TikTok Salary Negotiation - How to Negotiate Your Bytedance Job Offer

September 2022 Update: with the recent stock market crash + hiring pullback, negotiations are quickly becoming more difficult. We’re still able to secure substantial increases (and have seen 0 rescinded offers), but our negotiation strategies have had to evolve. Some simpler approaches that people may have used in the booming 2021 market are no longer viable - make sure you have the latest strategies and data.

TikTok blasted into prominence in 2020 and has spent the past year at the top of the global app download charts. Unsurprisingly, the company also significantly ramped up hiring to ensure it is well positioned to take advantage of this growth opportunity.

TikTok is owned by Bytedance, which also owns several other prominent tech brands, including Lark, Helo, Resso, CapCut, and Ulike.

Can You Negotiate your TikTok Salary?

It is certainly possible to negotiate your TikTok offer. However, TikTok is one of the trickier companies in the industry to negotiate with. This guide aims to equip you with the key pieces of information you need to maximize your compensation based on our experience negotiating 30+ TikTok offers.

If your situation is unique or you want 1:1 support to ensure you maximize your compensation, sign up for a free consultation with our negotiation team.

‍Table of Contents

TikTok Offer Compensation Components

Before starting any negotiation, it is critical you fully understand the different compensation components offered. A typical job offer for a tech role at TikTok (e.g. Software Engineer) should contain the following monetary components:

This is what a TikTok 2-2 offer looks like over a 4-year period:

TikTok Base Salary

TikTok's base salary is one of the highest in the industry. They typically pay slightly above Google and Facebook for comparable roles (e.g. L4/E4/2-1).

Despite base salary being one of the hardest components to negotiate, we've seen TikTok increase base salary fairly significantly on a number of offers we've helped negotiate.

Like most companies in the US, TikTok pays out base salary twice a month, and there are no real "tricks" to speak of with this component of compensation. Here is the TikTok offer letter wording:

TikTok Signing Bonus

At TikTok, signing bonuses are often referred to as a hiring bonus. It's normal for recruiters to leave these out of the initial offer, especially for more junior candidates or non-technical roles. However, we have seen that Bytedance has quite a bit of flexibility with this component, and in certain cases, clients have received +$75K on top of their initial signing bonus. It is important to note that TikTok does not prorate this and is known for clawing back hiring bonuses if you leave before the 1-year mark. At one point in 2020, TikTok was requiring a 2-year Hiring Bonus Repayment Agreement, but that is less common now. It is worth reading the Hiring Bonus Repayment Agreement section of your contract closely to make sure you fully understand what you are committing to.

TikTok Equity - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)‍

There are many interesting nuances with TikTok's equity that are particularly relevant if you are evaluating multiple competing offers.

To start, while ByteDance is still a private company, they have chosen to issue employees RSUs not stock options. This is also true for a few other late-stage private companies (e.g., Stripe and Waymo). The advantage is that you do not need to pay for these shares as there is no strike price. Instead, ByteDance will give you an equity grant, then divide that by their current valuation ($155 per share as of September 2022) to arrive at the number of shares you will receive.

Despite TikTok's equity being labeled "RSUs", they are not directly comparable to RSUs you would get at a company like Google. The primary difference is liquidity. Not only does TikTok have a slower vesting schedule (more on that later), but when you receive your shares, they cannot easily be sold since they are not publicly traded. TikTok has rolled out share buyback programs in the past (read more), but the tradeoff is that you get this liquidity at a significant price discount. For example, in May 2021, ByteDance began offering share buybacks of $126 for current employees and $100 for past employees, despite the company issuing RSUs at $190 per share.

Another drawback is TikTok's vesting schedule, which is unfortunately back weighted. This means if you are granted $600K RSUs you will receive:

• Year 1: 15% ($90K)
• Year 2: 25% ($150K)
• Year 3: 25% ($150K)
• Year 4: 35% ($210K)

For those of you who like to dig into the weeds, I've included an anonymized quote from a TikTok Offer Letter we negotiated recently.

Restricted Share Units. Subject to (i) the approval of the Board of Directors of Bytedance Ltd., the parent of the Company, and (ii) your execution of a restricted share unit award agreement (the "RSU Agreement”), you will be granted an award of X restricted share units (“RSUs") of Bytedance Ltd. under the Bytedance Ltd. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), with each RSU representing the right to receive one Class A ordinary share of Bytedance Ltd., subject to the restrictions and on the terms set forth in the Plan and the RSU Agreement. The RSUs will vest upon satisfaction of both (i) a time-based vesting condition and (ii) a performance-based vesting condition, in each case, on or before seven years from the date of grant (with vesting to occur on the first date on which both requirements are satisfied). The time-based vesting requirement will be satisfied upon the following schedule: 15% of the RSUs on the first anniversary of the Start Date; 25% of the RSUs on the second anniversary of the Start Date; 25% of the RSUs on the third anniversary of the Start Date; and 35% of the RSUs on the fourth anniversary of the Start Date, subject to your continued employment with the Company on each applicable vesting date. The performance-based vesting requirement will be satisfied upon the earlier to occur of a "Liquidation Event or "WO" (each as defined in the RSU Agreement). The terms, conditions and limitations of the RSUs, and your rights and obligations with respect to the RSUs, will be governed by the Plan and the RSU Agreement Notwithstanding anything in this letter to the contrary, the terms of Bytedance Ltd.'s equity program, including the Plan, may be changed at any time in the discretion of the Board of Directors of Bytedance Ltd.

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TikTok Performance Bonus

TikTok is known for having a pay-for-performance culture, and it lists one of the highest target performance bonuses in tech at 25%. This is strangely consistent across levels, unlike most FAANG companies that increase your target % as your level increases.

There is a substantial amount of controversy around whether this is, in fact, an "accurate" target number. At companies like Google, nearly 90% of engineers receive their target bonus, whereas based on anecdotal accounts, we expect the number to be much lower at TikTok. Here is the specific wording from a TikTok offer letter.

TikTok Stock Refreshers

Unfortunately, TikTok does not offer stock refreshers at this time. This should be a major point of consideration if you are comparing equivalent offers at companies like Apple and Facebook, which are known for offering large refresher packages. As a point of comparison, an Apple ICT4 engineer (roughly TikTok 2-2) could receive $170K per year in stock refreshers if they are in the top performance bracket. TikTok may introduce refreshers in the future, but there is currently no credible information on timelines.

Industry Compensation Data

Rora has helped negotiate a wide range of offers at TikTok. Candidates of course need to know the latest role-specific salary information like the TikTok product designer salary or the TikTok technical program manager salary. However, it can also be useful to understand these salary trends at the industry level. Hence, Rora has complied that data for different roles setting the senior (L5) level as the benchmark.

Remember, the data points above are industry wide, not specific to TikTok. There are many company specifics at play here. For example, a TikTok data scientist salary is above industry average. However, a TikTok product manager salary is often below average especially for hybrid roles like product and process manager.

TikTok Negotiation Process

TikTok has a unique approach to levelling. It's important to make sure you understand this before starting the negotiation.

TikTok Level Structure

• TikTok 1-2 = Google L3 (new grad)
• TikTok 2-1 = Google L4 (software engineer)
• TikTok 2-2 = Google L5 (senior software engineer)
• TikTok 3-1 = Google L6 (staff software engineer)
• TikTok 3-2 = Google L7 (manager)
• TikTok 4-1 = Google L7/L8 (manager/director)
• TikTok 4-2 = Google L8 (director)

Before getting into this section, there are some caveats to be aware of. TikTok has one of the most volatile recruiting and negotiation processes we've seen out of any of the major tech companies. It is known to have a higher rate of ghosting candidates (though we haven't had issues with our clients, fortunately). During particularly intense periods (e.g. the Trump ban), many aspects of this process changed.

If you have not yet received an offer from TikTok there are a few mistakes to avoid:

1. Do not share your current compensation. In many states (e.g. California), it is illegal for companies to ask this, so you are certainly within your rights to say, "I do not feel comfortable sharing that information". Despite it being illegal, TikTok is one of the few companies that regularly asks for this information.
2. Do not share your compensation expectations. TikTok recruiters will sometimes claim they need this to move forward. However, it is in your best interest to deflect this question until they have extended an offer. One possible response is, "right now, I'm focused on the interview process and don't have a number in mind, but I'm confident we will be able to get to a number that works for both of us."

Here is the standard process for candidates receiving an offer from TikTok:

1. After the final round of interviews, the hiring committee responsible for your decision will meet. TikTok has an internal scoring system that influences how willing they are to negotiate, and that is set during this meeting.
2. If your final round interviews are successful, recruiters will often tell you that you are receiving an offer within one week. In some cases (especially for senior candidates), they will tell you that you are being offered a position but will refuse to give you the initial offer until you share compensation expectations. It’s important to be prepared for this in advance.
3. When you receive the initial offer, make sure to document all the information and clarify any points of confusion with your recruiter. You will usually be able to push for more time to consider the offer. TikTok isn't known for exploding offers (in most situations), and this will give you time to prepare your counter offer.
4. You should then set up a second call with your recruiter to share your counter offer numbers. The recruiter will likely push back, and at Rora, we build a tree diagram unique to your situation with the most likely objections and the optimal responses to those objections. The goal of this call is to get the recruiter to take your counter offer number back to the hiring committee because the recruiter will likely not have the authority to approve these new numbers.
5. It typically takes less than 3 days to hear back from the recruiter with the “final offer”, but it is not unusual to have this stretch out past the 1-week mark.

Can I Lose my TikTok Offer by Negotiating?

This is far and away the number 1 question Rora’s career partners are asked. It is a very common and valid fear, especially given today’s volatile market conditions. But based on our data, what’s the actual probability that TikTok would decide to pull the offer?

First, let’s discuss what benefits TikTok would get from rescinding your offer. The primary reason a hiring manager would elect to rescind an offer would be a fear of liability with their intended hire - i.e., this hire may cause a scandal, this hire will in no way be able to perform their duties, this hire will be detrimental to TikTok, etc. Aside from that, by the time an offer has been extended, TikTok has already invested a substantial amount of time and money into the candidate they’re giving an offer to, and should have a solid understanding of how this candidate will perform in the role. It would be a net loss for the company to go through all those interviews, conversations, and putting together the offer to then decide that they want to cut ties with the candidate – this is something they try to de-risk before giving an offer. 

Even in this economy, we have seen clients get increases in their offers from companies of all sizes by making respectful and well-reasoned requests. It’s very unlikely a company would pull the offer based on negotiation - in our experience across thousands of negotiations, we’ve seen this happen less than 0.5% of the time. And that includes companies that are on hiring slowdown/freezes right now.

Now, there is a fundamental difference between getting an offer rescinded and losing the offer due to headcount. A headcount loss is solely based on the state of TikTok and the necessity of the role within the team. This isn’t common but can occasionally happen if needs at the company shift – and is more common with earlier-stage startups. It is not reflective of your interview performance or skill level, and oftentimes companies will try to keep in touch with you and share other opportunities once headcount opens up. If your offer was rescinded, the company would not have any interest in keeping you warm. 

Regardless of the low likelihood of getting an offer rescinded, we know that this is a very common fear – and one that often holds candidates back from negotiating! To help mitigate the risk (and increase your confidence while negotiating) - follow these dos and don’ts to lower the probability of your offer getting rescinded:

1. Do keep it professional - avoid getting into politics or making jokes that may be poorly received and make your hiring manager think you might be a liability to the company
2. Do give justification and reasoning behind your ask for increased compensation – this could be based on your market value, another opportunity you have, specific expertise you bring to the table, or the strong relationship you’ve built with your hiring manager
3. Do your first compensation ask over a phone call - in most cases we see a higher rate of success and understanding when the first ask is done over a call versus an email
4. Do demonstrate to your hiring manager that you’re a solid candidate who would be a strong hire by creating and collaborating on an impact roadmap (outlining your 30 day, 60 day, and 90 day goals for getting started in your new role and your understanding of the priorities for this position)
5. Do your best to understand the necessity of the role on this team - How critical is it? How long has the role been open for? This can help you determine the likelihood of the headcount being lost – and also the leverage you may have in negotiating

TikTok-Specific Negotiation Advice

There are many unusual things we've encountered in past negotiations with TikTok. I'll list some of these below in addition to best practices to ensure you are well prepared for your upcoming negotiation.

Refusing to disclose levels for different jobs

For a number of candidates, TikTok has been very unwilling to share leveling details. Sometimes they try to deflect this by providing a role title, and in other cases, they just dodge the question entirely. This makes negotiations much tougher to navigate, particularly in the case where you need to make an initial offer. Make sure you have a deep understanding of compensation bands for your target level and one-level lower to handle this ambiguity.

Recruiters changing salaries and offers

‍We've seen several cases where TikTok recruiters have given one offer on an initial call and then attempted to lower that offer on subsequent calls. This typically impacts one component of compensation (e.g initially said $75K signing bonus but on the next call they say it is $25K).

It's crucial you:

1) write down every piece of information they share and

2) try to confirm numbers in writing with your recruiter after each call.

In these situations, you can usually push back and even negotiate above the initial number – you just need to be prepared for this tactic. A similar trick is where the recruiter “miscalculates” the total value. For example, they will tell you the offer is over $500K per year, but the offer comes out to $475K per year when you actually calculate it.

Company Specific Interview scoring system

‍When the hiring committee decides whether or not to extend an offer, they also bucket you into a group (e.g. base-line offer, fight for this candidate, do everything we can to win this candidate). Understanding where you fall in this range can help you better position your counter offer. This is why it's important to spend time on your first recruiter call asking questions about how well you did in the interview. Sometimes recruiters aren't willing to share, but it's still best practice to ask the question as many will share this info.

Adjusting compensation between components

This is actually fairly rare for a company of this size, but we have seen it at TikTok. For example, when you push for more RSUs, they will sometimes come back with higher RSUs and a lower base salary. To avoid this, you should also anchor them on a yearly total comp figure. In some scenarios, the decrease is small enough it can be ignored. In one recent negotiation, the recruiter came back with higher Base Salary and a $1000 decrease in RSUs. This was roughly a 0.1% change on the RSU offer, so I’m not exactly sure what they were optimizing for here…

TikTok does not push for offers in writing

‍Unlike Google, TikTok does not usually require you to provide cross offers in writing. This can be useful because many companies avoid putting their offers in writing to prevent you from using them as leverage in other negotiations. However, for TikTok, you can continue to use those verbal offers as points of leverage.

Few exploding offers

‍Most clients we support in TikTok negotiations have not received offers with short acceptance timelines. In the few cases where it has happened, we have been able to secure extensions using our standard playbook (start with recruiter then go to hiring manager, open-ended then progress to specific reasons). Sometimes recruiters will ask for verbal confirmation by the end of the week that if they secure your requested increase, you will accept the offer. If you are happy with your counter offer, it's fine to agree to this.