Pros
My two-star rating is a reflection of my experience and what I personally consider to be important. For other people, I think Azavea would be a great fit, and I have many acquaintances who are happily working there. Here are some of the positives: - Strong project management practices - now featuring coffee at no cash cost - somewhat flexible work schedule - great location for city-dwellers - good for parents, who can take advantage of great benefits. - plenty of opportunities to network with others in the Philly tech community
Cons
- If you're older or have a spouse/partner or children, this may be of significantly more value to you. - If you live outside of Philadelphia, you'll still have to pay the city wage tax -- about $2,400 for someone making $60k/year. - Accounting for all benefits, compensation was still about $16,000 less than what I'm making now Azavea paid me $28K less than my current salary. That said, you don't pay anything into a pretty good HMO / dental / vision plan (and they cover the copays). If you take full advantage of transit / tuition reimbursement and SIMPLE IRA match, it's equivalent to making another $9,000. Even if you max out your copays, the insurance for a single person in their early thirties only adds on about another $5,000. For those with spouses or children, this may be a much better value for you.