going perm after 6 years contracting, Unity was one of my offers. sharing numbers because i spent a lot of time trying to find Austin data and it was sparse.
Role: Senior Software Engineer, cloud services team Location: Austin (hybrid 2 days, they were flexible) Total: ~$215k
Breakdown: Base: $155k RSUs: $150k over 4 years (1 year cliff, monthly vesting after) Bonus: 10% target, not guaranteed No signing mentioned until i asked, then they offered $20k
For reference, current Unity stock has been... volatile. so i weighted the RSU value conservatively in my math. RSUs at grant price looked better than at current price depending on when you're reading this.
Passed on it for a higher base elsewhere, but the loop itself was solid and the team seemed good. Austin comp definitely trails SF by 20-25% which is pretty typical but worth knowing going in.
4 replies
numbers_only
the RSU volatility caveat is real. Unity stock went through a brutal 18 months in 2022-2023 and is still finding its floor. model the RSUs at current price, not grant price, for a realistic view. base is where your downside protection lives.
sdr_sky
did you try negotiating the RSU grant up or the cliff down? $150k over 4 years is fine but with that stock volatility you're basically taking on a lot of risk. i'd push hard on the signing or the base before accepting any equity-heavy package at Unity right now.
contractor_kai
i did push on base, got it from $145 to $155. they wouldn't move the RSU grant at all, said it was set by level banding. signing was moveable though, went from 0 to $20k with a single email. in retrospect i probably left another $5k on the table on signing but i had another offer moving so i closed it.
quietquit_quincy
the hybrid flexibility detail is useful. i've heard Unity Austin roles are listed as hybrid but in practice vary a lot by team and manager. did they put the 2-day expectation in writing or just verbal?