Salesforce Equity FAQ

Salesforce RSUs typically vest over 4 years with a 1-year cliff, followed by quarterly vesting thereafter. This means 25% of your grant vests after your first year, then the remaining 75% vests in equal quarterly installments over the next three years. Some employees may have monthly vesting instead of quarterly.

Refresher grants may be awarded annually during performance reviews or upon promotion, but they are not guaranteed, especially for employees below Lead MTS level. For example, MTS-level employees typically receive refreshers around $40k vested over 4 years, while Senior MTS refreshers are around $55k over 4 years, though these are not automatic.

Salesforce offers an Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 15% discount and a lookback provision. You can contribute up to 15% of your salary (maximum $21,250 per year), and the plan purchases shares semi-annually at 85% of the lower price between the offering date and purchase date. Enrollment periods are in May and November.

Yes, you can generally sell ESPP shares immediately following purchase. However, you'll be subject to any company-imposed blackout periods and insider trading restrictions. For favorable tax treatment (qualifying disposition), you must hold shares for more than 1 year after the purchase date AND more than 2 years after the offering date.

RSU grants vary widely by level and role. Examples include $58k to $200k over 4 years for initial grants, with a Senior Software Engineer receiving around $125k over 4 years and a Lead MTS receiving approximately $160k. Your specific grant will depend on your level, role, and negotiation.

Yes, Salesforce does grant both Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) and Non-Qualified Stock Options (NSOs), though RSUs are the primary equity vehicle for most employees. Stock options have a 10-year expiration period, but specific details about vesting schedules and exercise windows vary by grant.

When your RSUs vest, they're treated as ordinary income and subject to federal, state, and local income taxes, plus FICA taxes. Salesforce will withhold taxes at vesting, but be aware that the standard withholding may underestimate your actual tax liability, especially if you're in a higher tax bracket.

Any RSUs that have already vested are yours to keep when you leave Salesforce. However, any unvested RSUs will typically be forfeited upon termination. If you're a specified employee and receive vesting acceleration payments, these may be delayed by 6 months plus 1 day due to Section 409A requirements.