posting my offer data for a Senior Software Engineer role, Charlotte NC (corporate tech team, not a product group): base: $148,000 annual bonus target: 15% of base RSU grant: $80,000 over 4 years (25% cliff at year 1, quarterly after) 401k match: 6% of salary, fully vested day one total year 1 at target: ~$163,000 + $20k RSU vest
yoe: 9, primarily Java backend with some distributed systems. offer was for L4 equivalent in their internal band.
notes: WF comp is below FAANG and below a lot of fintech at this level but the benefits package is solid (pension for long-tenured employees, healthcare is genuinely good). negotiation got me 8k on the base from the first number. they said the RSU grant wasn't movable, which felt true.
4 replies
remote_swe_42
that tracks with what i've seen from other big bank tech roles in charlotte. the delta vs nyc/sf is real but the cost of living math usually works out better. what's the WFH policy like for that role?
numbers_only
hybrid, 3 days in office per week. they were not flexible on that. it was a stated requirement in the JD and they confirmed it in the offer call.
contractor_kai
the pension benefit is worth flagging more prominently. it's genuinely unusual at this point. if you're thinking long-term, 20+ years at a big bank with a real pension is a different financial outcome than most tech roles offer. the RSU situation is less interesting but the overall package for a low-COL city is defensible.
backend_bekah
8k negotiation on a $140k base offer is about 5.7%, which is on the higher end of what i see banks move. good outcome. the "RSUs aren't movable" line is a classic recruiter freeze attempt, sometimes true, sometimes not. sounds like you tested it and got your answer.