I work in tech and I just got another tech offer. The new company’s compensation structure is so confusing that I’m afraid I might actually end up with a pay cut if I took it!

Total comp = base signing bonus stock performance bonus stock refresh

Base in the offer is lower than my current. Since everything is incremental, I’m afraid I’d be using my signing bonus to cover the gap between the lower base for the next 12 months. Then after that my stock comp would kick in to cover the gap no longer filled by the bonus. Sure, there are other bonuses but that’s not really a guarantee. It kind of feels like it’d be a year before I make like, 12k more than I am now.

If you look at it year over year, sure, I end up with more each year. But that’s assuming max bonuses and stock refresh.

The offer’s base comp and stock comp basically match my current base. Meaning my stock will never grow, I have to immediately sell it to maintain my current cash flow. Surely someone has fallen into a trap thinking this was a better deal?

Is there a specific way I should be negotiating this? Ie, saying “my base and stock comp must be $X in order to beat my current base?”