A forward deployed engineer range is only useful after you know what the number includes. These eight live job pages at four startups mix base-salary and annual-salary labels with OTE, bonus and equity details. Comparing their top numbers without those details would give candidates the wrong picture.

The pages below were checked on September 30, 2026. All cash figures are annual U.S. dollars. This snapshot covers these roles and locations and is not a market-wide salary survey.

The individual-contributor roles

Snorkel publishes the same base range across three hybrid postings in New York City and San Francisco:

Each page adds a variable compensation opportunity and says the exact mix of base and variable depends on role level and work location. Each also says most offers include equity. The pages do not publish the target variable amount or show how either endpoint maps to a particular level or city.

Firecrawl's Forward Deployed Engineer - Revenue is an on-site San Francisco role. Its $209,000 to $265,000 range is OTE, and the posting separately says it offers commission and equity. OTE includes target variable compensation, so it should not be compared directly with Snorkel's base range.

Footprint's Forward Deployed Engineer is on-site in New York City. Ashby labels $170,000 to $205,000 as annual salary and says the role offers equity.

Confido's Forward Deployed Engineer is on-site in its NYC office. The tier lists $200,000 to $270,000 in annual salary, equity and a bonus. Its additional compensation note says the annual performance bonus is on top of base and can be up to 40%. That statement belongs to this posting; it should not be generalized to every Confido role.

Keep management bands separate

Snorkel also lists two leadership roles for the same hybrid New York City and San Francisco locations. The Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering page publishes $200,000 to $320,000 in base salary and says most offers include equity. Its compensation section does not state the additional variable opportunity shown on the three individual-contributor pages.

The Head of Forward Deployed Engineering page needs extra caution. Its compensation paragraph says $268,800 to $403,200 in base salary, while the Greenhouse salary widget says $268,800 to $403,000. The page also says variable compensation and equity may apply. The $200 disagreement is small, but it makes the published upper bound unresolved. Ask the recruiter which maximum is current. Neither value belongs in an individual-contributor salary ceiling.

When the roles were posted

Ashby marks the Firecrawl role published August 3, 2026, Footprint's published June 16, 2026, and Confido's published November 10, 2025. Greenhouse does not expose original posting dates for the five Snorkel pages in the checked feed; it reports September 22, 2026 update timestamps. September 30 is the observation date, not evidence that any role opened that day.

Raydar's earlier company reports cover Snorkel, Firecrawl, Footprint, and Confido. This comparison uses their current job pages instead of repeating the funding stories.

What to ask before comparing offers

Get the compensation structure in writing:

  • What is guaranteed base salary?
  • If the number is OTE, what are the base and commission components, and how is attainment calculated?
  • If a bonus is described as "up to" a percentage, what is the target and what determines payout?
  • What equity is offered, and what are the grant size, vesting schedule and exercise terms?
  • Which published location and level apply to this opening?

Compare guaranteed cash first, then ask what conditions apply to variable pay and how equity is granted. Matching the number to its label makes the next conversation more useful.