[LUAU] Top 10 Best / Worst Cities For Software Developer Pay

[Maddog]

I think it's more of a supply and demand proposition. There are not a lot of 
software development companies here and worker demand is low, therefore 
employers can pay whatever workers will accept and workers have to accept 
what is offered or not work.

In some sectors there is a high demand, such as network engineers. There are 
several network integrators that have had to hire workers from out of state. 
Higher demand means better wages and employees have the upper hand and can 
demand more money. The employer has to accept the higher salary demand 
unless he wants to take his chances and look outside the state to find 
someone for less (unlikely).

So if Lingle was to "do something" about the situation, it would be to 
encourage more software development companies to move here, i.e., tax 
breaks. That would increase demand and competition for better workers and 
would increase salaries.

MD
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Thompson" <jim at netgate.com>
To: "LUAU" <luau at lists.hosef.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: [LUAU] Top 10 Best / Worst Cities For Software Developer Pay


>
> On Mar 20, 2007, at 7:42 AM, Eric Hattemer wrote:
>
>> Jim Thompson wrote:
>>>    Where are the "exports" for Hawaii?
>>>
>> I think this is the key question.  You can't pay people with money  you 
>> don't have.  It's not so much about how much are "they" paying  as "who 
>> is there that can actually pay?"  I think the only way to  solve this 
>> problem would be to get more companies with more cash- earning products 
>> to Hawaii.  It's not direct, but there's  definitely a small correlation 
>> between corporate earnings and  employee salaries.  How many giant 
>> (Microsoft, Adobe, IBM, Apple,  etc.) software/computer companies have 
>> offices in Hawaii?  The only  one I can think of is IBM.
>> -Eric Hattemer
>
> Sun has one.  I don't know the current status, but they're still in  the 
> phone book.   It could be an 'e-suite' for a salesperson and  perhaps an 
> SE.   That said, IBM is unlikely to be doing development  here, either.
>
> The biggest problem with Hawaii is logistics.   While its no more 
> expensive to FedEx from here than from many locations on the  mainland, 
> its impossible to ship "overnight" from here.  You could  setup to do most 
> everything over the Internet, but there is a huge  lack of local 
> infrastructure in terms of co-location, etc.  Having  "lava.net" host my 
> servers just isn't going to cut it.
>
> And then there is the simple fact that we're currently 6 hours out of 
> 'sync' with the East Coast, and even California is 3 hours away.   If  you 
> think that doesn't matter, consider the 'window of opportunity'  to speak 
> with customers, suppliers, fellow employees, etc on the East  Coast.
>
> By the time you're sitting at your desk, with the second cup of  coffee 
> consumed, its 8am (haha!) here, and 2pm on the East Coast.    They won't 
> want to schedule conf calls past 4pm their time, so there  is a mere 2 
> hours of "overlap" per day.   Of course, if you're  willing to stay up 
> past 2am, then you can catch them mid-doughnut,  explain the issue du 
> jour, and perhaps have a solution by their COB.
>
> There is also the none-too-subtle suspicion on their part that you  spend 
> every spare moment on the beach, ogling the gender of your  choice, or 
> surfing, that you have achieved a state of "permanent  vacation", and they 
> are none-too-happy that your off-hours are spent  in in a tiki-lit 
> paradise while they return home to either sub-urban  blandness or urban 
> blight.
>
> After that, you're faced with a workforce that (in the large) isn't 
> technology savvy, (the Microsoft-touting sheeple are as thick here as 
> anywhere), and can't even find the motivation to return to work  reliably. 
> ("Sorry I fo'got to call eh...but chu know I always got  choke aloha foa 
> ya brah!")
>
> All that said, I don't think its impossible to 'do' high-tech here,  but 
> its very difficult to 'scale' it.
>
> Jim
>
> _______________________________________________
> LUAU at lists.hosef.org mailing list
> http://lists.hosef.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/luau
>