I'm interested in a programmer position in Hedge Fund or Investment bank. So I contacted a couple of recruiters. One of them told me with current job market, the companies usually don't support interview trip and moving. I live in Seattle area but most jobs are in New York or Chicago. Does anybody know about this? And it Chicago, the pay for a programmer is about 130K a year + bonus and bonus range is from 10% to 100%(avg is 25%). And pay in New York is almost same. This is reasonable numbers?
It's going to depend what kind of programming you're doing and how senior you are. I started in technology as a programmer at a large IB and saw salaries in ny ranging from 50k (straight out of college) to 350k (in front office but clearly a developer). Mostly 90-140k though. Bonus also varies tremendously. I got as little as 5% once. Often tech gets no love at all. Environment is rough so doesn't surprise me that they'd say that regarding interviews/moving. But probably would also depend on how badly they need to fill a role.
Be aware as well that being a techie in a traditional front office environment can be miserable. E.g. If you end up developing screens for traders who think they are big swinging dicks then you are unlikely to get any respect from them and they'll kick you into the floor upon every problem. Not a pleasant experience working with cocksuckers like them. Try to find a tech focused shop where your skills will be appreciated and you will be respected.
@ScoobyStoo Very true statement. If you want to work in a tech environment that appreciate your tech background, you shouldn't work in fin industry in general. IT is considered a cost center - even at very IT focused shops. The fact that you are just coding out the strategy someone else put together means you are just ops.