<p>Just out of curiosity, what is the starting financial analyst salary at Intel or Microsoft in the bay area? I've looked online but I think glassdoor is posting numbers that are way too high...</p>
<p>It,s not inexpensive to live in the Bay area. WA doesn’t have a state income tax and OR has cheaper housing and no sales tax (but has 9% income tax).</p>
<p>I know it’s expensive to live in the bay (CA) area, that’s why I’m wondering what the starting salary…</p>
<p>You can run glassdoor / like estimators with same job title but different metronome areas.</p>
<p>YMMV!
Cost of living in bay area, roughly 20% more than Seattle (software cos), 40% more than Hillsboro,OR (Intel). YMMV !</p>
<p>Hey longprime - I actually did that before (for CA) and got 70k! There is NO way this is accurate. I think glassdoor has some skewed statistics…</p>
<p>Maybe your specialty is too specific or the sampling is too small.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to Intel, but there aren’t all that many Microsoft financial analyst positions, especially straight out of school. Probably it’s going to be hard to answer this one. 70K sounds a little low, but not impossible.</p>
<p>At the F500 tech company (bay area) where I work 1st year starting finance analysts straight out of undergrad have a base of $75k. For total comp, add in bonus (0-20% depending on performance) and stock (also depends on performance and ranges from like $5-15K). At best, a top tier 1st year analyst will make $105K…an average analyst will make ~$90K.</p>
<p>There are awful lot of investment/analysts who got unemployed in 2008-09. Add in recent grads and restructuring of investment banks, you got a low pay scale.</p>
<p>omg whartongrad do you work at google?! 
Those numbers seem a bit high…</p>
<p>Longprime - I’m sure that the pay is low because of this, however, I just don’t think the pay can be around $50k (or even $40k as I read somewhere else).</p>
<p>tetrahedron - I only hope you’re correct on 70s being a bit low for an undergrad…</p>
<p>Those numbers do seem a bit high for CF. Chances are you’re looking at around 60k starting salary + roughly 5k relocation and a 5-10k bonus.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC App</p>
<p>Okay thanks Sean518x :)</p>
<p>Does anyone else have other ideas?</p>
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<p>sorry but I’d rather not reveal where I work but it is a well known F500tech company in the Bay Area. You come on here asking a question and I provided a response so I’m not sure why are questioning them and saying they seem a bit “high.” Then you go and take advice from a 19 year old (Sean518x). You realize that I actually work in the industry I know these numbers quite well right? Not only do I actually work at one of these companies but I’ve received offers from numerous firms (and and constantly getting bombarded by headhunters) and have friends across the industry…so i’m pretty sure I am an expert in knowing these numbers…lol</p>
<p>The top tier / most coveted tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Zynga, Yahoo!, Twitter, Adobe, etc., etc., at least in the Bay Area, all have base salaries in the $70-75K range for 1st year analysts. Bonus and stock vary significantly by company but for the most part a 1st year can expect total comp of anywhere from $85-100K. The only big exception among the big tech companies is Apple who is notorious for being extremely stingy in terms of comp…a friend of mine had an analyst offer with them after undergrad and they were offering him $50K base (plus minimal stock and bonus). Outside of the Bay Area, Seattle and NYC have good tech scenes…NYC comp is similar to the Bay Area while Seattle is ~15-20% lower.</p>
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<li>Also note that in tech, at least for finance jobs, you can expect ~$5-10K in relocation and $0-10K in stock or cash (or combo) as a signing bonus as well.</li>
</ul>
<p>sorry whartongrad :o I didn’t know that sean was 19! </p>
<p>Okay thank you whartongrad. I read in one of the threads here that they pay 40k for the bay area so I was genuinely concerned whether that was true! I guess I just panicked and couldn’t believe that it could be anything other than 40k - good to know it’s not :)</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>
People are wise to be skeptical of anything posted on a message forum. For all anybody knows you could be a high school freshman and I could be in elementary school.</p>
<p>That said, I think your numbers sound reasonable for a high end tech company, particularly in the Bay Area. With the caveat that I’m in engineering and not at a high tech firm. We just have an office in SF and I am somewhat aware of the pay for some of these positions. 40K certainly sounds very low for these types of positions (at high power tech companies at least). Smaller companies, in other businesses may offer salaries at that level. </p>
<p>aiko - Why not just apply to companies that interest you in places that interest you and see what they offer. I’ve read a few of your posts and your sound very smart, so I’m certain if you get an offer by that time you’ll be able to come up with a reliable means of determining whether it is sufficient. Plus, if you’re not from the Bay Area or Seattle or wherever you might get some free trips out to interview and check it out.</p>
<p>thanks for the encouragement bovertine 
I am actually interviewing with one of these companies and it would be awesome if I got the offer - assuming the pay isn’t very low! I come from a non-target school so it’s very hard for me to get even one interview at any of these cool companies therefore I can’t just apply to these places and find out 
</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your ideas! :D</p>
<p>
It sounds like wharton knows what he’s talking about. At any rate, 40K is pretty low for SF. I don’t think these big well known companies have much incentive to screw around with you. They know what other people offer, and if they want you they probably have little reason to lowball you - because if they do once you get some experience you’ll jump ship, which you may do anyway if the grass is greener.</p>
<p>Unless apparently, if wharton is correct, they happen to be Apple. Maybe there are some companies that just think you should be grateful to work there period.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot. Good luck with your interview!</p>
<p>Those high tech firms want top talent and they are competing with WS for the talent. I am not surprised their salary is around 70K. Consulting firms are also offering that range.</p>
<p>Yes, good luck.</p>
<p>oldfort hit the nail on the head…most of these top tech firms are competing for the same talent (for their finance / strategy jobs) with investment banks and consulting firms so in order to actually get people to accept they have to be relatively competitive in terms of comp. Good luck in your interview aikomidori!</p>