You may assume that top engineers are hidden in Facebook or Google, but that doesn't have to be the case.
Even though Airbnb's and Uber's initial ideas have nothing to do with engineering, they're currently one of the top tech companies in the world.
Their engineering teams are incredible and set standards for everyone else in the world.
But how huge are salaries at those companies?
Thankfully, all that data can be viewed publicly because of great people at levels.fyi.
The massive salaries are prone to high taxes, and that's why they are always divided into 3 parts: base salary, stocks, and bonuses.
Let's dive in.
Junior Engineers
Even though most of these people have 0-2 years of experience, the numbers can be pretty big.
The average salary for Airbnb engineers is $211k. Base salary is $131k, stocks are $60k, while bonuses are $19k. Pretty good, right?
It's a bit less in Uber, but it's still a massive salary with an average of $166k. The base is $122k, stocks $30k, and bonuses $14k.
Airbnb has even higher salaries than Google and Facebook, which offer $190k and $180k, respectively. Check out the details here: How Big Are Salaries For Facebook and Google Engineers In Silicon Valley?
Mid-Level Engineers
Things slightly change for more experienced roles.
The average experience is 2-5 years, however, that's not the rule. Some people have 1, and some of them 10 years of experience.
The average salary for this role in Airbnb is $272k. The base is $172k, stocks $86k, bonuses $13k.
Uber sees a massive increase in salary for this role.
Engineers here have an average salary of $269k. The base is $166k, stocks $89k, and bonuses $20k.
Senior Engineer
Ok, now we're already in the quite high league. People here have 5-20 years of experience, and most of them stop at this level.
Airbnb engineers earn $417k on average. The base is $215k, stocks $167k, bonuses $34k.
Uber engineers earn a similar amount of money - $400k on average. The base is $190k, stocks $173k, and bonuses £37k.
Are you interested in Microsoft or Amazon engineers? You may be surprised. Check it out here: How Much Do Microsoft And Amazon Engineers In Silicon Valley Earn?
Staff Engineers
If you're a top-notch Airbnb or Uber engineer, you will pass the senior role, and become a Staff Engineer. You need to have at least 7 years of experience and can have up to 20+.
The average salary for this role in Airbnb is $571k. The base is $244k, stocks $276k, bonuses $49k. The highest salary is $650k!
Uber is offering way less; the average salary is $500k. The base is $220k, stocks $235k, and bonuses $45k.
The highest salary is up to $580k!
Senior Staff Engineers
It's not enough. You're a top-notch engineer in the world, and you deserve the highest possible compensation. People here have something from 10, up to 35+ years of experience.
Just a few engineers will come to this role.
The average Airbnb salary is $725k. The base is $255k, stocks $411k, bonuses $57k; while the highest one is $940k.
Uber wins in this category with $740k as an average salary. The base is $251k, stocks $435k, bonuses $55k. The biggest salary here is a bit $955k!
Conclusion - start coding
The demand for software engineers is massive, and you don't need to have a degree in Computer Science to do it.
You probably won't end up working in Airbnb or Uber, but there are many great companies that will pay you $100k+.
You can self-educate yourself, and change your life if you're interested in it.
This period will last for some time, and if you're interested in it - give it a go.
As you've just read, the prices can be astonishing.