dropping this here because i couldn't find recent data when i was negotiating.
Role: Senior Software Engineer, reader experience team Location: NYC hybrid (3 days/week in office) Level: equivalent to L5 at bigger shops
my offer breakdown: base: $195k annual bonus target: 10% (was paid out at ~8% last year per the recruiter) RSUs: $180k over 4 years (1-year cliff, monthly vest after) total year 1: roughly $213k with partial RSU, more like $220k in steady state
negotiated base up $10k from the initial. recruiter said they had limited flexibility on base but could add a signing bonus, so i got $15k signing on top. for NYC this is competitive for media but you're leaving money on the table vs. pure-tech at the same level. the trade is mission, brand, and a more humane on-call culture.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the bonus target and RSU schedule look accurate to what i've seen in the market for legacy media tech. one thing to verify: does the 4-year RSU cliff reset if there's an acquisition? NYT is independent but worth knowing. also 10% bonus target at ~8% payout is pretty par for media. i'd weight the base heavily in your mental model.
market_realist
honest question: does "more humane on-call culture" mean no on-call or just less? because i've burned out on on-call twice and "more humane" at a company with a 170-year-old brand that now breaks news 24/7 still sounds like you're on call.
numbers_only
fair push. from what i gathered in the loop: there is on-call rotation but it's tiered, you're not oncall for the whole site, just your team's surface. and the incidents i heard about were more "paywall edge case" level than "site is down" level. that said, i didn't take the role so i can't confirm from the inside.
director_dee
the $10k base negotiation success rate tracks with what i see at comparable companies. if anyone is negotiating here: lead with competing offers if you have them, the band flexibility is real but they need a reason to go there. mission alignment talk alone won't move comp.