Trying to decide which one I should choose Both are in bay area, and I'm an QA Engineer w/ 10 YOE Amazon - QAE2 Base = 165k Sign on = 32k 1st yr / 20k 2nd year RSU = 35 units (56k by today's market value) Vesting cycle. 5% 15% 40% 40% Total comp = 192k Apple - ICT3 Base = 130k Sign on = 20k RSU = 105k (vests every 6 mo) Target Annual cash bonus = 10% Total comp = 174k On the surface, amazon seems higher but there are some unknowns which can be big factors. 1. Apple recruiter mentioned that there's performance bonus in RSU roughly around 25k annually depending on performance. Is this true? 2. Amazon has no cash bonus, and their performance bonus in RSU is only about 5% of the base salary which kicks in from year 3 b/c I get sign on bonus for the first 2 years. 3. I hear Amazon doesn't really increase your base salary annually. What about Apple? 4. How easy is it to get promoted? 5. Working culture. I hear amazon is really tough place to work. Is this true? These are final offers numbers from both companies Anyone has answers to my questions?
Apple, for one reason: awesome refreshers.
Apple
Apple. Good refreshers. Good WLB in software. More prestigious.
Have to disagree on more prestigious. I would take Amazon on more comp, prestige. Don't take Amazon if you won't work hard, though. Amazon hires and fires easier than many; that's one reason vesting is structured this way. Base is fixed in bayarea at 165k at all levels.
Amazon is prestigious for L6 & beyond. Otherwise barrier for entry is not that high.
Go for Apple 1000%. Amazon is a death trap of suffering and despair.
Seconded. Please don’t work here.
Apple by a mile.
Come to Apple, the stock has some ways up to go.
Apple
I don’t know about Apple, at Amazon you can take a couple of career paths QAE2 -> QAE3 -> QAM -> SDM or QAE2 -> TPM2...
if you want to have a life outside of work do not go to Amazon.
1. Apple recruiter mentioned that there's performance bonus in RSU roughly around 25k annually depending on performance. Is this true? -- that's a conservative number, refresh are usually 70- 100K for ICT3 2. Amazon has no cash bonus, and their performance bonus in RSU is only about 5% of the base salary which kicks in from year 3 b/c I get sign on bonus for the first 2 years. -- that sucks 3. I hear Amazon doesn't really increase your base salary annually. What about Apple? -- yes, increases 2-3 % yoy 4. How easy is it to get promoted? - Fairly easy to get to ICT4 in 2-3 yrs
What about getting to ICT 5 ? from ICT4