Negotiating a remote offer from India: USD band, equity vs cash
The remote-from-India negotiation playbook — researching the USD band Indian residents actually get (not the US-comp number), equity vs cash for tax reality, and the contractor-vs-employee structural choice.
Negotiating a remote offer from India: USD band, equity vs cash
Status: Outline — full guide coming soon. Get notified when it ships →
What this covers
- The USD-band research specific to India-resident roles (it's not the Levels.fyi number)
- Equity vs cash for an Indian-resident: tax reality, vesting acceleration, the right ratio
- Contractor vs employee structural choice and the 30%+ comp implications
- The non-cash levers that compound: equipment, dev budget, paid leave, work-from-anywhere
Why this matters for Indian devs going remote
The India-resident comp band sits below the US-resident band for the same role at the same company — but the gap is negotiable, and the gap is usually larger than the negotiation. Most Indian devs accept the first number and leave 20-30% on the table because they don't realize a counter is normal. This guide is the playbook for that counter.
Outline
USD band research for India-resident roles
TODO — Levels.fyi India filters, USTC tier data, talking to peers in DMs, the company-specific question for the recruiter.
Equity vs cash, India-resident reality
TODO — RSU at vesting = ordinary income at Indian rates; ESOP at exercise + sale; cash always taxed; the right ratio by company stage.
Contractor vs employee
TODO — contractor (~30% more take-home for same USD, no benefits, less stability); employee (PEO via Deel/Remote, full stability, lower take-home). When each wins.
The non-cash compound levers
TODO — equipment refresh, dev/learning budget, PTO above default, work-from-anywhere stipend, conference budget; what to ask for.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Accepting the first offer without a counter (US norms expect one)
- Optimizing for total USD without modeling tax reality
- Picking contractor without realizing you lose health insurance / PF / equity vesting
Templates / examples
TODO — a USD-band research worksheet, a counter-offer email template, a contractor-vs-employee modeling spreadsheet, and a non-cash levers checklist.
Related guides
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