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Laid-off techie asks if Rs 1.3 crore salary is enough to survive in New York: ‘Tired of interviewing’

The engineer shared that he was previously earning a total compensation of $320,000 (around Rs 2.82 crore) in a remote tech role before being laid off.

The engineer shared that he was previously earning a total compensation of $320,000 (around Rs 2.82 crore) in a remote tech role before being laid off (Representative image/Pexels)

A senior software engineer ignited a fresh debate on social media after questioning whether a $150,000 (approximately Rs 1.32 crore) salary is truly enough to live in New York City. The 30-year-old, who was laid off last year, shared his dilemma on the professional networking platform Blind, highlighting the challenges he faced during a job hunt.

Despite having eight years of experience in the industry, he spent eight months interviewing and received his final offer from a non-tech company. However, the new opportunity came with a steep pay cut and a relocation from Dallas to New York City.

“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,” the anonymous post read. “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.”

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The engineer shared that he was previously earning a total compensation of $320,000 (around Rs 2.82 crore) in a remote tech role before being laid off. The new job offer not only slashes the income by more than half but also doesn’t include any relocation support. “I have savings that can last me another 3-4 months, but I am very, very, very tired of interviewing,” he added.

Expressing concern over the high cost of living in New York, he wrote, “Question to those who went through similar situation, is it manageable in NYC with 150K TC for a single male 30 yo?”

See the post here:

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The post quickly gained traction, with opinions split on whether the salary would allow for a comfortable lifestyle in one of the most expensive cities in the world. “I have interviewed non stop for 8 months and nothing in sight, 38 final rounds always losing to a better candidate or insider, extremely exhausted, paid $3500 for interview coaching services and all said I am perfect candidate just not have luck in interviews, not sure how to cope with this,” a user shared.

“Not really. From what my clients have told me, they all told me jobs they felt were the most difficult were the ones they felt like they are paid the least. The work wasn’t any easier and the fact they felt underpaid made it even harder,” another user commented. “As a single person it’s possible. After you know that area you may want to shift to New Jersey,” a third user reacted.