Do devs making over $500k really work 24/7? We dissect a viral Reddit thread about tech salaries, the RSU lottery, and the deadly reality of the 996 hustle.
Scrolling through Reddit while dodging Jira tickets, I stumbled upon a post that hit harder than a production database drop on a Friday evening: "Devs making > 500k: do you work constantly?" At first glance, it sounds like a humble brag, but dive a little deeper, and it's actually a desperate cry for help from a severely burnt-out code monkey. Let's break this down, C4F style.
So the OP drops this bomb: their company pays top dollar, but the trade-off is absolutely brutal. We're talking about working constantly—worse than the infamous 996 schedule (9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week) that destroys souls in tech hubs. The dude is out here asking if every other high-earner is also sacrificing their sanity and physical health to the corporate overlords, or if he just drew the short straw.
The community did not hold back. The comment section quickly turned into a reality check for anyone thinking hard work equals a fat paycheck.
1. The Peasant Reality User connorjpg chimed in with the sad truth we all feel sometimes: "I work constantly and I’m poorly paid." Another dev simply replied, "I'll drink for you today." Big mood. Burning out doesn't guarantee a Lambo.
2. The Survival Instinct: 996 is literally lethal Another user went full nuclear, stating the obvious but necessary truth: 996 will kill you. "As in fcking dead. I’ve seen people die at work. Normalizing it is fcking cancer." Seriously, how the hell do you sustain deep-focus coding for more than 4 hours a day, 6 days a week without your brain turning to mush?
3. The RSU Lottery Ticket A tech wizard named hibikir_40k dropped some heavy industry knowledge: People pulling $500k+ aren't doing 10x more work than you. They just got lucky with their RSU (Restricted Stock Units). Imagine joining Nvidia before the AI boom. Boom! Your stock quadruples, and suddenly every senior dev is making 7 figures. It's the same logic as hitting the jackpot with cryptocurrency at the perfect time. They are getting paid for their timing, not their overtime.
4. The 40-hour Chads Many veterans jumped in to confirm that most high-earning devs they know just work a standard, chill 40-hour week. No 996 bullshit, no selling kidneys for commits.
Look, guys. Tech money is great, but killing yourself for a company that will post your job opening before your funeral is just bad math.
Making the big bucks in this industry is rarely about brute-forcing your way through an 80-hour week. It’s about working smart, having niche skills, and jumping on the right ship at the right time to ride the stock wave. So close your IDE, go touch some grass, and protect your mental health. A live dev makes more money than a dead one.
Source: Reddit
