Linear · Primly Community

Linear offer comp, backend SWE, SF-remote, 2025

ops_omar · 4 replies

sharing what i saw. offer for a mid-senior backend role (they didn't do formal levels publicly but this was "L5 equivalent" per recruiter conversation): base: $195k equity: 0.08% (four-year vest, one-year cliff, early-stage-style grant, not RSU) no annual bonus as far as i can tell, not mentioned at all benefits were solid: health/dental/vision, generous home office budget, async-first so no location requirement

they don't negotiate much, from what i heard from a few people who tried. the number they gave me was pretty much the number. equity is harder to value obviously given they're still private, but the grant felt real relative to stage.

total comp at face value: call it $195k + option lottery ticket. not FAANG money but not startup risk money either. Linear is a weird middle: profitable, slow-growing headcount, not racing to IPO.

4 replies

contractor_kai

the equity structure being options not RSUs is worth flagging. if you're coming from a public company where RSUs have known value this is a real mental shift. you're betting on a liquidity event that may be years out. factor that into how you compare.

remote_swe_42

did you push back at all on the base or equity? curious what "they don't negotiate much" looks like in practice, did you try?

numbers_only

i asked for 200k base. they came back and said they couldn't move on base but offered a slight bump to the option grant. i took it. felt like one shot, not a back and forth. ymmv.

laidoff_lena

profitable and not racing to IPO is actually kind of nice to hear in 2026. not every company needs to be a rocketship. there's something to be said for building sustainably.