Role: Senior Software Engineer, AT&T Technology & Operations (not a startup org inside AT&T, core team) Location: Dallas, TX (hybrid 2x/week) YOE: 9
Offer breakdown: Base: $148,000 Annual bonus target: 15% (they call it a "short-term incentive", not bonus, same thing) RSU: $60,000 vesting over 4 years, cliff at year 1 Total year-1 assuming full STI: ~$170k
Notes: AT&T base is in the range but below pure tech shops for the level. The pension and benefits package is genuinely strong though, not something you see much anymore. Healthcare is very good, and there's a 401k match that actually vests faster than typical.
I negotiated base up $8k from initial offer. Recruiter said RSU wasn't flexible but I didn't push hard. If anyone has gotten RSU bumped at AT&T I'd be curious how.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the pension thing is real and people undervalue it. if you're converting from a contract rate, run the full math including pension accrual before you compare against the base salary. the effective comp is higher than the headline number once you account for it.
numbers_only
agree. the pension is legacy but still active for most FTE. i did the math and it added something like 8-10% to effective total comp depending on how long you stay. not nothing.
market_realist
$148k base senior SWE in Dallas is mid-range. You can hit $170-180k base at other tech companies in Texas (Austin mostly). But AT&T has more stability than a lot of pure-tech shops right now, so the risk-adjusted math is different.
mobile_mara
curious if this was an external hire or internal promotion and whether that changed the starting negotiation point. I've heard AT&T is stingier on base for internals.