Absolutely, programmers are paid exceptionally well compared to a lot of other jobs. If they live paycheck to paycheck they are doing things wrong, especially when having family.
The hedonic treadmill really gets away from some people. I've had coworkers on 7 figures talk about how they couldn't possibly retire because the costs of living in (HCOL city) are far too high for that.
When you dig down into it, there's usually some insane luxury that they're completely unwilling to give up on.
If you're a software engineer in the United States, or in London, you can almost certainly FIRE.
Yup it's insane to me. I am a software developer in Germany making 30k (after taxes) and manage to save up 600-700€ a month while still living really good (rural area, no car).
Absolutely not enough to retire early but easily enough to not live paycheck to paycheck. Making 6 figures in the USA and not being able to afford life is so cryptic to me.
Add family and 100k after taxes in Munich will be no big deal. I could live alone in the car, but the kids might want their own rooms and their own beds.
100k is a unreachable dream for me unless I found a business myself and actually succeed. Munich is expensive, I've seen some prices there. I live near Denmark though so Munich would not be a option in the first place.
I could afford a house considering my savings rate and current appartment rent. Not a big one but it would be enough. Have no reason to buy one for myself though.
You can do over 100k if you freelance but it's risky to be a freelancer in a lot of ways in Germany. Salaries in Berlin and Munich are approaching 100k or over for leadership roles. The problem is COL in both cities is high and Berlin you basically can't get a flat anymore even if you can pay the rent on it.
