Salary for a webdev in Seattle or New York?
July 15, 2015 9:08 AM   Subscribe

I'm interviewing for a web developer job at a large tech company. One of the pre-screening questions is what compensation I want. As I live in Chile, I don't know what's to ask for. The job could be in Seattle or NY.

I have 8+ years experience in web development and a BA and Masters in Architecture.
My wife and our 7yo son would be coming with me.
Also, they ask about 'total compensation'. What does this mean in US HR-speak? Including health + dental + something else? Pre-tax, post-tax?
I'd obviously like to cover our expenses, but it would be nice to come back home in a few years with some savings, so what's the most I could reasonably ask for?
posted by signal to Work & Money (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
If you haven't already, check out glassdoor.com for salary numbers for the company and similar competitors.

Total comp generally means pre-tax base salary plus bonuses plus stock options plus other things you can easily put a number on (401k match). Health benefits are sometimes included, sometimes not in that number.
posted by falconred at 9:15 AM on July 15, 2015


Response by poster: Thanks for the answer. Can you translate "plus bonuses plus stock options plus other things you can easily put a number on (401k match)" into a number or percentage?
posted by signal at 9:23 AM on July 15, 2015


oh wow. hey. long time. congratulations. i work with people in new york. i'll send you an email.
posted by andrewcooke at 9:27 AM on July 15, 2015


The Occupational Outlook Handbook for Software Developers is a good start.

Also H1B Salaries are public information. You can look up the salary of people with your job title in that company in that city who are visa holders.
posted by meowzilla at 9:34 AM on July 15, 2015 [2 favorites]


Best answer: In Seattle, something like anywhere from $100k to $130k base, plus around 5% to 10% performance bonus, plus some stock. Stock will vary surprisingly from company to company, so ask for the standard package, then ask for more when you get your offer. Medical/dental/vision is a given as is 3 or 4 weeks vacation. You may get a signing bonus of some sort, ask for more when you get your offer. You should get some sort of relocation package to cover the cost of the move, ask for more when you get your offer. (FYI: Anything you pay out of pocket above that is tax deductible if your move is over 50miles.) 401k should be standard for a bicoastal company. Match varies from company to company and probably isn't negotiable as it's generally just a policy that applies to everyone. Some companies may offer things like disability insurance, life insurance, legal insurance (doesn't ever apply to speeding tickets though, so make sure you drive fast enough to get reckless endangerment), health club memberships, etc. All of that is fluff that isn't generally negotiable either as it's just part of the contract with whatever provider they use for these things.

But that's just a guess. They may be thinking $80k - $90k, no bonus, no stock.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:34 AM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]


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