According to levels.fyi, a typical entry-level FAANG job (L3 SWE at Google) pays $140k base salary.

An assistant prof. position at UCSD I was looking into was paying $115-145k to identical roles in the department.

I know Google has some other benefits, like stock and bonus. Plus, compensation will grow more rapidly. Plus, there are tons of high-paying SWE jobs, whereas good academic positions are scarce.

In Academia, it's hard to exceed $200k. Some professors often get $200-300k from consulting. But those I know that earn so much on side gigs are frequently gaming university IP rules.

Google L3 SWE total comp is $193k

https://www.levels.fyi/?compare=Google,Salesforce&track=Soft...

Base salary is the wrong comparison. As you move up to higher levels and get stacking equity grants, the liquid stock vesting routinely becomes >50% of total comp at FAANG -- i.e. you have to look at total comp.

It's not even close to comparable. Also worth noting: as a PhD with assistant prof levels of experience, you'd typically join as L5 (source: myself), which has total comp starting at $365k according to levels.fyi

But don’t you have to live in the Bay Area? Or does Google pay those L5 salaries for remote? Because $365k is more like $179-$200k where I live. And you have to work 12 months of the year, no?