I’m interviewing at Amazon (for corporate counsel position) and the legal recruiter is being both VERY aggressive (about questionnaire, providing multiple firm blocks for scheduling, etc, which is very tricky to do when I’m already extremely busy in my current job) and VERY cagey (whenever I ask about comp it’s all vague and noncommittal in a way that’s becoming concerning).
I understand Amazon legal comp is capped at 160k base in almost all markets. Does equity start vesting immediately? Or is there a cliff at one year or another point? I am wondering when I get to see pay over 160k, which seems very low if the equity takes a long time to vest.
Current comp: 300k (total of base + bonus + monthly vest, as I’ve been in my job more than 4 years)
Title: Senior Counsel
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comments
- 5 yoe: 290k TC
- 6 yoe: 305k TC
- 7+ yoe: 315k TC
Note that this was before they increased the base cap from 185k to 350k. The breakdown is likely outdated, but hopefully it gives you an idea of general ranges and the 5/15/40/40 vesting. Equity vests 5% at the end of year 1, 15% at the end of year 2, and 20% each at the end of year 2.5 / year 3 / year 3.5 / year 4.
The bonus is called a signing bonus, but it’s really a cash bonus spread evenly across each paycheck. AMZN also models a built-in 15% increase in equity each year when calculating your comp target (they claim they’ll true you up if you come in below your target).
Using the 315k TC example:
Year 1 - 152k base, 148k bonus, 15k equity
Year 2 - 152k base, 118k bonus, 45k equity
Year 3 - 152k base, 163k equity
Year 4 - 152k base, 163k equity
In the past it was a certain amount of cash (say 150k), then 2 years of cash bonus that would get you to target (say 150k each year for 2 years), and then equity at 5-15-40-40 vesting, where equity grant would be worth 600k but back loaded. Those are fake numbers of course but still close to actuals of a certain level.