Typical comp shape
API engineers usually earn double-trigger rsu or isos. Common employers include Stripe, Twilio, Plaid. API-platform hires at Stripe-style pre-IPOs hold double-trigger RSUs whose tax event only lands at liquidity.
What Virginia changes
In Virginia, every RSU vest, NSO exercise, and ESPP purchase carries 5.75% state tax on top of federal. For a senior api engineer with $300k+ of equity income, the state layer routinely adds $25-45k to the annual bill.
Planning cadence
For a api engineer in Virginia, the three planning windows are: after each RSU vest (withholding check and sell-vs-hold), before any ISO exercise (AMT model at federal only), and in Q4 (estimated tax top-up to clear the safe harbor).