Tech salaries: Experience and location matter

When guidance counselors talked to you about mapping your career, this probably isn't quite what they meant.

A survey by Glassdoor.com, a career and workplace community, tracked the salaries of tech workers by years of experience and location and found that Silicon Valley - with its high cost of living - isn't the only place for techies to make a living and allow their careers to grow.

The salary comparison chart serves a couple of purposes. Of course, it's good data to have when job seekers are considering whether relocating is the best option for them or their careers. It's also there to spot trends and possibly help people map their careers.

For example, Seattle may be a tech center, but the glassdoor findings see that the Washington D.C. area now offers higher salaries for experienced tech workers with 10+ years experience than Seattle does. Chicago, on the other hand, offers the most growth opportunity from rookie to a veteran 10+ year worker.

And while the San Francisco Bay Area and New York regions consistently offer the highest salaries, they also bring the highest costs of living across the nation.