Let's talk in-house salaries Forum

[attorney589753]

Following up on this, I reached out and asked whether they could go a bit higher, but did not really have that much leverage e.g., another offer in hand.

They weren't willing to move on base/bonus, but they threw in a 25K signing bonus and around 5K more equity per year. It's still not top of market, but the Y1 cash/bonus/equity package comes out to about 240K, and 250K if you count 401K, health insurance, etc. Y2 drops down a bit without the signing bonus.

Like others have said in this thread, think the lesson here is that there's no harm in politely asking for more, even when you don't necessarily have too much to negotiate with

Sounds like you did great. ~$250K cash for ~4th year associate is good, plus you'll have options and wider experience in the future.

[Anonymous User]

Class of 2015, IP litigation. Position at a late-stage tech unicorn.

Base: $180k
Bonus: $25k
Stock options: $150k at valuation from most recent fundraising round (1 year cliff, 4 year vest)
No signing bonus, no mention of additional annual options, and benefits mediocre.

Did not accept offer. Although options could have ended up being very valuable over time, the cash comp seemed very low and negotiation attempt was unsuccessful.

[Anonymous User]

6th year, just moved in house. Major market but I am permanently remote. Energy/tech, later stage startup.

230k base
80k cash bonus
80k equity (5 year vest)
$8k 401k match
Absolutely zero cost healthcare (if opt for HDP, they fully fund HSA)

Pretty happy with it TBH. Was looking for a while and this was best I saw.

[LittleRedCorvette]

6th year, just moved in house. Major market but I am permanently remote. Energy/tech, later stage startup.

230k base
80k cash bonus
80k equity (5 year vest)
$8k 401k match
Absolutely zero cost healthcare (if opt for HDP, they fully fund HSA)

Pretty happy with it TBH. Was looking for a while and this was best I saw.

This is beautiful, congratulations.

[Anonymous User]

6th year, just moved in house. Major market but I am permanently remote. Energy/tech, later stage startup.

230k base
80k cash bonus
80k equity (5 year vest)
$8k 401k match
Absolutely zero cost healthcare (if opt for HDP, they fully fund HSA)

Pretty happy with it TBH. Was looking for a while and this was best I saw.

This is beautiful, congratulations.

Agreed, congrats on the new gig. I'm in the same industry (posted a couple pages back), and it seems like the energy/tech industry is paying materially above other industries for similar experience -- right place at the right time, I suppose, but I'll take it.

[Anonymous User]

5th year in SoCal, corporate, F100 company

170k base
190k RSUs/3 years
25k-34k target annual bonus
10k 401k match
No cost benefits
35k signing bonus

Base is lower than I want but with that equity piece I think I accept

[abcabc!!]

How much is the stock option valued at grant? For the folks who got better than market pay at so called energy, did you guys refer to battery tech companies?

Figured I'd post another data point.

• Class of 2016 working at an energy company in a major market

• Salary = $265k

• Bonus = 30% (historically pay ~5% over bonus target)

• Stock options (company is private but going public in next 12-24 months)

• 6% 401k match vesting immediately

• Unlimited PTO

• Can work in one of several offices or be 100% remote

• 100% employer paid medical/dental/vision PPO for me and my family

[abcabc!!]

Is this a private or public company? Would you still be doing M&A or more general corporate?

6th year biglaw associate
M&A at a V10 in a major market
Moving to a deputy GC-level position (that's not my title)

$300k base
20% target cash bonus (based on company performance, last year they told me they didn't hit target for anyone)
no equity
Good 401k match good medical, etc

[Anonymous User]

v10 corp 5th year - going inhouse to smaller, secondary market. small cap pubco

180k base
25k bonus
100k RSU

Know for sure I could get more (actually turned down an offer w/ 200k base, 40k bonus and 40k in PIUs at private company in larger (but still secondary) market), but for the market I think it is good.

[Anonymous User]

Capital Markets 6th year, major non-NY market, non-tech fortune 50
245k all-in (~80% base / ~20% cash bonus)
Really nice benefits, including 9% 401k match
No weekends, rarely work past 6. I spoke to a few places that were offering more like $300-320 all-in, but sounded like those would expect significantly more availability and generally be more stressful.

[Anonymous User]

Hi All,

Received an offer a few months back, passed for several reasons (partly because I thought this was low), but wondering how this comp stacks up. C/O 2017:

Entertainment / Media Industry
175K Base
30K Bonus
No Equity
3% 401K match

[Anonymous User]

Passed on this role in mid 2021, would be the first legal hire at a pre-IPO AV company. Really liked the company and their product/vision, but had some reservations. They missed their Series B target by 10% (and also came in about 20% below their series C target in recent months) all the while some competitors were exceeding their funding targets. Some turnover and some shifts in management also gave me pause. Still would have been a good stepping stone into in-house but would have had to leave my bonus on the table which I wasn't in the position to do at the time:

5.5 years out of law school (in 2021
Corporate (commercial agreements, M&A, etc.)
Base salary is $180k
No bonus
No 401K match
Equity which vested over 2 years (about 25k shares, at $5-10/share)
Industry is AV
Located in non-Chicago midwest city.

[nealric]

Hi All,

Received an offer a few months back, passed for several reasons (partly because I thought this was low), but wondering how this comp stacks up. C/O 2017:

Entertainment / Media Industry
175K Base
30K Bonus
No Equity
3% 401K match

From what I gather, entertainment tends to have low in-house salaries relative to other industries. Probably not totally out of line for the industry/seniority.

[Anonymous User]

How much are in house salaries at more established companies like banks? Those places are more set based on seniority, are they not?

[Anonymous User]

How much are in house salaries at more established companies like banks? Those places are more set based on seniority, are they not?

I recently got an offer from an established company, not a bank, but a major multinational.

Experience: c/o 2016, BigLaw litigation whole time
Location: Non-NY Major Market
Base: $190k
Bonus: Target $40k
Hours: 9-6 with no weekends (they claim)
401k/deferred comp: 9%

They definitely had strictly defined bands for what certain people with certain education and experience get as base. I didn't push hard, but asked for $200k base and they didn't budge. Took the offer anyway.

[Anonymous User]

How much are in house salaries at more established companies like banks? Those places are more set based on seniority, are they not?

I recently got an offer from an established company, not a bank, but a major multinational.

Experience: c/o 2016, BigLaw litigation whole time
Location: Non-NY Major Market
Base: $190k
Bonus: Target $40k
Hours: 9-6 with no weekends (they claim)
401k/deferred comp: 9%

They definitely had strictly defined bands for what certain people with certain education and experience get as base. I didn't push hard, but asked for $200k base and they didn't budge. Took the offer anyway.

Ouch. Guess I just have to survive in biglaw as long as I can.

[Anonymous User]

Datapoint from someone who has been in-house for a while (class of 2010, went in-house late 2013):

Oil & Gas Texas: Currently at 180k base, 25% target bonus, 35% target equity, 7% pension contribution, 7% 401k match. Generally bonus/equity comp is only at or below "target" if the company has a really bad year. A good year has a multiplier of 1.5 or so.

I'm pretty close to topped out as an IC/SME (only inflation raises going forward), so I'd need to switch to a business side role if I were to go up from here. But the job is pretty much 9-5 and fairly low stress. Base doesn't go up very much as you get more senior, but equity comp becomes much larger.

[Anonymous User]

How much are in house salaries at more established companies like banks? Those places are more set based on seniority, are they not?

I recently got an offer from an established company, not a bank, but a major multinational.

Experience: c/o 2016, BigLaw litigation whole time
Location: Non-NY Major Market
Base: $190k
Bonus: Target $40k
Hours: 9-6 with no weekends (they claim)
401k/deferred comp: 9%

They definitely had strictly defined bands for what certain people with certain education and experience get as base. I didn't push hard, but asked for $200k base and they didn't budge. Took the offer anyway.

Ouch. Guess I just have to survive in biglaw as long as I can.

That's what they'd call the golden handcuffs I take it. Definitely a matter of perspective and mentality. If the goal is to make as much money as possible (or derivatively, to own a second home or retire early, etc.), it's hard for a JD to do better than biglaw.

I for one went into biglaw six years ago with the assumption I'd make the 2016 Cravath scale for 4-6 years, not be partner track, and then take a gigantic pay cut for some other job. The fact that Milbank/DPW/the market made biglaw all the more lucrative during those years was a pleasant surprise that padded my retirement account, but it wasn't going to change my calculus. Likewise, the fact that I'm exiting for a $230k all-in corporate job instead of a $150k all-in government job with the same hours is nice. But once I payed off my student loans with biglaw, I had the pay cut baked into my life plans.

[Anonymous User]

Series A tech startup

$250k base
$3 million RSUs (one year cliff/four year vest)
fully paid health/dental/vision
15% 401k match (15% of my deduction, not 15% of base)
Unlimited PTO
Wellness stipend
10 years experience

[Anonymous User]

Series A tech startup

$250k base
$3 million RSUs (one year cliff/four year vest)
fully paid health/dental/vision
15% 401k match (15% of my deduction, not 15% of base)
Unlimited PTO
Wellness stipend
10 years experience

Wow. What was your experience? i.e. was it corporate or something else?

Assume this is for the GC position?

[Anonymous User]

Passed on this offer in late 2021, but pasting below for FYI purposes:

5th year associate / rising 6th year at the time (tech transactions)

Company: publicly traded, consumer-facing tech company (multi-billion dollar market cap)
Location: NYC (but other locations were also a possibility)
Comp: 170k base; 15k bonus, up to 10k 401k match, employee stock purchase plan (ie, stock can be purchased at a small discount)

I was able to negotiate up on salary a little bit, but decided to pass on the offer. Was very disappointed in the comp package overall.

[VentureMBA]

Series A tech startup

$250k base
$3 million RSUs (one year cliff/four year vest)
fully paid health/dental/vision
15% 401k match (15% of my deduction, not 15% of base)
Unlimited PTO
Wellness stipend
10 years experience

Is the $3m valued at the 409A common stock price or at the Series A preferred price?

[d39524s]

Passed on this offer in late 2021, but pasting below for FYI purposes:

5th year associate / rising 6th year at the time (tech transactions)

Company: publicly traded, consumer-facing tech company (multi-billion dollar market cap)
Location: NYC (but other locations were also a possibility)
Comp: 170k base; 15k bonus, up to 10k 401k match, employee stock purchase plan (ie, stock can be purchased at a small discount)

I was able to negotiate up on salary a little bit, but decided to pass on the offer. Was very disappointed in the comp package overall.

Wow. This seems exceedingly low. Was this for a commercial counsel position? How is your search going now (or have you decided to ride it out at a firm for a while)?

[Anonymous User]

Passed on this offer in late 2021, but pasting below for FYI purposes:

5th year associate / rising 6th year at the time (tech transactions)

Company: publicly traded, consumer-facing tech company (multi-billion dollar market cap)
Location: NYC (but other locations were also a possibility)
Comp: 170k base; 15k bonus, up to 10k 401k match, employee stock purchase plan (ie, stock can be purchased at a small discount)

I was able to negotiate up on salary a little bit, but decided to pass on the offer. Was very disappointed in the comp package overall.

Wow. This seems exceedingly low. Was this for a commercial counsel position? How is your search going now (or have you decided to ride it out at a firm for a while)?

I spoke to recruiters about trade association comp that was in that range (at the same experience level)...that's super low for a pubco, especially in NYC.

[Anonymous User]

Series A tech startup

$250k base
$3 million RSUs (one year cliff/four year vest)
fully paid health/dental/vision
15% 401k match (15% of my deduction, not 15% of base)
Unlimited PTO
Wellness stipend
10 years experience

Is the $3m valued at the 409A common stock price or at the Series A preferred price?

Are stock options awards to employees ever valued at preferred stock prices? (Actually asking, not being sarcastic)