Remote-work compensation is unbundled. Beyond base salary, the negotiable items are:
Equity (if a startup/scale-up): Often more negotiable than base. Ask for the strike price, vesting cliff, and total grant size. Negotiate the number of shares OR the cliff OR the strike — never all three.
Home-office budget: $1,500-$3,500 one-time is the 2026 standard for senior roles. Some companies offer ongoing ($100/mo for internet, $50/mo for co-working). Ask in writing.
Annual learning budget: $1,000-$3,000 for books, courses, conferences. Easy ask, almost always granted.
PTO: Unlimited PTO is mostly marketing — real numbers vary. Ask for "explicit minimum 3 weeks" plus all major holidays.
Equipment: Most companies provide a laptop. Some negotiate up to MacBook Pro 16" instead of the standard 14". Ask if you can keep equipment after employment ends (rare but happens at smaller companies).
The negotiation script that works: "I'm excited about [Company]. Based on my research and the role's requirements, I was hoping the base could land around $X. I'm open to discussing how we get there — whether that's a higher base or an enhanced equity grant." This signals flexibility without lowballing yourself.
Mistake to avoid: Negotiating against yourself by stating a single number too early. Always give a range, with the bottom of your range being what you'd be genuinely happy with.
For comparison data, Levels.fyi (tech), Glassdoor (general), and Blind (anonymous developer salaries) are the realistic 2026 references.