Technology · Level IC4 · Salary
Staff Engineer salary
Typical total compensation (US national)
$360,000–$425,000
Base
$220,000
Bonus
$40,000
Equity (annual)
$130,000
Indicative, sourced — not a guarantee. Levels.fyi Staff (L6) - within-level RSU grants vary $50k-$200k over 4-yr vest; national blend of big-tech + scaleup
Pay by metro — nominal vs cost-adjusted
“Real” adjusts for cost of living, so a high headline number in an expensive metro can be worth less in practice. Ranked by real pay.
| Metro | Nominal | Real (cost-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $409,500 | $401,471 |
| Remote (US national) | $390,000 | $390,000 |
| Atlanta | $382,200 | $390,000 |
| Seattle | $460,200 | $383,500 |
| Chicago | $390,000 | $361,111 |
| Denver | $390,000 | $354,545 |
| Boston | $421,200 | $312,000 |
| New York City | $460,200 | $296,903 |
| Los Angeles | $421,200 | $290,483 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $487,500 | $270,833 |