closed a Senior SWE offer at GitHub last spring. posting numbers since i wish someone had done this for me.
Role: Senior Software Engineer, remote (US) TC: ~$285k Base: $175k RSU: $240k over 4 years (Microsoft-style vesting: 0% year 1, then quarterly after cliff) Bonus: 15% target
negotiated base up $10k from initial offer. they had no flexibility on RSU grant. recruiter cited 'band constraints' which is the universal phrase for 'we're not moving this.'
the RSU cliff at 1 year is real and not optional. if you leave before 12 months you get $0 in equity. factor that into your math if you're comparing to a role with monthly vesting.
benefits solid. 401k match decent. health coverage good. not FAANG L6 money but competitive for the product domain.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the 1-year cliff on RSUs is a real gotcha if you're coming from a place with monthly or 6-month cliff vesting. people forget to discount their 'on paper' equity by risk of early departure. always model year 1 as base + bonus only.
sdr_sky
275-285k TC for senior remote in 2025 is mid, not great. Stripe/Shopify/Notion are paying 300-340k for comparable levels with better RSU structure. GitHub brand is real but you're leaving money on the table if you don't have competing offers.
numbers_only
fair. i had one competing offer from a Series C (lower TC, more upside risk). used it to negotiate base. if i had a Stripe or Shopify offer the RSU conversation might have gone differently. take the point.
finance_faye
the Microsoft subsidiary structure means RSUs are actually MSFT shares, not GitHub-specific equity. that's worth spelling out because it changes the risk profile completely. MSFT is stable but you're not betting on GitHub's independent trajectory.