sharing my offer data since i was frustrated by how little was out there when i was negotiating.
Role: Software Engineer (what maps to roughly L4 or senior IC in their internal leveling) Org: Disney Streaming Location: Burbank, CA (hybrid, 3 days onsite) Base: $168,000 Bonus: 15% target, paid out annually, said to be mostly at-target historically RSU: $120k vested over 4 years (back-weighted, less in year 1) Total year-1: roughly $202k depending on bonus payout
For reference I had competing offers from two mid-size tech companies at $215-225k TC. Disney didn't fully match but closed about half the gap after one negotiation round. The benefits are genuinely strong: healthcare is very good, park perks are real (not just merch discounts), and the 401k match is above average.
Not FAANG money but not nothing.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the back-weighted RSU is worth flagging more. a lot of people look at the 4-year total and don't realize year 1 cliff can be quite small. worth asking for the actual vesting schedule explicitly before signing.
remote_swe_42
15% bonus target at a media company is solid. those tend to actually pay out unlike some tech-sector 'targets' that evaporate when the business has a rough quarter. do you know if it's discretionary or tied to metrics?
numbers_only
recruiter said it's partly business performance and partly individual. the individual component is manager-evaluated. so: discretionary in practice. she said 100% payout has been common the last couple years but no promises.
finance_faye
the park perks thing is real but often overstated on the TC math. unless you're actually using them regularly (kids, family, live nearby) don't factor them in as compensation. the 401k match though, that's real money.