I’m a new grad masters from a top 5 CS School in US. Most of my friends are talking about their potential offers and other offers our seniors received etc. I’m in AI/ ML field The highest was apparently 500k TC Applied Scientist Amazon (new grad only 2 years research experience as RA apart from Masters) Second highest was OpenAI ML Engineer 440k Everyone here talks about 300k like it’s normal, I never hear TC < 200k. Are most people inflating their TCs out of insecurity or are these legit numbers. Asking coz I’m thinking of doing a PhD, but if I can earn 300k out of masters, might as well work for a few years. What do you guys think?
Attainable/reasonable. But only if: 1. They had numerous competing offers (likely fr hedge funds). 2. They are published/coauthored 3. Someone from their "puboicstion/advisor" circle is within the hiring organization they are joining. Which would allow them to push up the offer internally to the max
All of them are published, no idea about 1 or 3
250k is far from median
Even Applied Scientist 2 pay at Amazon doesn't hit 500k. Unless he's published something very relevant to the role this sounds like a fib.
Tech companies are usually pretty strict about TC unlike finance, otherwise everyone would jump onyo cash cow projects which dump money into their pockets. At least Qualcomm is pretty standardized about salary for different levels.
Amazon Applied Scientist 2 can pay >500k.
Truly fake. Giving the benefit of doubt, have they calculated all the RSUs in the first year? levels.fyi shows Applied Scientist L4 average to be 238K and L5 to be 308K. I don’t believe your friend got almost double the current average.
The Amazon 500k seems too far from the norm. I would not believe it unless I see the offer or see the situation. If it was for applied scientist 2 or senior roles maybe. Also I think companies they don't count research assistant experience usually as YOE. Maybe that person interered with them and had high performance but even then 500k is a lot for new grad lol
The only realistic tc is whatever’s on the offer letter, and according to levels.fyi your friends are likely full of shit. Pretty pathetic to lie about tc to your “friends” lol.
Probably true. T5 CS school too, most BS students who optimize for money make >400k.
With 0yoe don't expect higher than 200k at a top company. After you move up the ladder then sure 500k and higher are doable
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A lot of TCs account for stock inflation. Also degrees are just pieces of paper, don't expect a higher salary because of the degree, expect it because of the experience you bring.
Also I wouldn't bank on a masters setting you apart that much either, having a bachelors from a top 10 school is far more important
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Top 5 CS school doesn’t matter as much as competing offers. Maybe your friend with 500 tc has that going for him/her, because it is far from the norm