Software engineers tell Glassdoor that Walmart pays more than Facebook

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/software-engineers-tell-glassdoor-that-walmart-pays-more-than-facebook/2013/10/18/ecd3de10-37d9-11e3-ae46-e4248e75c8ea_story.html

by chwolfe • 13 years ago

34 71 13 years ago

washingtonpost.com

United857• 13 years ago

Isn't Glassdoor data purely self-reported? Is there any central or peer review process on the data?

How could a reputable newspaper like the Post do a article on the basis of that alone?

wlk2• 13 years ago

The article says the this data is self-reported: "Web site Glassdoor compiled self-reported salary data of more than 33,000 software engineers over the past year"

saosebastiao• 13 years ago

They would have to pay me more to work there too.

unfletch• 13 years ago

Base salary isn't everything.

BigChiefSmokem2• 13 years ago

I asked the recruiter multiple times if what Fox (the movie studio) was offering was legit. They offered me $20,000 more than Microsoft.

logicallee• 13 years ago

which is a huge difference. you can hire half-time maid/cook with that. Did you take it?

diziet• 13 years ago

You forget to take into account the tax bracket!

BigChiefSmokem2• 13 years ago

Sure did. It's sort of bittersweet because I really wanted to work for Microsoft since I was a kid but to me my salary is part of my worth and I don't want to undermine the value of my career by taking a lower pay. I don't think the work is as challenging as it would have been at a tech giant (I'm pretty much a glorified UI/front-end web developer) but I do get to work alongside the Hollywood crowd which IMO is as exciting as working at a "cool" Silicon Valley gig. Also, I don't think startups pay much anyhow, especially in LA (I've had to laugh off some offers from the Santa Monica startups, sorry but $80k for a Senior Engineer is just ludicrous) - those jobs are better suited for the college grads. Anyways, the above average pay in my case has to do with the fact that the studio makes a ton of money and are willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to talent (IT or otherwise), and that the area we work at has a very high cost of living.

ucha• 13 years ago

Source: http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/15-tech-companies-software-eng...

wlk2• 13 years ago

This is article and data from last year, published: October 18, 2012

donretag• 13 years ago

Walmart has a division called Walmart Labs that is based in Silicon Valley. They are working on many complex projects, especially around Big Data.

Not sure how big that engineering group is compared to the rest of Walmart IT, but I would assume that group is nicely paid and working on interesting problems.

lquist3• 13 years ago

Entry level (i.e., junior dev) salaries at Walmart Labs are $100k. This is based off of multiple data points.

saraid2163• 13 years ago

multiple

Approximate number? Are we talking 2, 20, 200?

thegoleffect3• 13 years ago

I don't know anyone who has joined at rank Junior Software Engineer I (doesn't necessarily mean you are wrong though). Everyone I know who joined young (and there aren't many...) came in at JSWE III which requires prior experience and is roughly commensurate with $100k industry-wide.

jamesaguilar2• 13 years ago

For anyone wondering why this might be, you may benefit from looking up the term "compensating differential" on Wikipedia. The general idea is that if a job has less appeal (because it is less pleasant or prestigious, which it's reasonable to believe SWE for Walmart is), you have to pay more to get the same talent.

bentcorner• 13 years ago

"Where there's muck there's brass"

prateekj• 13 years ago

I was about to say the exact same thing before I read your comment. It doesn't matter if you get more money, you will still be a software engineer at Walmart!

jamesaguilar2• 13 years ago

Hmm, that said, this could easily just be a reflection of biases and preconceptions software engineers have about Walmart. For all you or I know, those guys over at Walmart Labs/Walmart Ecommerce are having a blast and getting paid a bunch to do it.

saraid2163• 13 years ago

Odd. I'd say the same thing, except s/Walmart/Facebook.

ryankshaw• 13 years ago

I have an old saying: "If you want to make good money you can do something that either: a. no one else can do or b. no one else wants to do but if you want to make really good money, do something no else can do AND no one else wants to do."

lquist3• 13 years ago

This won't apply to everyone, but before applying to Walmart/Walmart Labs, do remember that Walmart will ask you to pass a drug test.

diogenescynic• 13 years ago

You may not know, but does the Dept. of Justice announcing they won't challenge state medical marijuana laws have any effect on pre-employment drug testing? Why or why not? Most employers seem to be moving away from it, in my experience.

awda2• 13 years ago

Independent of state (medical or otherwise) marijuana laws, employers still drug test (even in WA, where personal pot use is legal, for example). Pot users aren't a protected class for discrimination purposes, afaik. I agree that it seems silly.

Things are a bit different in the software world, where employers are moving away from drug testing because they need all the talent they can get. It turns out some potheads are actually pretty productive members of society if you give them a chance.

lawnchair_larry2• 13 years ago

Most tech employers never had it to begin with. I don't understand how it's legal, honestly.

mikeash6• 13 years ago

Also remember that they are evil.

I don't toss this around lightly, but Wal-Mart is one of the very few companies (I actually can't think of any others right now) that I absolutely will not do business with no matter what.

vowelless2• 13 years ago

Could you elaborate why?

bpodgursky• 13 years ago

I don't toss this around lightly, but Wal-Mart is one of the very few companies I absolutely always do business with because it is cheap, reliable, and I hate going to multiple stores on a single shopping trip.

liamondrop2• 13 years ago

Facebook is to privacy as Wal-Mart is to small retail business.

bluedino• 13 years ago

But I bet you'd shop Amazon without thinking twice.

jcomis• 13 years ago

Not surprised really. Wal-Mart (labs I'm guessing) knows they need to put up significantly more cash to attract talent given the negative/boring/un-prestigious way most people perceive the brand.

joyinsky2• 13 years ago

Are they rebuilding RetailLink? It is the most horrible piece of software ever.

joyinsky2• 13 years ago

They should hire some usability engineers and shot the ones who did design RetailLink user interface.

lawnchair_larry2• 13 years ago

Glassdoor data is useless, especially if you are trying to get "averages" from it.

foobarqux• 13 years ago

For entry level it might be okay. Non-entry level or positions where bonus is a large percentage of total comp it is useless. Listed compensation for non-entry investment banking or trading is widely inaccurate.

theorique2• 13 years ago

But I bet they don't have a foozball table or all the Red Bull you can drink! They aren't COOL!

Are they?

ARE THEY?!

thegoleffect3• 13 years ago

Technically, there is a foosball table and a vending machine with Red Bull. Employees prefer Cola & Coffee though (those are free).

theorique2• 13 years ago

Say it ain't so - Walmart has the cool and cachet of SV's hottest startups? You mean I took a 40% salary hit for 0.00001% of worthless equity (and free Red Bull that makes me jumpy) for nothing?

Noooo...

hakcermani• 13 years ago

What about years of experience. Was that factored in ? FB attracts younger folk. Networking code needs a bit more experience than JS/html/css !

ellaVader• 13 years ago

It's just too bad they can't pay their retail employees a livable wage!

gknoy• 13 years ago

I believe they are transitioning to full time positions for exactly that reason.

redblacktree2• 13 years ago

To avoid paying livable wages?

encoderer4• 13 years ago

Right, but that doesn't include the extremely valuable equity grants given to engineers at these high-growth tech companies.

felipe6• 13 years ago

Would you call FB high-growth? At least from a VC standpoint "high-growth" is a 10x return, and not 2.5x like FB (on a good day)

encoderer4• 13 years ago

Publicly traded companies are not measured by the VC yardstick.

Facebook is certainly high growth. And even if you don't want to use the traditional Wallstreet "growth stock" measurement, try this one out: If you were a facebook engineer hired 1 year ago given a (relatively small) $100k RSU grant that vests over 4 years, that grant today is worth $285,000. And today, on your 1 year anniversary, your first 25% chunk would've vested, giving you $72k in pre-tax income. As somebody who experienced this recently in another "high growth" dotcom IPO, the term I'd use for that is "down payment on a house."

malandrew2• 13 years ago

On this note, what is a good source of salary information for series A and series B companies?

For various reasons, I would imagine that comparing salaries in large mature companies and Series A/B startups to be like comparing apples and oranges.

Software engineers tell Glassdoor that Walmart pays more than Facebook

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