I am advanced in my career but a beginner when it comes to AV. I'm lucky in that I have a job in the field as a newbie. I'm taking the Udacity SDC course starting next week.
But you can make that ~500k/yr at a half dozen (at least!) other companies without compromising yourself and selling out. I think FB has a reputation as paying at or above the market max. It's not like the other FANGs or unicorns are slouches in the comp department.
I have the ~$800 pro version early in the video. It's an IQAir. I bought it when I bought my house. We were refinishing the hardwood floors and have a small child. My goal was to knock down the VOCs to make the room safe for him prior to move in.
It runs 24/7 in my bedroom now. Huge improvement in sleep quality. I've only had to change one of the filters once for about $100 after 1.5 years of run time.