summer, and the job market is somewhat narrow (more .NET and a fewer industries to pick from than you'll find elsewhere)

Interestingly, Houston has more (live) theater seats than anywhere else except NYC.. tons of awesome museums, and the most racially/ethnically diverse large metro area in the country (which makes it a great town for foodies)

I love Austin, but it's probably arguable that its "culture" (in the art/culture sense of the word) even approaches Houston's. "Houston is one of only five cities in the United States with permanent professional resident companies in all of the major performing arts disciplines: opera, ballet, symphony, and theater"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Houston#Arts_and_th...

And Houston is cheaper than Austin, too... but I've found Austin's tech scene to be slightly up on Houston's (if only because Austin is more compact and so getting around to the nearest meetup is a bit easier... also, Austin has a much better VC scene, but Houston does have a surprisingly large tech scene, even given that Houston is probably going to become the country's third-largest city.) http://www.businessinsider.com/r-americas-city-rankings-set-...

But bdcraven is right... modern here tends to mean .NET or Java at most of the larger Fortune 100 companies based here (mostly oil and gas, medicine, and finance.)

You'll need a lot of air conditioning and maybe a swimming pool (or two) during the summer though.

I probably misused the term culture - I'm meaning more the culture of the people: red state with all the attitudes you'd associate, and many of the stereotypes that people associate with Texas aren't far off. A transplant who thinks those mindsets are wrong rather than different would probably experience alot of angst living in Houston.

I agree! although, as an import from CA myself, I actually found a healthy divergence in viewpoints rather refreshing.

Don't forget the insufferable mosquitoes. As if the heat and humidity isn't bad enough.