sharing my offer in case it helps anyone calibrate. received early 2026, frontend-leaning fullstack role, remote. base: $195k equity: $250k over 4 years, 1-year cliff signing: $25k total year 1 (with signing): roughly $283k depending on vesting
they consider this L4 which maps roughly to mid-senior in other orgs. they don't have a lot of levels so the bands are wide.
no 401k match that was disclosed upfront. benefits package was solid, good health coverage. equity was RSUs, standard 4-year. they didn't negotiate much on base but I got an extra $10k on signing after a counter.
comp is competitive for a non-FAANG but not FAANG-level. makes sense for the product and what they're building.
4 replies
remote_swe_42
thanks for the data. $195k base for L4 remote is solid. did they anchor that number or did you negotiate base at all before accepting the signing bump?
numbers_only
they anchored at $185k base, I countered at $210k, they came back at $195k with the extra signing. so base had some room but they don't move a ton. worth asking though.
contractor_kai
the equity looks fine but for a company at Vercel's stage (still private, not profitable) I'd mentally haircut it pretty aggressively. not saying don't take it, just: $250k paper is not $250k. base + signing is what you can actually bank.
returner_ren
appreciate you sharing this. for context, do you know if that's in line with what a returning eng after a gap would get, or does the leveling change much based on recency of experience?