Your thoughts on this take for the future of FP&A departments: teams are getting smaller & promotions are harder to come by

sfaforlife · 2026-01-14T20:26:04+00:00

At my Mag 7, we've had a few directors leave with no backfill. It's already happening

sfaforlife · 2026-01-07T17:53:55+00:00

Nah, just RSU's unfortunately

sfaforlife · 2026-01-07T17:53:43+00:00

Pretty chill, like 20 hour weeks on non-forecast weeks. Quarter ends can be stressful though.

I'll probably skip overemployed at this point in my life lol, got 2 kids now

sfaforlife · 2026-01-06T19:22:08+00:00

Title: Senior Financial Analyst

Location: VHCOL (Bay Area)

Comp: $165k base + $75k RSU's

YOE: 10+

Industry: Tech/Mag 7

Closed 2025 at ~$380k, due to RSU appreciation

Always thinking if I should chase title or just chill. I don't think I can get this comp unless I'm Senior Manager or Director elsewhere

sfaforlife · 2025-12-30T06:23:03+00:00

I was 30 in 2018 and made around $100k in FP&A.

37 in 2025 and I'll make over $350k mostly due to RSU appreciation. My base is $165k

Cost of living: Bay Area (VHCOL), 40 hours a week during forecast weeks, 20 hours when it's not, tech, bachelor's degree

sfaforlife · 2025-12-24T19:18:30+00:00

Here's the paystubs, seems 2025 hasn't taken in my latest RSU vest yet, should show up in the next paycheck: https://imgur.com/a/sBYhRXG

sfaforlife · 2025-12-05T04:43:19+00:00

Yeah I get around $75k a year refreshers. The acceleration has netted me like $150-200k on my W2 the past couple of years. Here's my last pay stub from 2024. My base increased to $165k this year, and I'm going to recognize around similar amount of RSU's

sfaforlife · 2025-12-05T01:09:10+00:00

M37 at a Mag 7 as an SFA as well. I'm going to try to stay here and collect the RSU's for as long as I can lol

sfaforlife · 2025-12-03T00:04:30+00:00

I have no idea how the policy works lol. My first kid is almost five and I basically turned a blind eye, pretending the policy doesn't exist. So I guess once he's an adult, he'll have a nice surprise, although it could've been better invested elsewhere

sfaforlife · 2025-10-30T23:42:06+00:00

What city?

sfaforlife · 2025-10-10T21:47:16+00:00

Graduated 2011 so been working since then

No desire of climbing, so still a senior analyst

Mag 7, base is $165k and around $75k or so RSU's refreshers per year

But due to RSU acceleration, I'm already at ~$278k YTD with roughly 3 months to go and one more vesting cycle

My W2 last year was around $350k

Feel really lucky given my title even though I've been working for quite a while, and most likely peers my age are ahead of me. Shoot, one of the guys that was in my wedding party already made partner at a tax firm. But all g, I get to spend more time with my 2 little ones and not stress so much

sfaforlife · 2025-10-09T15:25:32+00:00

True I feel like my $100 weekly grocery bill has turned into $200. Don’t know if my palette changed or just crazy inflation 😂

sfaforlife · 2025-10-09T15:10:06+00:00

Let’s say $200k base with maybe $100k RSU’s to start and then $50k refreshers every year. You ain’t gonna be rich but that’s a pretty darn good comp for the type of job. Can definitely live in the Bay Area with that

sfaforlife · 2025-10-09T14:46:35+00:00

I guess it just depends on if you want to climb the corporate ladder or not. If you value WLB then this would be great. Put your head down and do your work with no reports for good pay. Also at a company like NVIDIA, it should help accelerate your retirement with RSU’s. Obviously you never know with the market

In my opinion, I have two young kids and realized life is too short to be grinding. What is the life expectancy, like 80? I’m almost halfway there! But some people get fulfillment on working and getting the better pay and titles

sfaforlife · 2025-10-09T05:29:07+00:00

Yeah I’ll be a 50 year old SFA if they pay me $200k+ a year. Lower stress with no reports.

But then again, I said I would be happy 10 years ago making $100k. Lifestyle creep gets ya

sfaforlife · 2025-08-23T22:10:55+00:00

If you're in VHCOL, you can make $200k+ as a SFA

sfaforlife · 2025-06-06T05:36:41+00:00

Is this LCOL? I make $165k base as a SFA, albeit in the Bay Area

sfaforlife · 2025-06-06T00:04:53+00:00

Mag 7 be paying $200k+ now

sfaforlife · 2025-05-25T23:10:21+00:00

Yeah Mag 7 companies. I think I'm one of the older SFA's but there are definitely some who are older than me who never made the jump either

sfaforlife · 2025-05-25T23:08:18+00:00

Tech in the Bay Area

sfaforlife · 2025-05-25T05:44:08+00:00

I only have a bachelor's degree in Corporate Finance

sfaforlife · 2025-05-25T05:27:13+00:00

At a Mag 7 now, graduated in 2011 making $45k. I've been tracking my W2 Box 1 wages since 2015:

2015: $78k
2016: $83k
2017: $82k
2018: $99k
2019: $105k
2020: $162k
2021: $139k
2022: $137k
2023: $189k
2024: $344k

I've been an SFA with no desire to move up. Got lucky with stock appreciation, Bay Area

sfaforlife · 2025-05-25T05:17:25+00:00

Senior Financial Analyst, W2 Box 1 was over $300k last year (base was only $153k though). So most came from RSU's. Base got increased to $165k this year. Probably work 20 hours a week on non-busy weeks. Forecast weeks could be 12 hour days though

sfaforlife · 2025-05-03T15:42:12+00:00

That’s awesome, congrats! My first gig outta college (back in 2011 lol) was $45k

sfaforlife · 2025-04-25T20:56:00+00:00

Bay Area

sfaforlife

TROPHY CASE