This is not me defending Amazon's comp structure (they need to improve it in many ways), just correcting the facts: At the time of calculating an offer, all 4

This is not me defending Amazon's comp structure (they need to improve it in many ways), just correcting the facts: At the time of calculating an offer, all 4 years are considered the same "Total Compensation Target" i.e. no built in reduction or raise. Amazon just pays cash equivalents for years 1 and 2 - through a signing bonus to make up for the lack of stocks, and through stocks in years 3 and 4. The stocks in for each year are calculated assuming an average of 15% growth. This can be problematic, or can be great depending on the year you join. Disclaimer: Worked at Amazon for 9 years.