Mid-market SWE comp: what I've seen in non-FAANG offers (real…

Mid-market SWE comp: what I've seen in non-FAANG offers (real numbers, 2025-2026)

numbers_only · 5 replies

since there's already a FAANG thread, here's the part nobody talks about: what do senior engineers actually make at companies you've heard of but wouldn't call Big Tech.

sharing a few data points i've personally seen or can verify secondhand:

Series B/C SaaS, ~200-500 eng headcount: Sr SWE: $155-185k base, 0.1-0.3% equity (4yr vest), bonus rare or nonexistent

Public company, non-FAANG (fintech, cloud-adjacent): Sr SWE: $170-200k base, RSU refresh $60-100k/yr depending on level, 10-15% bonus target

PE-backed mid-stage (post-IPO window closed): Sr SWE: $150-175k base, options that are probably underwater, no real bonus culture

the spread is wild. the PE-backed one often pitches the options hard. do the math on strike price vs. current 409a before you get excited.

all US, remote or hybrid.

5 replies

quietquit_quincy

the PE-backed underwater options thing is so real. i've been at one of those for 2 years. options are 20% below current 409a. finance team acts like it's still exciting. it is not exciting.

numbers_only

yeah and 409a is a lagging indicator anyway. by the time you're vested, the 409a will have moved again. model pessimistically.

ds_dmitri

any data on data science / ML adjacent at the same company sizes? i feel like the ranges are all over the place and i can't tell if i'm underpaid or the role just compresses weirdly outside FAANG.

ml_mike

for ML specifically: if it's applied ML / productionized models, the ceiling is closer to SWE. if it's more research-adjacent or analytics-heavy DS, it often pays like analytics. the title doesn't tell you much, the job description does.

de_derek

data engineering at series B/C i've seen $140-165k base, equity is usually smaller than SWE at the same company for some reason i've never been able to explain. a few years behind in parity.