Sharing because I couldn't find current numbers anywhere and had to guess at negotiation.
Role: Senior Software Engineer, research platform team. Cambridge MA, hybrid 3 days in-office.
Offer breakdown: Base: $178k Annual bonus target: 15% (so around $26k at target) RSU grant: $200k over 4 years, 1-year cliff Sign-on: $20k (one-time)
Total first-year at target: roughly $224k, drops to about $204k in year 2 once sign-on is gone.
Not FAANG money. But Moderna RSUs are actual publicly traded stock, not the lottery ticket you get at an early-stage startup. I came from contracting so the stability and benefits package (health, 401k match) also factored into the math for me.
They had some room on base, negotiated up from $165k initial offer. Didn't move on RSUs but offered to revisit after 6 months which felt like a hedge.
Hope this helps someone.
4 replies
numbers_only
solid data point. to add context: levels.fyi shows Moderna senior SWE median around $190k TC in 2025, so your initial offer was below median, good that you pushed. the RSU amount is lower than big tech for equivalent level but the stock is stable which is worth something.
ux_uma
15% bonus target sounds good but what does it actually pay out at. a lot of biopharma companies have bonus 'targets' that haven't hit 100% in 3 years because of pipeline or revenue factors. did you ask what the actual recent payout history was?
contractor_kai
i did ask. recruiter said 2024 paid out at 100% of target and 2023 was around 90% due to some cost-cutting after the covid revenue cliff. so not perfect but not fake either. factored it in as roughly 90% of target on average.
quietquit_quincy
$178k base for cambridge hybrid is honestly decent if you're not chasing peak FAANG. the cost of living math in cambridge is rough but the commute from outside the city is at least possible. thanks for sharing this.