Ya, but, “moving out of Silicon Valley” is a 30% pay raise.
He effectively said “Move out of Silicon Valley and we’ll cut your pay 30%”.
What he probably meant was 50%.
True. The SF Bay Area is so expensive to live in, that a 30% pay cut to go live in Billings or Boise could result in a higher standard of living.
Any pay cut may well be worth deserting that fairyland known as Silicon Valley.
There is a whole different world out there, and it is even sometimes sort of rational. Don’t set your hopes too high, though, as it is only SORT of rational.