Yes, I'm making about $400k this year. People are willing to go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to go to prestigious schools, move away from their friends and family clear to the other side of the planet for these kinds of work/income opportunities. Conversely, I have a high school diploma and remain close to friends and family. I think people are more adaptable than you give them credit for. Sure, not everyone is going to figure out how to make it work, but not everyone was going to get into MIT and then work at FB either.

I'm wondering if your experience is even remotely translatable for random FAANG employees. I don't know what kind of consulting you do or how these people would translate into such positions where they can really keep earning their large compensations.

Your points about moving and college have nothing really to do with the discussion at hand - do they? If staying in whatever place you are is what you wanted then good for you. Many people don't like where they grew up or the people they grew up with. I'd also hesitate to imply that your experience with a high school only education and the employment opportunities that came up is going to be anywhere near common.

I'm not doing anything particularly special. Most people might more accurately describe what I am as a "contractor" rather than a consultant.

The points about moving and college are about people shaping their entire lives in such a way to be successful and meet their goals. The landscape might change a bit, but people don't stop being willing to hustle and adapt to the changing landscape.

I think probably the best thing that happened to me is I didn't have all of these mythologies about what I was allowed or capable of accomplishing drilled into me by the standard path that most people take. I imagine if you've invested your whole life in the understanding that the way to "make it" is to graduate from a top tier university and take a very narrow set of employment opportunities, it would be hard to escape that mental prison. But that's all it is. The hiring committees at FANG might reinforce that mental prison, but you don't have to deal with them. If you went the conventional path and got those fancy credentials, it's not like it will be harder for you to make it out here in the non-FANG world than it was for me. It'll probably be easier.

$150 Oklahoma == $400 FAANG

In HCOL locations, after 10-15 years of high pay work, you end up with a massive equity in your property (assuming you weren't renting), often enough to just retire in 99% of the places in the world. You don't get that in Oklahoma.

In Oklahoma you also build a bunch of equity in your home. What's even better is you don't have to sell your home to retire and move out of California. You just retire. You already live in Oklahoma in your dream house that is paid off.

You also have a 10-15 year head start on creating realtionships/roots and don't have to leave all your friends behind.

no, that's not true. $150k is $150k, and even tho the CoL is high in the bay area, getting $400k can get you further in a shorter time.

If you were able to save a percentage of your income, then that percentage is going to result in a higher amount for the FAANG salary.

This is why I evaluate my estimation of my savings rate with that position and location, not salary. Everyone does a minor version of this with taxes and rent. I just take that to its conclusion and only measure a YoY delta in savings.