sharing numbers since i never see good LM data posted anywhere.
my offer (accepted, starting in two months): Staff Systems Engineer, Fort Worth TX, aeronautics division. base: $138,000 annual bonus target: 6% of base (so ~$8,300 on paper, actual payout varies) sign-on: $10,000 (one-year clawback) pension: legacy plan, not the newer 401k-only structure. actual defined benefit. 401k match: 50% up to 8% of salary stock: small LTI grant, vests over 3 years
total cash year 1 is around $156k with sign-on counted. year 2+ without sign-on, around $147-150k depending on bonus payout. they don't negotiate base much but did come up $5k after i pushed once. sign-on was more moveable than base.
for context: i'm coming from 9 years as a contractor (W-2 through an agency) and the total comp actually isn't dramatically different when you factor in that contractors don't get pension, match, or benefits. the stability math penciled out for me.
5 replies
numbers_only
solid data point, thank you. base in the $130s for staff in Fort Worth tracks with what i've seen elsewhere. NYC or DC-area numbers run a bit higher (maybe 145-155 base for similar level) but cost of living math is brutal. the pension being a defined benefit is not something to gloss over, it's genuinely rare.
corp_refugee
the contractor-to-FTE total comp math is always weirder than people expect. did you model out the pension value over time or just gut-feel it?
contractor_kai
modeled it. at 20 years service the pension payout is roughly 40% of final salary, which if base stays around $140k range is $56k/year for life starting at 60. not adjusting for inflation is obviously a downside, but the floor it creates has real value to me personally. the math looked different to me at 32 than it would at 25.
quietquit_quincy
the 6% bonus target sounds low on paper but i've heard actual payouts at LM can be above target in strong years. anyone know what the real payout range looks like?
finance_faye
from what i've read in defense contractor communities: LM bonuses have historically paid 80-120% of target depending on the year and program. not as variable as pure-tech equity but also not zero. it's a different risk profile than RSU-heavy tech comp, which is kind of the point.