Salary Negotiation & Offer Evaluation

ML/AI Salary Ranges (2025)

Entry Level (0-2 years):

• Big Tech: $150K-$200K (base + bonus + RSUs)
• Startups: $120K-$160K (base + equity)

Mid-Level (3-5 years):

• Big Tech: $200K-$350K
• Startups: $160K-$250K + significant equity

Senior/Staff (6+ years):

• Big Tech: $350K-$600K
• Startups: $200K-$350K + major equity stake

Principal/Lead:

• FAANG: $600K-$1M+
• Startups: $250K-$400K + co-founder level equity

Total Compensation Breakdown

Base Salary: 50-60% of TC Bonus: 10-20% (performance-based) Equity (RSUs/Options): 20-40%

• RSUs (big tech): Liquid, vest over 4 years
• Options (startups): High risk/reward, check strike price

Signing Bonus: $10K-$100K (one-time) Relocation: $5K-$50K

Negotiation Strategy

1. Get Multiple Offers (leverage)

• "I have another offer at $X, can you match?"
• Never lie, but you can say "in final rounds elsewhere"

2. Anchor High

• Recruiter: "What's your expected salary?"
• You: "For this role and my skills, market rate is $X-$Y. What's your budget?"
• Never give number first if possible

3. Negotiate Each Component

• Base salary (most important for future raises)
• Signing bonus (easier to negotiate)
• Equity (ask for more shares/RSUs)
• Start date (delay for higher next year's RSU grant)

4. Use Data

• levels.fyi (real salary data)
• Blind (anonymous discussions)
• "Based on levels.fyi, L4 at Google averages $300K TC"

5. Be Willing to Walk

• "I'm excited about the role, but I need $X to accept. Can we make it work?"
• If they can't budge: "I understand. I'll need to decline, but I appreciate the opportunity"

Offer Evaluation Framework

Beyond Money:

• Learning: Will you work with senior engineers? Cutting-edge tech?
• Impact: Meaningful work vs. incremental features?
• Growth: Clear promotion path? Management track?
• WLB: On-call rotation? Crunch times?
• Stability: Startup runway? Big tech layoffs?

Equity Evaluation (Startups):

• % ownership (not just # shares)
• Valuation and dilution risk
• Liquidation preference
• Exit probability (ask about revenue, runway)

Example: 0.1% of $100M company = $100K (but only if exit happens)

Red Flags:

• Lowball offers with "great learning"
• Equity-heavy, low base (can't pay rent with options)
• Vague about promotion timeline
• High attrition rate (check Blind)

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