The Signing Bonus Shield

Signing bonuses solve a common standoff: the company cannot raise your base without resetting its internal band, but it can hand you a one-time check.

Ask for a signing bonus equal to one to two months of salary. At senior levels, six figures are not rare — especially when you are leaving equity, an unvested bonus, or a pending raise behind. Document exactly what you forfeit and ask them to cover it.

Two cautions. Signing bonuses usually carry a one- or two-year clawback — leave early and you repay part or all of it, so read the clause first. And one-time money does not compound: use it to offset your move, not to upgrade your lifestyle.