A senior software engineer who was laid off last year has sparked a discussion online after questioning whether a $150,000 (approximately ₹1.32 crore) salary is enough to live in New York City. After eight months of unsuccessful interviews, the 30-year-old shared on professional networking platform Blind that they finally received an offer from a non-tech company, but it comes with a big pay cut and a move from Dallas to NYC.
The anonymous poster revealed that they were previously earning a total compensation of $320,000 (around ₹2.82 crore) at a remote tech job before being laid off last year. Since then, they’ve spent eight months interviewing “with no success,” despite having eight years of experience in the industry.
“I just got an offer from a non tech company after extremely rigorous interview process of 7 rounds and the offer is only 150K, 3 days in office in NYC. Recruiter said it is the highest offer and they have multiple qualified finalists so no negotiation possible. Have until Tuesday to accept or reject it,” the post read.
The techie added that the job doesn’t come with relocation support, meaning they would have to move from Dallas to New York on their own. “I have savings that can last me another 3-4 months, but I am very, very, very tired of interviewing,” they wrote, admitting fears about the high cost of living in the city.
“Question to those who went through similar situation, is it manageble in NYC with 150K TC for a single male 30 yo?” the poster asked.
Also Read: Laid-off techie struggles to ‘adapt to Indian life’ after returning from US: ‘I’ve lived in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad’
Social media reactions
The post drew mixed responses online. Some users pointed out that while $150K sounds high on paper, it doesn’t go far in NYC once you account for rent, taxes, and commuting costs. Others, however, suggested the engineer take the job for stability and continue job-hunting on the side.
{{/usCountry}}The post drew mixed responses online. Some users pointed out that while $150K sounds high on paper, it doesn’t go far in NYC once you account for rent, taxes, and commuting costs. Others, however, suggested the engineer take the job for stability and continue job-hunting on the side.
{{/usCountry}}“Since you’re coming from Dallas and it’s already literally a 60% pay cut, it’ll probably end up feeling like an 80% pay cut. You’ll be making as much or less than kids 2-3 years out of college in banking or consulting in NYC. But it’s something to do so,” one user wrote.
“It’s definitely livable, even in Manhattan. However, it depends on what your standards are and how far away from work/the city you’re willing to be for nicer living standards,” commented another.
“It can be. You will have to pinch a few pennies and stick to a budget but it’s very doable,” said a third user.
“You’d be insane to reject the offer. This does not have to be permanent though. Use it simply as income while you continue to interview. Get a temporary place in NYC if you don’t want to commit there long term,” suggested another.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)