This is true, though I would also add "high performer" does not just refer to your primary job function, but also the secondary job of playing BigCO's internal political games.
Re:Options vs. Cash
by jethro_tell on Wednesday June 07, 2017 @01:42PM
(#14508330)
small companies have internal politics as well. It's not like working with people disappears. I've worked at both big and small companies, I don't really have a preference but in a big company, you can move around and keep all the good stuff if it gets a little hot under the collar. With a small company lots of times you have to leave to get a new manager or role or move up or just get a change of pace.
The continuity of a big co. can be very helpful from a salary perspective.
So if you’re the sort if person who’s likely to work hard at a BigCO long enough for most of your rolling RSU grants to vest, then yes, the comp difference is that big.
[0] note that MANY senior people at BigCos are NOT high performers. So beware of comparing to things like Glassdoor comp figures, which are highly likely to be coming from non-high-performers.