Software Engineer offer letter template
Engineers compare offers on total compensation, not base salary. A good engineering offer letter puts base, bonus target, signing bonus and the equity grant in one table, names the team and the manager, and says plainly when the stock vests.
- Sample pay
- $135,000 a year
- Type
- Full-time
- Work model
- Hybrid
- Design
- Startup Offer
What to include in a software engineer offer letter
- Base salary and how often it is paid.
- Equity: the number of options or RSUs, the vesting schedule and the cliff. Say whether the strike price is set at grant.
- Signing bonus and the clawback period if they leave early.
- The team and the manager by name. Engineers want to know who they report to.
- Work model and location, including how many days on-site if hybrid.
- Equipment and home-office stipend if you offer one.
- Contingencies: background check, work authorization, the confidentiality and invention assignment agreement.
Questions
- Should the offer letter include the exercise price of the options?
- Only if the board has set it. Most letters say the exercise price will be the fair market value on the grant date, and that the grant is subject to board approval.
- Do I need to state FLSA exempt status?
- In the United States, yes. Salaried software engineers are normally exempt from overtime. The letter should say so.
- How long should the candidate have to respond?
- Five to seven business days is normal. Set a date in the letter; a vague deadline invites a slow answer.
Sending this to a real candidate?
The app sends it as a private link with e-signature, keeps every version on record, routes it for approval and pushes the hire into your HR software.
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