What Is Total Comp?

Full Definition

Total compensation (often abbreviated as TC) is the standard metric for comparing tech industry offers. It is computed as: base salary + target bonus + annualized RSU value + annualized sign-on bonus. The annualization is typically done over 4 years (matching the standard RSU vesting schedule), so a $200K sign-on bonus contributes $50K/yr to total comp. Total comp can be quoted as 'first year TC' (which front-loads the sign-on bonus) or 'steady-state TC' (which excludes sign-on and refresh grants). Senior+ FAANG total comp typically ranges from $250K-$1M+, with the upper end at L7+ at top performers. The comp aggregator site levels.fyi is the canonical reference for tech industry compensation data, indexed by company, level, and location. When negotiating, candidates should always quote total comp (not base) and always ask about refresh grants and promotion timing, since the 4-year cliff drop is a real consideration. Some companies (Netflix) use 'cash-only' compensation with no RSUs, which makes TC comparison easier but creates different financial dynamics.