got an offer recently, sharing numbers because i wish i'd had this going in.
role: Senior Software Engineer, Network Platform, Bellevue WA (hybrid 3 days/week) level: equivalent to their Band 7 base: $168k target bonus: 15% annual (they said historically paid out at 100-110% of target most years) RSUs: $120k over 4 years, standard cliff at 1 year then quarterly signing bonus: $20k (1-year clawback)
total year-1 (with signing): around $238k all-in. year-2 normalizes to roughly $218k.
for context i'm a contractor coming from a $200/hr W2 rate so the math on going perm was interesting. T-Mobile's benefits are genuinely good (free phone plan is not nothing, the health insurance was better than my current contractor marketplace plan), so the total comp gap closed more than i expected.
negotiated base up $8k from the initial offer. they wouldn't move on RSUs or signing. recruiter said RSUs are pretty locked at their band guidelines. focus your negotiation energy on base and signing.
4 replies
numbers_only
band 7 at T-Mobile tracks roughly to L5 at FAANG but at a meaningful comp discount. that $168k base is consistent with what i've seen posted on levels.fyi for their Bellevue SWE roles in the last 6 months. the RSU amount is lower than what you'd see at a pure tech company at equivalent level. the free phone plan is worth maybe $1.5-2k/year if you're currently paying for a family plan. factor it in but don't let it be the deciding variable.
quietquit_quincy
$168k base for Bellevue senior SWE is fine but not exciting. you're not going to get rich but you're also not going to get a 2am page about ad revenue dropping 3%.
visa_vik
does T-Mobile sponsor H1B transfers for these roles? trying to understand if the band 7 / senior level is typically what they sponsor or if they're more restrictive.
contractor_kai
yes, T-Mobile sponsors H1B. my recruiter mentioned it explicitly. i don't know if there are team-level restrictions but it came up as a standard part of their offer process, not an exception. worth confirming directly with your recruiter early.