Google

Great coworkers. Decent pay. Maybe it will get better.

The company is undervaluing this area. By working anywhere else in the country – Pittsburgh, PA; Rural Virginia; or even 40 miles west to Burlington, NC – you would make more money. This does a disservice to the area. The company further claims it is trying to hire more HBCU graduates in this location. So, the cheapest location in the country, and trying to hire HBCU graduates? Not a good look. The News & Observer and Washington Post have both issued articles: "Google lowered its salaries in North Carolina. Now workers are protesting" and "Google employees protest company’s Durham wage policy. Here’s why they’re upset."

On a less key note, compared to other Google offices, the office here seems surprisingly normal, more akin to your typical office location than you might think when you hear "Google office." Maybe this isn't a bad thing, but it shouldn't feel so targeted as making this a "discount" location.