Salary, equity and bonus: comparing London, New York and San Francisco

What the selected advertisements cover

This table is calculated from the same employer records as the salary guide. An advert covering two cities counts once in each city, but only once in the guide’s total. City counts therefore need not add up to the global total. It combines different roles, levels and stages, so the full spread is not a typical salary or recommended offer. Review the individual sources before making a decision.

Keep the city and currency visible

Compare London examples in GBP and New York or San Francisco examples in USD. An exchange-rate conversion does not turn one city’s advertised range into a local salary benchmark. Start with the working location and the actual role. The source table below describes selected adverts, not the full market.

Match the role before comparing the number

A senior product engineer, a research scientist and an engineering manager can have different responsibilities even when compensation overlaps. Match specialism and seniority first, then inspect the funding stage and the work behind each advert. A broad city-wide range is a description of the selected records, not a useful recommended offer on its own.

Read salary, bonus and equity separately

Base salary is recurring cash compensation; a bonus may depend on conditions or discretion. Equity is a grant with its own terms and uncertainty. Do not add the headline value of an equity scenario to salary and describe the result as guaranteed annual pay. An undisclosed bonus or grant does not mean that none is offered.

Use funding stage as context

Funding stage does not establish responsibility, headcount, engineering hire order or the value of a grant. Two companies at seed can need different hires and offer different working conditions. Read the advert and discuss the actual business context rather than applying an assumed stage premium.

Understand what the guide can support

Corellia compiles selected public employer adverts, including source links and review dates. The guide distinguishes observations from separately labelled planning estimates and identifies gaps. Employer names identify source advertisements, not Corellia clients. Listings can change after review, so check the original before relying on a figure.

Turn the comparison into questions

Ask what the person will own, how the company set the salary range and which package elements are fixed or negotiable. For equity, request the terms and a clear explanation of assumptions. Use the compensation planner to explore scenarios, then discuss the actual offer with the company and relevant advisers.

Check the compensation assumptions.

Our salary guide separates advertised pay, disclosed equity and bonus from planning estimates. Compare the role, location and company context before using a figure in a decision.

Questions founders ask