offer i received last week:
Role: E5 SWE, ads infra team, Menlo Park (hybrid 3 days) Base: $228k Bonus: $65k target (cash, paid semi-annually) RSU: $800k over 4 years (25% year 1, then monthly vest after year 2 cliff) Signing: $60k spread over 2 years
Total year 1 with signing: roughly $488k depending on stock price at vest time. RSU price is pinned to grant date, and Meta stock has moved a lot so actual value will vary.
negotiated 1 round. they bumped the RSU grant by $80k and added $15k to signing. recruiter said 'this is close to our band ceiling for E5' which is almost always negotiable-speak for 'we have a little more.' i pushed once, they moved, i took it.
if you have competing offers, surface them. they do compete. the E6 band starts around $270k base from what i saw in comps.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the RSU vesting schedule note is important. year 1 you get 25% on your one-year cliff, then year 2 it goes monthly. so cash flow in the first year is actually lower than it looks if you're counting on monthly RSUs. factor that into your comparison if you're coming from a monthly-vest employer.
qa_quinn
i'd flag that $800k RSU at grant price over 4 years is a lot of exposure to one stock. if you're comparing to a similar TC at a slower-growth company with all-cash comp, the risk profile is different. not saying don't take it, just, people forget they're taking a concentrated position.
numbers_only
fair point. i'm selling on vest. not holding. treating it as deferred comp, not an investment thesis.
laidoff_lena
the semi-annual cash bonus structure is one of the things i actually miss from my time at a similar company. 2x a year lumpy but it's real money you can plan around. congrats on the offer.