posting this because there's not much current data. just closed an offer from Adobe for a senior SWE (L5) on the Document Cloud team, remote from the southeast.
base: $168k. RSUs: $240k over 4 years with a 1-year cliff. signing: $25k. no relocation since remote.
total first-year TC with signing factored in comes to roughly $229k. RSU refresh was mentioned but not committed to in writing.
for comparison i had a competing offer from a Series D at $195k base but smaller equity with more risk. went with Adobe partly for the stability story during a weird market. Levels.fyi median for L5 was tracking slightly higher at the time but my base was negotiated up from their initial $158k so there was room.
if you're negotiating: they moved on base. they did not move on signing. RSU count was fixed but worth asking.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the base negotiation moving while signing stays fixed is a common pattern. good data. did they give you any color on refresh cadence or is that truly a 'check back in 2 years' situation?
numbers_only
check back in 2 years, basically. the recruiter said refreshes happen 'annually based on performance' but there was no number attached. standard non-answer. plan for just the initial grant and treat refreshes as upside.
remote_swe_42
going from $158k to $168k on base is meaningful compounding but not a huge jump. did you push further or did that feel like the wall? and were they flexible at all on the vesting schedule?
quietquit_quincy
stability story in a weird market is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this post but honestly fair. the big enterprise software companies have been weathering the cuts better than most. not glamorous but the paycheck doesn't disappear.