HACKER Q&A
📣 idontwantthis

My Job Is Great but They Don't Pay Me Enough for a Major Change


Hello HN,

I'm incredibly fortunate to be a US software dev working remotely from a very low CoL country. The company I work for is great too. Super understanding about stress and life commitments, and well managed projects without excessive meetings. Furthermore, we make a product that I actually believe is good.

My problem is that I will be moving back to the US in 1-2 year with my family and we want to live in a high CoL part of the US (where her family lives).

She is not a US citizen, so we will be single income for a while.

My raise last year was less than 10% with a promotion and it was the biggest on my team.

Is there a way I can communicate to my company that I would need at least a 50% raise over the next two years in order to provide for my family?

I know people here like to say "Just live somewhere cheaper", but I'm sure you could understand that we would very much like to live near her American family.


  👤 jimmyvalmer Accepted Answer ✓
A 50% raise is extreme. Realize the company hired you because you're a "cheap date." To become otherwise, you'd need to demonstrate the cost of losing you exceeds 1.5x your compensation. Easier said than done, of course.

👤 gostsamo
Talk to your managers and if they don't understand your position, feel free to look for another job. No matter how good is your current position, somewhere there is another which is comparable.