Pulled together a few data points on senior IC comp at Goldman (what they'd call ED or MD level engineering, roughly equivalent to staff or principal at tech companies). I went through the loop for an Engineering Director / ED track role and also got numbers from two people who accepted at this level in 2025-2026.
Title mapping first, since it's genuinely confusing: Associate = junior IC (2-4 YOE) Vice President (VP) = mid-senior IC (5-10 YOE) Executive Director (ED) = staff / principal (10-15 YOE) Managing Director (MD) = distinguished engineer / principal / small group leadership
Executive Director (ED) - Engineering: Base: $220,000-$250,000 NYC Annual bonus: 40-80% of base depending on firm/team performance. The range is wide and real. RSUs: $150,000-$250,000 total, 3-year vest, GS stock Total comp at strong performance: $450,000-$600,000+ Total comp in a down year: can fall to $350,000-$400,000
Managing Director (MD) - Engineering: Base: $280,000-$350,000 Bonus: 60-100%+ of base in a strong year Equity: $300,000-$500,000 total grant TC: $800,000-$1.2M+ at strong performance, wide variance
Things to know about the equity: GS RSU grants are in GS stock, not phantom equity or options. They vest over 3 years. At ED/MD level there are sometimes deferred cash awards alongside RSUs that vest over a similar schedule. Deferred comp is a retention mechanism and is more common at senior levels.
Negotiation at this level: base is firmer than you'd expect. The real negotiating surface is sign-on and the initial RSU grant. Competing offers from FAANG or other bulge-bracket banks with structured comp work best as leverage.
The comp at ED level is roughly competitive with tech staff at FAANG when both years are good. The risk is that Goldman bonus years and tech market years don't always move the same direction, which can be good or bad diversification depending on your view.