When the FAANGs stocks were soaring and they handed out options like candy, even low level devs at those tech companies were making the kind of money usually reserved for medical doctors and attorneys. There was a huge gulf between SV pay and pretty much everywhere else.

Now, those companies have mostly lost the luster they used to have, and the comp differences aren't as large.

The last time any faang gave options to low level employees was probably 2009 or earlier