Company Face Off: Do You Click Better With Facebook or Google?

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By Denene Brox

Google and Facebook are not your typical technology companies. They are innovators that have literally changed the way people all over the world interact online. Both companies had humble beginnings. Google was founded in 1996 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford University Ph.D. students. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg launched the site in 2004 from a Harvard University dorm room.

Today both companies are headquartered in California -- Google in Menlo Park and Facebook in Palo Alto -- and employ some of the most talented and passionate employees in the technology industry.

Online salary database Payscale.com recently released new research comparing some of the largest technology companies as employers, including Google and Facebook. The research looked at several factors, including salaries, benefits, company culture and perks.

PayScale's research showed that Google and Facebook share many commonalities, but have benefits that may suit one employee better than another. Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis at PayScale, said that the research sought to answer the question, "What's life like as an employee?"

Salaries

Here's a look at how median annual salary ranges for jobs at these two companies compare, according PayScale.com.

Account Manager

Facebook: $33,876-$66,027Google: $43,999-$111,572

Administrative Assistant

Facebook: $26,500-$52,700Google: $29,368-$62,584

Software Engineer

Facebook: $49,204-$117,705Google: $72,719-$141,168

Sales Associate

Facebook: $26,100-$59,300Google: $23,977-$66,899

Median Starting Salaries

Facebook: $59,100Google: $82,600

Percentage Above Market Pay for the IT Industry

Facebook: 13%Google: 23%

Lee says that "Google is a very tech-driven company, with hiring skewed toward hardcore computer science majors from universities like California Institute of Technology." On the other hand, Facebook hires more user interface designers, sales and marketing employees, and game developers -- positions that tend to require less in terms of overall qualifications.

Overall, Google pays more and its employees make more money out of the gate.

Perks

Both Facebook and Google employees report being extremely satisfied at work. Perhaps both companies earn brownie points with their employees by providing cool perks.

Facebook

Free beveragesFlexible schedulesCell phones

Google

MealsDaycarePets at work

Former Google employee Natalie DuMont, who worked at Google for 3.5 years in sales, offered a bit of insight into what life is like as a Google employee. "It was exciting, challenging, and somewhat chaotic," DuMont says. "A lot is expected of you. But there was a lot of encouragement and freedom to be creative, take initiative, problem solve, and work together as a team."

Company Culture

The average age of employees at both companies skews young and the percentage of workers who are women is nearly equal at both companies.

Facebook

Average Employee Age: 26

Women Employees: 33 percent

Google

Average Employee Age: 31

Women Employees: 29 percent

Getting Hired

What's the best way to land a job at Google or Facebook? Career expert Cheryl Palmer says networking is important. "Your networking efforts will be most effective if you combine in-person networking with social networking. Contact the people in your network to talk with them about what your target company is looking for in the perfect candidate," she says. "Armed with this information, you are then ready to start applying for jobs there."

Source: All salary data is provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Annual salaries listed are for full-time employees with 5 to 8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.