What is Base Salary?
Quick answer
Base salary is the fixed annual cash compensation you earn from your job, before bonuses, equity, or benefits.
Base salary is the fixed annual cash compensation you earn from your job, before bonuses, equity, or benefits. It's the number that drives most other pay components.
Examples
- A $140,000 base salary paid biweekly.
- Base excludes the annual 10% target bonus and RSU grant.
- Overtime-eligible roles may have base expressed as an hourly rate.
Why this matters
RaiseCheck benchmarks your base against live market data for your role, level, and location — not a generic national average.
Read more in our guides
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Frequently asked questions
What is Base Salary?
Base salary is the fixed annual cash compensation you earn from your job, before bonuses, equity, or benefits. It's the number that drives most other pay components.
When does Base Salary matter?
RaiseCheck benchmarks your base against live market data for your role, level, and location — not a generic national average.
What's an example of Base Salary?
A $140,000 base salary paid biweekly. Base excludes the annual 10% target bonus and RSU grant. Overtime-eligible roles may have base expressed as an hourly rate.
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