You can consistently get $100k in Silicon Valley, New York City, and Washington DC Metro, although you will need Top Secret security clearance for the latter.<p>It should come as no surprise that the expenses in those areas are much higher.  If you settle for a lower salary in an area with lower living expenses, your effective savings rate could be higher.<p>Also, you don&#x27;t want those DC jobs.  Just say no.  The military industrial complex is a soul-eating machine, and it does not respect software professionals.<p>The problem is that other places have fewer available jobs in the field, and a greater proportion of them are extremely unglamorous.  $90k maintaining a stupid, business-line CRUD app may be less attractive than $80k making custom software for medical researchers.