Experienced engineers will have plenty of time and plenty of cheese to do whatever they want, up to them whether they choose to go to somewhere like Meta. The only thing I can imagine that $300k can't do that $750k-$1m can is buy up a bunch of property and price people out

There’s also retire early as an option. I’m not good enough or willing to put in the effort to get good enough to get into meta, but if I was presented the option of working somewhere kinda shitty but I could retire in 5 years vs working somewhere that was decent but I won’t retire for 30 years, it’s an easy pick.

I can’t really find somewhere where I can work on somewhere I love because the Vern diagrams of jobs I would love to do, and jobs where I am an employee, are completely separate circles

Yes, exactly. Because the venn diagram is the two circles of: things I love to do, and things that I do on someone else's terms.

If someone else is telling you what to do, you won't love it, no matter what. Freedom is a prerequisite for love.

You can retire far quicker on the higher salary.

then what?

Sports, hobbies, reading, writing, side projects, volunteer work, travelling, friends/family, culture, music etc. The same things that a rich person would do? Do whatever you want and/or find stimulating and worthwhile. Being free.

Be happy working for much less pay at all these socially responsibly companies people think are everywhere.

Money is freedom to do what you want, it doesn't mean you have to stop working.

Live your life on your terms, not an employer’s.

Be free from pressure and do stuff whenever and however you want.

> If the primary purpose of your job is to raise funds for the things that actually matter, what other method would you use?

Primary isn’t sole, and even if it was, all jobs aren’t equal in other ways, so the tradeoff varies by more than just compensation. Particularly, for someone without a myopic view but whose sole concern is providing money is sustainability of working conditions, because burnout is a thing.

Yeah but why entangle your need of helping others, with your employment? That just seems like making your life unnecessarily complex, especially when altruism is fundamentally opposing the goals of your organisation.

> Yeah but why entangle your need of helping others, with your employment?

Nothing I said is about your need to help others, it's about the long-term viability of your own working arrangements for you.