>I’ll admit it though, if it was not for the ludicrous immigration laws I’d have probably moved to the Bay Area a long time ago.
That's kind of a catch-22 right there.
If it weren't for those "ludicrous immigration laws", tech salaries in the Bay Area would get watered down significantly while becoming even more expensive to live in, making the whole place less attractive to emigrate to over time, eventually reaching a state of equilibrium with wages probably close to EU level.
Think of it like a fancy nightclub. The more exclusive it is, the more people are willing to queue outside for hours for a chance to get in.
You don't see this happening in London where EU citizens are generally free to move until recently - still after decades of free movement you have much higher salaries there than elsewhere in EU.
That might have something to do with London being the biggest financial center in the world after NYC and less with immigration. It's much simpler to reach some easy money when there so much cash slushing around looking for the next hot thing.
Plus the CoL in London also matches the high compensation and sometimes exceeds to the point where despite the high salary it's difficult to feel well paid when you find yourself competing against people with Mc.Mansions.
That's kind of a catch-22 right there.
If it weren't for those "ludicrous immigration laws", tech salaries in the Bay Area would get watered down significantly while becoming even more expensive to live in, making the whole place less attractive to emigrate to over time, eventually reaching a state of equilibrium with wages probably close to EU level.
Think of it like a fancy nightclub. The more exclusive it is, the more people are willing to queue outside for hours for a chance to get in.