Network Engineer total compensation: base vs bonus vs equity

Base pay is only part of the story. A Network Engineer's total compensation runs about $172K (range $163Kโ€“$181K) once bonus, equity, and benefits are included โ€” base is roughly 61% of that.

Where the money comes from

Base salary
Guaranteed cash
$105K
61%
Bonus (mid)
8โ€“25% of base
$17K
10%
Equity / RSUs
~25% of base, annualised
$26K
15%
Benefits
~22% (health, 401k, etc.)
$23K
13%

Total (mid): $172K. Equity and bonus vary widely by employer and performance โ€” treat these as planning ranges, not a guaranteed offer.

Common questions

What is a Network Engineer's total compensation?

A Network Engineer's total comp is roughly $172K at the mid estimate (range $163Kโ€“$181K): base $105K plus a 8โ€“25% bonus, ~25% equity, and ~22% benefits.

How much of Network Engineer pay is base vs bonus and equity?

Base is about 61% of total comp for a Network Engineer. The rest comes from bonus ($17K mid), equity/RSUs (~$26K/yr annualised), and benefits (~$23K).

Do Network Engineers get stock or RSUs?

Typically yes in this field โ€” around 25% of base in annualised equity, though it varies widely by employer (startups skew higher and riskier; large public firms pay liquid RSUs).

Bonus/equity/benefits modelled from category norms (Levels.fyi, Robert Half, employer benefit-cost data); estimates, not an offer.