got an offer a few weeks back. sharing the numbers because I spent weeks trying to find current Tesla comp data and kept finding 2023 posts.
role: Staff Software Engineer, vehicle software org, Austin TX base: $195k RSU: $320k over 4 years (25/25/25/25 vesting) signing: $40k (1-year clawback) no annual bonus (this is standard Tesla, not an oversight)
total year 1 with signing: roughly $315k total year 2 onward: ~$275k/yr
fwiw I had competing offers in the $330-360k total comp range. Tesla came up slightly on base during negotiation (started at $180k) but wouldn't move on RSU or signing. recruiter was clear the ranges are banded and they don't have much flex on stock.
trade-off you're making: mission, pace, interesting problems. the numbers are real but they're below what you'd get at a comparable level at Google or Meta.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the no-bonus thing always trips people up. for comp comparisons against companies with 10-15% annual bonus you need to add that back in to get an apples comparison. so effectively the delta from a Google L6 is even larger than the base number suggests.
laidoff_lena
thanks for posting this. is the RSU at current FMV or does Tesla grant at a discount? and how often are refreshes granted, if at all?
numbers_only
granted at FMV at grant date. refresh policy is discretionary and from what I can tell not guaranteed on any cycle. that's another thing that's different from FAANG where refreshes are more predictable. I factored that in as a risk.
alex_design
I'll say the quiet part: depending on what Tesla stock does from here the RSU story could look very different in 2-3 years in either direction. it's not a pure cash comparison. though obviously counting on stock appreciation is its own risk.