paymentsguide
Salary Guide
Tech company salary guide: level benchmarks, compensation breakdown, negotiation strategies. Based on Levels.fyi data.
Salary Guide
Understand your Offer Package and make informed decisions.
Popular Company Salaries
Meta Software Engineer
| Level | Total Comp (USD) | Base | RSU/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| E3 | 220K | $120K | $40K |
| E4 | 380K | $170K | $80K |
| E5 | 550K | $210K | $150K |
| E6 | 800K | $260K | $300K |
Source: Levels.fyi 2024-2025
Key Points:
- E4 to E5 is a major jump, requires Staff-level system design
- RSU portion increases with level
View Complete Meta Salary Guide →
Google Software Engineer
| Level | Total Comp (USD) | Base | RSU/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| L3 | 200K | $120K | $30K |
| L4 | 350K | $170K | $70K |
| L5 | 500K | $200K | $130K |
| L6 | 750K | $240K | $280K |
Key Points:
- Google levels are more conservative than Meta
- Good refresh policy, stable long-term income
View Complete Google Salary Guide →
Amazon Software Engineer
| Level | Total Comp (USD) | Base | RSU/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| L4 | 200K | $120K | $20K |
| L5 | 320K | $160K | $60K |
| L6 | 500K | $200K | $120K |
| L7 | 800K | $250K | $300K |
Key Points:
- Lower base, uneven RSU vesting (5%/15%/40%/40%)
- Years 2-3 are income peak
View Complete Amazon Salary Guide →
Compensation Breakdown
Standard Formula
Total Comp = Base + RSU/Year + Target Bonus + Sign-on/YearComponents
| Component | Description | Negotiable |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Fixed salary | Hard, has cap |
| RSU | Restricted Stock | Main lever |
| Bonus | Performance bonus | Usually fixed % |
| Sign-on | One-time bonus | Negotiable |
Level Benchmark
Different companies use different level names:
| Unified | Meta | Amazon | Apple | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | L3 | E3 | L4 | ICT3 |
| Mid | L4 | E4 | L5 | ICT4 |
| Senior | L5 | E5 | L6 | ICT5 |
| Staff | L6 | E6 | L7 | ICT6 |
Negotiation Strategy
After Receiving Offer
-
Don't Rush
- Wait at least 2-3 days
- Say you need time to consider
-
Gather Benchmarks
- Check Levels.fyi for same level
- Look at recent Blind posts
- Ask friends for referrals
-
Find Negotiation Room
- RSU usually has 20-30% room
- Sign-on bonus is negotiable
- Base is harder but worth asking
Scripts
With Competing Offer:
"I received another offer with $X total comp. I prefer your company, but the gap is significant. Can we revisit the numbers?"
Without Competing Offer:
"Based on Levels.fyi data, market median for this level is $X. I understand company bands, but my experience/skills justify being above median."
Login for More
- Internal band notes
- Detailed negotiation scripts
- Multi-offer comparison tool
- Regional salary multipliers
- Equity tax guide