GabrielDuquette comments on POSITION: Design and Write Rationality Curriculum - Less Wrong

54 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 19 January 2012 06:50AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 19 January 2012 03:50:17PM 18 points [-]

Am I the only one who thinks $3k/month is actually a lot of money?

Comment author: bbarth 19 January 2012 03:57:53PM 10 points [-]

I don't know what others think (besides myself and thomblake, clearly), but I think it's between 3 and 4x under market for a person with those skills in the Bay Area. It's between 2 and 3x under market in a place like Austin, TX, depending on experience.

People with experience doing the things listed above make high 5 and low 6-figure salaries plus benefits (medical, 401k with some matching, etc.) in industry jobs, or they are university or secondary school teachers who have reasonable salaries, health care, and other benefits like tenure not available to industry workers.

Comment author: [deleted] 19 January 2012 04:23:26PM 7 points [-]

Thanks, I didn't know any of that. Updated.

$3k/month still feels subjectively like a lot to me, but only because I've managed to get by comfortably with much, much less for my entire life. So I've never developed spending habits that require a different financial perspective. I just went to the dentist for the first time since 1998, for example. I understand this is not the best lifestyle for everyone.

Comment author: bbarth 19 January 2012 04:27:18PM 7 points [-]

It's also possible, for example, that they don't actually want people with work experience doing these things and would settle for folks who are decent at them but have so far only done these activities as a hobby/self-training exercise. If that's the case, then $36k/yr might be OK, and it might be a good opportunity for someone to get these skills on their resume for a later job search in a relevant industry. If that's what they're really looking for, they should state it as such. Otherwise, I remain highly skeptical of the position.

Comment author: Swimmer963 19 January 2012 04:47:07PM 6 points [-]

It's a lot if you're a student, I guess. The most I've ever made was about $2500/month, and that's working 55 hours a week...at $12/hour. Pretty much any non-student job pays more.

Comment author: bbarth 19 January 2012 05:10:44PM *  6 points [-]

Agreed.

We pay grad students ~$45k for 40 hours a week. Most of them only work half time, so they take home a lot less than that. Of course they also get health insurance. Also, this doesn't appear to be seeking a student.

Edited to add: We pay their tuition, too.

Comment author: thomblake 19 January 2012 04:37:48PM 6 points [-]

Note that in the bay area, $3k/month is a reasonable rate for a 3-room apartment.

Comment author: wedrifid 19 January 2012 03:58:20PM 4 points [-]

Am I the only one who thinks $3k/month is actually a lot of money?

More or less. There would not be many people who meet the criteria mentioned that couldn't earn a lot more than that if they wanted it.

Comment author: [deleted] 19 January 2012 05:33:01PM 12 points [-]

There would not be many people who meet the criteria mentioned that couldn't earn a lot more than that if they wanted it.

You're right, but they don't need many people, they only need one.

(Speaking as someone who applied, has most of those skills pretty solidly (from unusual experiences that employers generally don't care for: professional hula hoop instructor???), but has rarely made more than half of what they are offering)

Comment author: [deleted] 19 January 2012 08:24:57PM 8 points [-]

Your position sounds suspiciously like mine. I also applied.

Comment author: shminux 19 January 2012 06:07:42PM 3 points [-]

Rooting for ya :)

Comment author: Jayson_Virissimo 21 January 2012 10:20:15AM 1 point [-]

No you aren't. $3,000 a month would easily cover rent, utilities, Internet, transportation costs, a healthy diet, a textbook or two per month, and the occasional eating out or moviegoing (at least, it would where I live).

Comment author: [deleted] 21 January 2012 11:56:55AM 0 points [-]

It is where I am, but I guess the Bay area is way more expensive...