Compass
The guide
San Francisco Bay Area
United States · North America
The centre of the software industry and of startup funding — the concentration of people who have built things at scale is the actual product here.
Who this suits, and who it doesn’t
Suits you if you want to be at the centre of the software industry and can tolerate expense and visa uncertainty for it. Look elsewhere if you need a predictable immigration ladder — Canada offers one and this does not.
The catch, and the way in
The catch
Costs are extreme, and the H-1B work visa is a lottery you can lose repeatedly.
The way in
For most people from outside, the path is a US degree first, or contributing remotely to open source and startups until someone sponsors you.
Living there
What living here is actually like
Sprawling and car-dependent outside San Francisco itself, with a mild climate and a professional culture that talks about work more than anywhere else on this list. The concentration of people who have built things at scale is the actual product, and it shows in how easily conversations turn into introductions. Visible inequality on the streets is stark and startling to newcomers.
How the money works
Salaries are the highest in the world for software work and the cost of housing consumes an extraordinary share of them; people routinely share accommodation years into their careers. The honest arithmetic is that saving here is possible but far less automatic than the headline numbers suggest, and equity — not salary — is what has historically made the difference.Described in shape rather than figures on purpose: rents and salaries move every year and we cannot keep numbers true, but what is expensive and what quietly eats income stays true for far longer.
The language you actually need
English only, and specifically a fluent, confident, informal register: much of how opportunity moves here is through conversation and referral rather than formal application, which puts a premium on being comfortable talking to strangers.
The work that clusters here
Fields with a real market in this city
Computer Science · Business & Economics · Engineering