Amazon SDE compensation breakdown. Base, RSU vesting, sign-on bonus, and level-by-level TC ranges.
Understanding total compensation at Amazon requires looking beyond base salary. Total compensation (TC) includes base salary, RSU grants (vesting over 4 years), sign-on bonus, and annual performance bonuses.
Entry-level Software Development Engineer roles typically offer strong base salaries with meaningful equity packages. Senior roles have significantly higher RSU allocations that dominate total compensation, especially after the initial RSU cliff vesting at 12 months.
Having a competing offer from another top company is the single most effective lever for increasing your Amazon offer. Focus negotiations on RSU size and sign-on bonus — these have more flexibility than base salary in many cases.
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