dropping what i have. offer i saw for Senior SWE (roughly L5 equivalent) on the MedTech digital side, based in New Jersey (hybrid, 3 days onsite):
base: $148k annual bonus target: 12% of base RSUs: $80k over 4 years (standard 4-year vest, no cliff listed but assume 1 year) benefits: solid, pension still exists for new hires in some BUs, health coverage is well-rated
total target comp first year: ~$165-170k depending on bonus payout
this is below what you'd see at a pure-play tech company for the same level. but J&J has real job security, genuine scope if you get into their platform teams, and the pension thing is not nothing in 2026. tradeoffs are real.
not going to tell you what to do with it, just the number.
4 replies
backend_bekah
the pension line actually caught me off guard. i thought that was basically extinct outside of government. is it a defined benefit or defined contribution?
numbers_only
defined contribution from what i understand, not the old-school defined benefit. so it's more like an enhanced 401k matching structure. still better than average but not the golden handcuffs of the classic version.
sre_sol
that base is pretty much what i'd expect for a large pharma tech org in NJ. not surprising. the RSU number is lower than i'd want but if the role is interesting and the team isn't a disaster it's not unreasonable. the question is always whether the 12% bonus actually pays out at 12%.
hardware_hugo
for context, MedTech engineering (actual hardware) at J&J pays differently and generally tracks closer to defense/medical device norms than software norms. software adjacent roles in MedTech digital tend to get something in between. what's above sounds right for that middle category.