$12/hour is not much in Silicon Valley; the minimum wage in the city of San Jose is $10.15.
However, the utility company, PG&E, pays entry level (apprentice) electricians $70,000/year. Their "engineer" position is 100k. According to Forbes magazine, the median salary in Silicon Valley is 100k.
Of course our cost of living is higher, too. The median home price is 773k.
