Pay transparency laws made comp bands mandatory in a growing number of states. Most companies comply by posting a band — and then making the band as wide as legally defensible. "$180,000 to $320,000" gives the company $140K of room to anchor wherever they want.
The stated band tells you something. It just doesn't tell you what most candidates think it does.
The 50/30/20 rule
Across competitive senior hires in 2026, the typical distribution within a posted band looks like this:
- 50% of hires land in the bottom third of the posted range. Most candidates negotiate softly or take what's offered. Companies anchor low because they can.
- 30% land in the middle third. Reasonable negotiators with a competing offer or strong leverage end up here.
- 20% land in the top third. The candidate had real leverage — competing offer at parity or above, a unique skill the team had been searching for, or an internal champion pushing the comp committee.
Almost nobody lands at the top of the band. Companies post the ceiling so they can say "we go up to that number" without committing to it. The recruiter's first offer is almost always at the floor, and the negotiation moves up from there.
Where the band you'll be offered actually sits
Enter a band and pick your leverage to see where you'll land.
What the band's width tells you
A narrow band signals a calibrated company. They've benchmarked, decided where the role sits, and posted a range that reflects the actual decision space. Negotiation will be tight.
A wide band — $140K+ of spread for an IC role — signals one of three things:
- Multiple seniority levels rolled into one posting. The bottom of the band is a Senior IC; the top is a Staff IC. The recruiter will calibrate after the first call. Be ready to push for the senior bracket if your scope justifies it.
- The company is deliberately leaving room. They want the option to anchor low without violating disclosure law. Treat the floor as the recruiter's first offer.
- The team doesn't know what they want. Common at series A/B startups hiring their first VP-level role. The band is wide because nobody calibrated. This can be an opportunity if you negotiate hard.
What's missing from every posted band
Posted bands are base salary only — sometimes total cash including bonus. They almost never include:
- Equity. At startups, this is often the larger number. At public companies, equity is typically 30-60% of total comp at senior levels.
- Sign-on. Negotiable line item that doesn't violate the band. Easy give for the company.
- Refresh grants. Annual equity refresh that isn't in the original offer letter. At public companies, this often makes the difference between "raise" and "no raise" year over year.
- Bonus structure. Posted as "up to 20% bonus." In practice, the average payout is half of the maximum.
When you compare two offers, you're comparing total comp — not posted bands. Two roles at the same posted base can pay $80K differently in year one once you account for equity and sign-on.
Reading equity language specifically
"Significant equity" at a Series B means the cash is low and the company wants you to bet on the equity. Treat it as a $0 line until you know stage, valuation, dilution outlook, and your strike price.
"Competitive equity" at a public company means the equity is calibrated to a benchmark (usually Levels.fyi-style ranges). It's real comp, valued at current market price.
"Performance equity" is a flag. Performance milestones rarely vest as planned. Treat performance equity at 30-50% of the stated value.
"Early-exercise option" is a green flag — it lets you start the long-term capital gains clock and limits your tax exposure. Not all companies offer it; ask if you don't see it.
The compensation report
Ari builds a compensation report from your resume — what your level should pay, where the market is, and where to anchor in your negotiation. Free. Run the comp report →
Knowing the real shape of a comp band before the call is the difference between negotiating at the floor and negotiating at the median. The number you accept is the number you'll be benchmarked from for the next two raises. Underpay yourself once and you compound it for years.