A lot more than you'd think, after a few years of experience. 130k with benefits is par for the course in St.Louis for a full benefits senior programmer. Contracting, you can get way more: I reached the cap in August last year.
In the Bay Area, if you don't make that kind of money, you better be living in company housing, or you will have trouble renting a closet by yourself.
So yes, enough programmers make more than 120k for the payroll tax to be the same regardless.
In the bay area one can easily live on $100k a year. So long as they're willing to have a housemate (share a 2 bd room with someone else). Clearly not possible on a single income family, but either 1) Single person sharing a 2bd room place with someone els or 2) a dual income home renting a 2bd room place for their approximate 1 child.
I see too many bay area people thinking that ubers and expensive meals out are the "bare minimum".
I don't see how someone can rationalize that someone making $100k should have to have roommates.
I am not saying they need more money, but I don't understand how we have gotten to the point of chiding people making six-figures like they work at McDonalds and want a BMW.
In the Bay Area, if you don't make that kind of money, you better be living in company housing, or you will have trouble renting a closet by yourself.
So yes, enough programmers make more than 120k for the payroll tax to be the same regardless.